Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Talk of the Day

Deal will put Subway fixin's in grocery case

By TIMES STAFF
Published February 16, 2007

DEAL WILL PUT SUBWAY FIXIN'S IN GROCERY CASE

Leading pork processor Smithfield Foods Inc., which already sells pork chops and other foods in the grocery store meat case, is expanding to the deli counter. The Smithfield Deli Group division is teaming up with the Subway Restaurants sandwich chain to test-market a line of Subway-branded meats and cheeses to be sold at deli counters at grocery stores and mass retailers. The one-year test begins this month with items such as Virginia ham and provolone cheese initially being sold at Pathmark grocery stores in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas. The program is expected to expand to other U.S. stores throughout the first half of the year.

VW pulls plug on suicide-themed ad

Volkswagen AG said Thursday it has pulled an ad depicting a distraught man standing on the ledge of a tall building after suicide-prevention groups said they were concerned about its message. In the ad, which first appeared on network television Monday, the man decides not to jump after learning that Volkswagen offers three vehicles for less than $17,000. It was the latest ad campaign involving an automaker to draw criticism from suicide-prevention groups. General Motors Corp. said last week it would edit a Super Bowl ad that showed a quality-obsessed robot jumping off a bridge in a dream sequence after messing up on the job. Jerry Reed, executive director of Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, said the organization appreciated "VW's willingness to listen to and address our concerns regarding the ad."

Dell TVs are duds, consumers say

Dell Inc., the world's second-largest personal computer maker, was sued by consumers who claim that its liquid crystal display televisions are defective. The power supply on Dell's LCD televisions fails, and the picture on the screen disappears, according to a lawsuit that seeks class-action status. "Contrary to Dell's advertising emphasizing the quality and workmanship of the LCD televisions, the video component fails, causing the picture to no longer be visible," the complaint said. Consumers who complained to Dell under their warranty got refurbished televisions that also failed, the suit said. Dell began selling its own branded TVs in 2003 and said last week it would also sell models from Sony Corp. as it seeks to diversify beyond PCs, which account for more than half its revenue.

Turn it off or pay up, DirecTV says

DirecTV is turning up the heat on restaurants and bars that are misusing or misappropriating the satellite television company's programming, and recently obtained a $50,000 judgment against a New York bar. The $50,000 judgment was the result of a civil lawsuit DirecTV filed against Bounce Deuce for violations of several federal statutes. The judgment was entered against Bounce Deuce for its unauthorized showing of the 2006 NFL Sunday Ticket package. DirecTV filed two other similar civil complaints against New York commercial establishments in December. Those cases are pending in federal court.

[Last modified February 16, 2007, 05:58:13]