Cutting Costs to Increase Profits

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November 25, 2008
Insider Newsletter A weekly summary of the best in BusinessWeek and BusinessWeek.com

NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Cutting Costs to Increase Profits Outfits like Gap and manufacturers like Dell have been able to post higher profits by slashing expenses in the face of declining revenues. Other companies may not be so lucky

Editor's Memo As the traditional "Black Friday" approaches, the business world's eyes turn to retail. Will it be a Red Friday instead? In our Top Story, writer Ben Steverman looks at one strategy some of the nation's big-name chains are using: cutting costs. Some retailers are using the immediacy of the Internet to offer quick discounts and promotions. We talk to the businesspeople who are out there on the front line in "Small Retailers Push for Online Sales." And be sure to check out "Toy Shopping in Tough Times," for some straight-up advice on how to make your holiday dollars go further. Less abrasive than Entourage's Ari Gold and probably more effective, Plentitube, is an online talent scout for the YouTube generation. The studios are listening. Read about it on our Technology Channel. Where would you move for your dream job? Prefer the balmy breezes of Miami over the sleet and smog of New York? If so, you're in the minority. "Where Would You Relocate for a Job?" takes a look at the results of our survey. Check out the story and slide show. —Katherine Davis

FROM THIS WEEK'S ISSUE OF BUSINESSWEEK NEWS The Man Who Could Run GM Fritz Henderson, groomed to replace CEO Wagoner, has a strong track record—and a way with unions HEALTH Hospitals X-Ray Patient Credit Scores More and more are buying credit data to see if the sick can afford treatment FINANCIAL CRISIS CRUNCH Fighting the Global Slump: Less Is Dangerous Amid a debt-deflation spiral, the governments' greatest risk is enacting stimulus measures that are too little to fight the slump   FROM BW.COM'S TECHNOLOGY CHANNEL INTERNET Plentitube: Your Agent for Online Video Plentitube aspires to be the middleman for the YouTube generation, helping online content creators find a way to pull in revenue COMPUTERS Microsoft to Google: Get Off of My Cloud The world's top software maker plans to build about 20 state-of-the-art data centers as it tries to outpace cloud computing rival Google, BusinessWeek has learned CONSUMER ELECTRONICS 'Tis the Season for LCD TVs Consumers will be spending less this holiday season, but they're allocating more of their budgets to home entertainment devices   FROM BW.COM'S SMALLBIZ CHANNEL Small Retailers Push for Online Sales The holiday outlook is gloomy, but online retailers can react faster than stores with discounts, free shipping, and other Web promotions   FROM BW.COM'S ASIA & EUROPE CHANNELS INSIGHT Asia's Economic Lessons for the U.S. The U.S. is mortgaging its future by outsourcing technological inventions in exchange for short-term cash EUROPE Is Britain's Stimulus Plan a Wise Move? Britain is pulling out the stops to immediately shore up the badly shaken economy, but what it will mean for the longer term is unclear   FROM BW.COM'S LIFESTYLE CHANNEL REAL ESTATE LISTS Where Would You Relocate for a Job? A recent survey identifies the 20 cities where Americans would most want, and least want, to relocate NEWS & FEATURES Congress to Detroit: What's Your Plan? If the Big Three automakers can't come up with a radical plan that will satisfy Congress, they can kiss the $25 billion bailout goodbye PARKER ON WINE Super Chateauneuf du Papes The excellent 2006 Chateauneuf du Papes are now on the shelves. Here are some of the best of the vintage, including one that earned 98 points   FROM BW.COM'S INNOVATION & DESIGN CHANNEL DESIGN Toy Shopping in Tough Times There are plenty of options for gifts at all prices this holiday season. In fact, some say toys constitute a "recession resistant" category   FROM BW.COM'S INVESTING CHANNEL ECONOMIC FOCUS -- FROM ACTION ECONOMICS Holiday Sales: Just How Bad? Action Economics says this could be the gloomiest holiday season in decades for the retail industry GENE MARCIAL'S STOCK PICKS Marcial: Apple Is Ripe for the Picking These days, Apple's beaten-down stock looks like an appetizing "value" play based on the company's potential for earnings and sales growth INVESTING Funds' Big Test: The Great Redemption Rush As redemptions swell, some mutual funds are turning to new sources of liquidity in order to avoid forced selling that shrinks fund returns  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Online Executive Certificates from Notre Dame  Master the Art of Negotiation and Leadership Skills – Download FREE information Now! OppenheimerFunds  Products and Services For a Range Of Financial Goals. Visit the Official Site and Learn More Today. Find Qualified Candidates for Your Openings Here  Job.com has 12MM+ members from across the country. Request a free tour to see some of them now- Secure Recruiting Platfrom  Complete Talent Platform, including Applicant Tracking, Onboarding and more, backed by AT&T Hosting. Try the FAB-5 Portfolio  Five "Top Gun" stocks. Disciplined Sell stops. A Real-Time Portfolio. FREE Trade Alerts for 30 Days Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 View our corporate privacy policy. To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2008, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

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