Consumer Nation

If you don’t know what a “beauty balm” or “blemish balm” is yet, chances are you will soon.

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Sales of the products, which are also known as BB creams, have grown significantly in the past several months, according to a new report from market researcher NPD Group. And it’s no wonder, as the creams blend together the benefits of several beauty products all in one — a plus for time-pressed women. Most combine the functionality of primers, sunscreen and moisturizers, along with the anti-aging benefits of skin serums.

The relatively new product is catching on quickly among a small segment of U.S. women, NPD said. About 2 percent of women who buy beauty products are purchasing them. But the growth has been quick. In the 12 months ending March 2012, BB creams sold in U.S. department stores generated close to $9 million in sales, NPD said.

Many different brands are selling products in this category, including Estee Lauder

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[EL  Loading...      ()   ], L'Oreal's Garnier, Stila, Boscia, Christian Dior, and Clinque.

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Six items that have consumers buzzing in the world of beer, wine and spirits as we head into the weekend:

1. Maker's Mark Wax Seal Deserves Trademark: A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Beam's

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[BEAM  Loading...      ()   ] Maker's Mark Bourbon is allowed to enforce its trademark on the well-known dripping wax seal on its bottles. Citing bourbon's "unique place in American culture and commerce,” the court said the company could stop rival companies from using similar decorative seals.

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While the battle between small craft brewers and larger corporations here in the United States has been well documented, the battle is apparently equally as fierce overseas.

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Take, for example, a recent awards ceremony thrown by the British Institute of Innkeeping, a trade group which represents pubs and restaurants. This year the event was sponsored by Diageo

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[DEO  Loading...      ()   ], the world’s largest distiller, maker of Johnnie Walker whiskey and Smirnoff vodka, and Guinness Lager among other items.

At the event, the award for "Bar Operator of the Year" was set to go to Scotland's Brewdog, according the craft brewer's website. But Brewdog was snubbed when Diageo allegedly told event organizers that future sponsorship would be pulled if Brewdog won the award.

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This year at the Walpole China Luxury Conference in London there were actually bears in the room — and they weren’t panda bears.

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Last year attendees, still having post-traumatic stress from 2008 to 2009, asked the question could China save the U.S. in another downturn? The sentiment was a resounding yes. China was hailed as the savior that would offset weakness in the U.S. luxury market.

This year, with our fears firmly set on the European market, there is a similar question: Can China save Europe? But there is a different response.

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Disappointing results at accessory retailer Fossil sparked a selloff of the company’s stock that rippled throughout the retail sector, including the seemingly Teflon high-end retail sector.

Source: Fossil Disappointing results sparked a selloff of Fossil shares that rippled throughout the retail sector.

Although Fossil’s

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[FOSL  Loading...      ()   ] first-quarter profit and revenue rose 4.2 percent and 9.8 percent respectively, revenue fell shy of analysts’ expectations. But it’s the company’s concerns about Europe and its lowered guidance that is sending its shares tumbling.

Prior to today, Fossil shares were up 58 percent this year. Now, the stock is negative for the year-to-date period.

“In Europe, a softening macro environment toward the end of the first quarter and changes in our merchandising and assortment strategies across certain categories negatively impacted both our wholesale and retail sales in that region,” Fossil’s Chief Financial Officer Mike Kovar said in the company’s earnings release.

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Employee turnover levels at retailers are on the rise, particularly among part-time store workers and positions tied to the booming ecommerce sector, according to the findings of a new survey by global management firm Hay Group.

The findings may signal improvement in the economy, as employees are more likely to stick with a job — even if they don’t like it — when it is hard to find new work. But the development could be a double-edged sword for retailers, who are reporting that their turnover costs are about the same as pre-recession levels and are slowly starting to climb.

In fact, 26 percent of the retailers Hay Group surveyed reported their turnover costs have increased over the past year.

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Better times may be ahead for U.S. beverage stocks, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Dara Mohsenian.

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Mohsenian upgraded his rating on the beverage sector to “attractive” from “in-line,” citing improving trends for carbonated beverages, driven by rebounding volume and solid pricing. Also, since beverage stocks have been weak compared with the rest of the market, it is an “opportune entry point,” he said.

As part of this move, Mohsenian also changed the ratings on several stocks within the sector. Perhaps most notable was his call on PepsiCo

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[PEP  Loading...      ()   ], which was upgraded to “overweight” from “equalweight.”

For Pepsi, it’s a “win-win situation,” according to Mohsenian.

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Source: sierranevada.com Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

In 1980, Ken Grossman founded the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and over the years turned it into one of the first and most successful craft breweries ever built.

This week at the Brewers Association's "Craft Brewers Conference" in San Diego, we caught up with this brewing pioneer to talk about Sierra Nevada and the business of craft beer: past, present and future.

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