One of the bolder initiatives Starbucks announced during last week's quarterly conference call was that 60 percent of the 1,500 new U.S. locations the barista-tended chain plans to open through the next five years will have drive-thru windows.
Thinking about buying a used car? You might want to do it sooner rather than later. Prices are on track to rise an average of 1.8% in 2012, and used compact cars will go up even more -- nearly 3%. What's going on? And what does it mean for car shoppers?
Ford reported Tuesday that its sales in February rose 14% compared to a year ago, in part due to strong sales of the revamped Ford Explorer sports-utility vehicle, the Fusion midsized sedan and the Ford Escape compact SUV. Total sales for the month hit 156,626.
The nation's second-largest automaker reported a healthy year-over-year sales increase that was led by strong demand for the Edge crossover and the F-Series pickups. Overall, Ford enjoyed its best month of retail sales in 2010.
After trailing Asian automakers for more than two decades, U.S. car companies, led by Ford Motor and General Motors, raced ahead of their foreign competition in the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Study of new vehicles.
Ford Motor reported Tuesday that sales of its vehicles rose 33 percent in December compared to a year ago. Sales for the full year, however, were down 15 percent compared to 2008. In the last month of the year, each Ford brand saw improved sales, and the company increased its domestic market share by a full percentage point.
