Doughnuts for vets

The Times’ Brand X blog reports that companies are offering a number of freebies and discounts for veterans today:

Today is Veterans Day and to say "Thank You" to the brave men and women in our armed forces, and those who have served the country in the past, there are several companies offering freebies and sales that vets might want to take advantage of this holiday.

Click here for the post and a list of stuff.

Happy Veterans Day!

-- Sharon Bernstein

H&M to open store at Westfield Century City on Thursday

Cheap chic retailer H&M will open a store at Westfield Century City on Thursday.

To celebrate the opening, the store will offer the first 200 shoppers an H&M T-shirt and an Access to Fashion Pass, a shopping card containing a value from $10 to $300.

The store opens at noon at the mall, which is located at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd.

-- Andrea Chang

Try Starbucks VIA instant coffee -- get more coffee for free and at a discount

Today is the last day to try the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew challenge -- and to receive a freebie and a discount for the trouble.

As Starbucks rolls out VIA, the instant coffee that supposedly took 20 years to formulate, the company is asking customers to come into stores to compare the concoction to its freshly brewed Pike Place Roast.

Starbucks is betting that customers won't be able to tell the difference. VIA can be mixed with hot or cold water.

Participants will receive a coupon for a free tall brewed coffee and $1 off a three- or 12-pack of VIA.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Is your name Henry? Get a free sandwich in Burbank

Wednesday is a lucky day for sandwich lovers named Henry who decide to stop by the new Burbank grocery store called -- what else? -- Henry’s.

Henry’s Farmers Market's 32nd store is officially opening Sept. 30 at 9 a.m., preceded by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:45.

The first 200 people to arrive will be given a shopping bag full of preselected free groceries. And for the rest of the day, any person named Henry with an ID gets a free deli sandwich.

Other guests can register for a free nutritional seminar to be held Oct. 6 from 6 to 7 p.m., presented by Janet Little, the store chain’s nutritionist. Participants will receive a $5 coupon for Henry’s products.

The Burbank location, at 1011 N. San Fernando Blvd., will join recently opened stores in Woodland Hills and Monrovia.

Henry’s Farmers Market is a chain of natural food stores established in 1943 by Henry Boney. It has locations in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Consumer Confidential: Instant Starbucks, trust and a day at Disney

Here's your Totally Tuesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- We're not out of the woods yet. Consumer confidence took an unexpected dive last month as Americans continued to fret about whether the job market would ever improve. Chances are, consumers will once again feel some love for the economy as employers slowly (oh so slowly) expand the workforce, but this could be a dark cloud for the holiday shopping season. Or, looked at another way, I'm thinking big sales coming down the pike to lure us into stores.

-- Starbucks has taken the lid off its new Via Ready Brew instant coffee. The company hopes this will give it a taste of the $21-billion global market for morning pick-me-ups made from freeze-dried beans. Starbucks is pumping big bucks into the North American rollout of Via. We'll just have to see whether this is a shrewd brand extension on the company's part or whether adding instant to the mix just cheapens everyone's favorite caffeine fix.

-- Do you trust the safety of the food you eat? Many of us don't, or so we're led to believe in a new survey from our friends at IBM (who I never thought of foodies, but so be it). The tech giant found that about 60% of consumers said they were concerned about the food they purchased, and only 20% trusted food companies to develop and sell safe products. The survey indicates that a steady stream of food recalls has made consumers safer, but it's also raised awareness that not everything you find in the supermarket is safe to eat.

-- Who says giving is its own reward? Disney is upping the ante by offering free admission to a Disney park for anyone who completes a day of volunteer work. The offer will be extended to 1 million do-gooders and is being made in conjunction with HandsOn Network, a clearinghouse for volunteer activities. See you on the Matterhorn.

-- David Lazarus

Free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery today

Make a donation and get a free 3-oz. sample of "Jack's Creation" ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery locations today.

The three-hour promotion, which Cold Stone calls the 8th Annual World's Largest Ice Cream Social, benefits Make-A-Wish Foundation and begins at 5 p.m. There is a one sample limit per customer.

"Jack's Creation" features sweet cream ice cream mixed with brownies and rainbow sprinkles and topped with caramel.

-- Andrea Chang

Two kids eat free with adult purchase at Boston Market

The “kids eat free" wars have been raging all summer, according to Boston Market, but the chain says it’s entering the fray with a more demographically appropriate offer.

The structure of American families is changing, with 31% now run by a single parent and 21% with three or more children. Those families, according to Boston Market, would miss out on free-meal deals from other national restaurants, which that can only be redeemed by two children accompanied by two adults.

So through Oct. 31, two kids will eat on the company’s dime when a parent spends $6 or more. The Kids’ Meals, worth $3.79 to $4.29, feature a choice of entree, small side, kids-size beverage and corn bread, and are served to children age 14 or younger.

When parents purchase a Family Meal, four children eat free.

Boston Market says the promotion is available at all of its more than 500 locations, but it wouldn’t hurt customers to call ahead to check.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Shampoo exchange at Saks Fifth Avenue

Satisfied with your shampoo?

If not, trade it in for a free full-sized bottle of Fekkai Advance Shampoo (a $23 value) at a participating Saks Fifth Avenue store. Today, exchange any full-sized bottle of shampoo -- even if it’s used, even if it's a gloppy bargain-basement variety -- for a new bottle of Fekkai.

The limit is one per customer. The exchange is offered only at participating Saks Fifth Avenue stores in California. So call ahead at your nearest store to make sure.

-- W.J. Hennigan

FTD Good Neighbor Day brings free flowers

Hundreds of participating FTD florists around the country are offering free bouquets for the 15th Annual Good Neighbor Day today.

Since 1994, the company has encouraged customers to give their neighbors flowers in hopes of creating a friendlier and more compassionate environment.

The free blooms are available while supplies last.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Free chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A for sports fans

No sports fan needs to go hungry on Labor Day.

Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country are offering a free chicken sandwich to anyone who comes in on Sept. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. wearing sports-related apparel.

That includes anything from a little league uniform to a professional or collegiate jersey, hat, T-shirt, socks, etc.

The promotion is pegged to a football game between the University of Alabama and Virginia Tech on Sept. 5. The game, which Chick-fil-A sponsors, will be held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and will be televised nationally on ABC.

-- Tiffany Hsu