Consumer Confidential: Toys, toys and soda pop

Here's your wonderfully Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Get the lead out. That's the message from the California attorney general's office to six major retailers found still to have toys on their shelves containing lead. "These products must be removed from store shelves at once to protect our kids from toxic lead exposure," Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown told Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, Sears, Walgreens and Tuesday Morning. More info is available here.

--Speaking of which, the Consumer Products Safety Commission is trying to get the word out to parents about new federal rules regarding toy safety. Here's what they have to say.

--Don't go looking to Costco if you want to score some Coke (as in cola). The retail giant has removed Coca-Cola products from its shelves because of a pricing dispute with the sugar-water maker. Both sides are trying to remain diplomatic amid the spat, but it's clear things have escalated to an ugly level. Maybe not a bad time to try some fruit juice instead.

-- David Lazarus

  

Consumer Confidential: Sentiment, streets, Star Trek

Here's your finish-line-Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Consumer sentiment took a little tumble this month as the realization set in among many that jobs may not be a big factor in the economic recovery, at least not right away. Optimism among consumers is now at the weakest level in three months. Seems to me, though, that consumers have been pretty snippy for a long time now, so this isn't going to change the economic landscape much.

-- They take their privacy seriously in Switzerland. The country's privacy watchdog says he'll drag Google to court to make the Web giant change how it's photographing streets as part of grand plans to map the world. Swiss authorities want to ensure that all faces of Swiss folk are obscured, and that nobody gets a glimpse of private areas, such as walled gardens. Google says it'll fight for its right to take pictures of stuff, whether you like it or not.

-- When makers of the new "Star Trek Online" video game started working out the concept of the huge, multi-player setting, they originally didn't want to include allowing players to sit in Capt. Kirk's chair on the bridge of the Enterprise. In fact, they figured they wouldn't include the bridge of any starships. Happily, cooler heads prevailed, and the game makers now say that, yes, you can Kirk out as much as you want. Beam me up.

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Foreclosures, cleaning products and video games

Here's your thick-as-Thursday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Things are still tough on the housing front but maybe not as tough as before. Market researcher RealtyTrac said foreclosure filings were down 3% last month from the month before, but were up 19% from a year earlier. Analysts say we aren't out of the woods yet, but the trend line suggests that the housing market is gradually improving. About time too.

-- Is it possible to keep your home too clean? A new report says yes. The group Women's Voices for the Earth says many households overdo it with disinfectant products, making people more vulnerable to asthma, hormone imbalances and other health problems. "Companies are working hard to convince consumers, and especially moms, that they need to regularly disinfect every surface in their homes to protect their families from illness," Alexandra Scranton, a staff scientist with the group. "But that’s simply not true, and it may not be healthy."

-- I wrote the other day about visiting with people in line at a Best Buy store for the latest "Call of Duty" video game. Today, I can close the loop by reporting that Activision Blizzard sold $310 million worth of games -- 4.7 million copies -- within the first 24 hours of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" going on sale. And that's just in North America and Britain. Could it be that a few of us have some aggression issues to work out?

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Games, games and games

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

--Activision's new video game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, went on sale shortly after midnight today. Industry analysts expect the shoot-'em-up to be one of the fastest-selling titles ever, with as many as 13 million copies estimated to be sold by the end of the year. I stopped by a Best Buy outlet in West L.A. where Activision was planning a big launch party. Javier Rivera, 25, was first in line for the new Call of Duty. He said he'd gotten there at 5 a.m., meaning that he planned to stand around for 19 hours to get his hands on the game. "I'm not working today," he explained. "I am working tomorrow." But not very alertly, it's safe to assume.

--Maybe guys like Rivera are one reason that game retailer GameStop says it expects sales to remain brisk this holiday season, even though analysts say consumers aren't buying as many titles as they used to.

--Speaking of high-stakes games, the head of Bank of America, Ken Lewis, says history will vindicate his company's big-bucks purchase of brokerage Merrill Lynch & Co. Right after it vindicates the invasion of Iraq, that is.

— David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Strollers, shakes and spam

Here's your make-my-Monday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--Heads up if you've got a little one. Maclaren, which makes some very popular strollers, has recalled about 1 million folding strollers that can cut or even cut off kids' fingertips. So far, the company says mishaps have resulted in at least 12 kids' fingertips being amputated. The kids apparently get their fingers caught in side hinges when the stroller is being opened or closed. For more info, check out www.maclaren.us/recall or call 877-688-2326.

--The economy might still stink, but things are looking up at the golden arches. McDonald's says its global sales rose 3.3% last month as consumers worldwide answered a hankering for Big Macs, fries and shakes. This was especially the case in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, where sales jumped 4.7%. Who says the United States isn't spreading sunshine throughout the world?

