Google will sell the online services of other business software makers in an effort to fill its own product gaps and persuade more companies to rely on applications piped over the Internet.  The online store unveiled late on Tuesday in the US ...

A large section of the Middle East's biggest shopping mall was shut on Thursday as maintenance crews scrambled to contain a leak in its massive, shark-filled aquarium.  An official at Dubai's civil defence department said "there has been a sma...

Walmart, the world's largest retailer, says it wants its suppliers to reduce 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2015.  The discounter's push to eliminate what it says is the equivalent of 3.8 million cars off the ...

Macy's has returned to a fourth-quarter profit on lower expenses. While sales dipped, the department store operator believes it will be able to boost earnings and revenue for the rest of the year after a solid holiday season.  During the hol...

Americans' outlook on the economy went into relapse in February. Rising job worries sent a key barometer of confidence to its lowest point in 10 months, raising concerns about the US economic recovery.  The Conference Board said its Consumer...

Continued strength in paint, flooring and plumbing sales and ongoing efforts to trim costs pushed Home Depot to a fiscal fourth-quarter profit, the largest US home-improvement retailer said.  The improvements led Home Depot to boost its quarte...

Lean inventory and stronger-than-expected holiday sales helped Target's fourth-quarter profit rise 53.7 per cent, and the company said it expects to pick up market share this year as it rolls out sweeping merchandising initiatives.  The second...

Wal-Mart Stores reported a 22 per cent increase in its fourth-quarter profit as the world's largest retailer cut costs and slimmed down its inventories.  But a key measure of sales showed its third consecutive quarterly decline, the discounter s...

Brilliant and controversial British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead in his London home after anguished internet postings that revealed his deep sorrow at the death of his mother. He was 40 years old, writes Gregory Katz of AP.&...

McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, said a key sales comparison rose 2.6 per cent in January, as strong overseas sales more than offset a decline in the US.  Sales in stores open at least 13 months fell 0.7 per cent in the US an...

Retailers are reporting modest gains for January as shoppers, uninspired by limited racks of holiday clearance, spent cautiously after a holiday buying spree in December.Fourth-quarter profit profits look brighter, however, as Macy's and Bon-Ton Stor...

Macy's raised its earnings outlook Thursday after posting improved sales in January, a sign that shoppers are returning to the department store after it suffered more than many retailers in the recession.  The department store operator said Thur...

MasterCard said on Thursday its fourth-quarter profit jumped 23 per cent as the company raised its fees to offset fading credit card use in the US.  Yet MasterCard's performance paled in comparison with its rival, Visa, which is better posit...

Visa said its profit rose 33 per cent in the fiscal first-quarter on increased revenue, even as consumers pull back sharply on spending amid the recession.  The payment processing giant reported net income of $US763 million ($A864 million), ...

Wal-Mart Stores has said that a cut of 300 headquarters workers completes a yearlong series of changes to its corporate structure that including laying off thousands of workers.  Wal-Mart President and CEO Mike Duke told employees of the latest ...