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Shenanigans/Humor/Parody

Steve and Barry Sued for Fraud

The cofounders of Steve & Barry’s are being sued by New York landlord Jeff Sutton, who accuses them of fraud—specifically, misappropriating $1 million intended for construction at a Brooklyn mall—writes the New York Post.

Steven Shore and Barry Prevor, along with their CFO and director of real estate, are accused of taking the money from Sutton in May for installing escalators and elevators at...
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X-Ray ‘Guns’ Detect Lead in Toys

“Guerrilla” toy testers have used technology like X-ray guns to take to stores looking for toys containing unsafe levels of lead and other chemicals, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH), a consumer advocacy group in Oakland, CA, for instance, zapped frog-charm jewelry sold at Wal-Mart and found that it contained levels of lead higher than allowed by...
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‘Capitalist Department Stores’ in France Target of ‘Afghan Revolutionary Front’

The renowned Printemps department store in the French capital was evacuated today after bomb threats were received, CNN reports. Five sticks of dynamite were apparently discovered inside the store, which is usually packed with shoppers this time of year.

A letter sent to Agence France Presse, ostensibly by a group calling itself “Front Revolutionaires Afghan” (Afghan Revolutionary Front), warned...
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JCPenney Drops Oak Harbor Freight after Labor Violations

JCPenney has stopped using Oak Harbor Freight Lines to ship its merchandise in the western United States; the move is in response to labor rights violations, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said.

JCPenney’s decision comes on the heels of a report by the International Labor Rights Forum that Oak Harbor Freight Lines has violated international labor rights standards.

Oak Harbor is a...
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Whole Foods Sues FTC over Wild Oats Merger Battle

Whole Foods Market filed a lawsuit Monday in the US District Court of Washington (DC) against the Federal Trade Commission, which has been challenging the company’s merger with Wild Oats Markets, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The suit accuses the FTC of prejudicial treatment of, and due-process violations against, Whole Foods, which bought out rival Wild Oats for $565 in August 2007.

Though...
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Walmart.com Down for ‘Scheduled Maintenance’—on Black Friday

Just as swarms of shoppers were knocking down doors, actual and virtual, to get at Black Friday deals first thing this morning, Walmart.com became inaccessible around 6 AM, Eastern Time—and stayed down for about 40 minutes.

A message on the site claimed it was down for “scheduled maintenance” (see image), although that seems highly unlikely, considering the timing—one of the busiest shopping...
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Wal-Mart Lawyers Tackle Black Friday Ad Sites, Target Search Engines

Last week, some Black Friday websites received “leaked” Wal-Mart ads regarding deals available at the big-box. But less than two weeks before the shopper’s holiday, Wal-Mart’s legal team has sent takedown notices to those sites, writes MarketingVox.

Moreover, Wal-Mart is apparently also targeting search engines that linked to the content. Lawyers told SearchAllDeals.com, a search...
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Fake J.C. Penney Ad on YouTube

A racy, fake advertisement posted on YouTube is causing angst among J.C. Penney Co. officials, who fear that parents will think the company endorses teen sex, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The fake ad, which won a prestigious international award at Cannes last week, shows a teenage couple timing themselves at “Speed Dressing” - the ad title - to prepare for hanging out in the basement while...
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