--The website Tagged.com has agreed to pay $500,000 to the New York attorney general's office to settle charges that it routinely hijacked people's e-mail accounts and sent marketing pitches to everyone they know. This is a relatively common ploy among social-networking sites and has sparked outcry among many Net users. If you've had a similar experience with either Tagged.com or some other site, don't hesitate to let California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown know about it.

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Jobs, DVDs and gold

Here's your full-frontal-Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--The unemployment rate hit 10.2% last month. OK, we've seen it coming for weeks, and President Obama and Fedatollah Ben Bernanke have been doing their best to prep us for the eventuality. But now that it's here, well, it stings a bit. The pencil pushers say things will probably grow even worse on the jobs front before they get better, with the jobless rate perhaps hitting 10.5% by the summer. Time for all those employers who are seeing their profits creep back up to do their thing ... please.

--But for those with jobs, there's always some shopping to do. And our friends at Target are offering some of their most popular DVDs at a bargain-basement price of just $10, with free shipping. The move is intended to match a similar price point from Walmart, and signals that heavyweight retailers are prepared to duke it out for what little consumer spending we can expect this holiday season.

--Gold futures have jumped to a new record -- more than $1,100 an ounce. Note to wife: Forget about any jewelry this Christmas.

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Shopping, jobs and cable

Here's your throbbing-Thursday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--The retail industry posted its second straight month of gains in October as shoppers decided maybe, just maybe, the economic picture isn't as grim as all that. That doesn't mean we've been on a spending spree -- far from it. But some of the big boys, including Costco and Gap Inc., say their cash registers have been getting a little extra activity in recent weeks. This, as the lady says, is a good thing.

--One reason we seem to be feeling a little better about the economy is because more of us are working. Not much more, to be sure. But any job in a storm, right? The Labor Department says first-time unemployment claims fell by 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 512,000 -- the lowest level in 10 months. That doesn't mean all's hunky-dory. But it does mean things are moving in the right direction.

--Time Warner Cable, the dominant cable provider in Southern California, says its profit fell by 11% in the most recent quarter. The company's chief exec, Glenn Britt, blamed the lousy economy for Time Warner's less-than-stellar performance. Another way of looking at it is the relatively high prices the company charges for services that some may feel aren't worth the cost. But who am I to say?

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Wine, funky flashlights, Google

Here's your whopping-Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

• A little vino with your Slim Jim? Our friends at 7-11 say they'll be introducing a low-priced wine in the United States and Japan. Sold under the Yosemite Road brand, the 7-11 wine will cost about $3.99 and will come in chardonnay and cabernet varieties. Heads up, Two Buck Chuck.
• Did you buy your kids a Halloween flashlight from Target? If so, you got more trick than treat. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of the made-in-China flashlights after receiving multiple reports of the devices overheating and even melting. Needless to say, this represents a burn hazard. More than 600,000 such flashlights were sold, so make sure you're not among the owners.
• Google spent more than $1 million lobbying politicians in Washington during the most recent quarter. They grow up so fast, don't they?

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Credit cards, banks and trains

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

--Sign o' the times: MasterCard Inc. says its quarterly profit rose as consumers put more stuff on plastic, which is yet another indication that the economy is on the upswing. Robert Selander, MasterCard's chief exec, said it looks like the worst of the downturn is now in our rear-view mirror. But he also said that things won't be entirely hunky-dory until next year. So go easy with your credit card. We're not through the rough stuff yet.

--These little town blues: Bank of America says it wants to attract a higher caliber of exec for its next CEO, so the company reportedly may move its executive suite from North Carolina to New York. Probably doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. But it shows that many of our too-big-to-fail companies are beholden to no particular community -- except, perhaps, Wall Street.

--Warren Buffett is buying a railroad -- the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., to be precise. Clearly the guy known how to play Monopoly. The railroads always pay off over the long run.

-- David Lazarus

Pomona company bets Coleman brand will lift sales of its hot tubs

For hot tub manufacturers and the small retailers that sell the majority of the industry's goods, the recession arrived about six years ago, pushing sales down dramatically.

Hot tub sales are expected to tally only about 180,000, down from a high of 452,000 in 2004, said Lauren Stack, a spokeswoman for the Assn. of Pool & Spa Professionals.

The massive drop-off in sales has resulted in about 60 spa manufacturers closing over the last six years and many big-box retailers pulling hot tubs from the stores in favor of selling them online only or not at all.

But LMS Inc., a Pomona company known for its CalSpas brand and outdoor furniture, recently bought the rights to build a new line of hot tubs under the Coleman Spas name.

LMS is hoping the strength of the Coleman name -- known for camping gear such as coolers, lanterns and sleeping bags -- can get hot tubs back into mass retailers like Home Depot, Lowe's and Wal-Mart and win back sales among consumers, said Casey Loyd, LMS' president.

The new Coleman Spas, built by LMS, should be available by February, Loyd said.

Read more about the state of the hot tub industry and LMS' acquisition of the Coleman Spas brand in today's article.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles