Retail

Cadbury's Top Holder Bought for M&A, Has `Idea' of Price Wanted From Kraft Franklin Resources Inc. fund manager Anne Gudefin, whose company is the biggest investor in Cadbury Plc, said she targeted the U.K. confectioner as a takeover candidate before Kraft Foods Inc.’s unsolicited approach.

Megha Mittal Moves Family Into Luxury With Takeover of Germany's Escada India’s billionaire steelmaking Mittal family ventured into luxury goods as Megha Mittal, the 33-year-old daughter-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi, agreed to buy Germany’s insolvent Escada AG.

CVS Investors Pummel Stock Over CEO Tom Ryan's Caremark Strategy Surprises CVS Caremark Corp. investors are losing confidence in Chief Executive Officer Tom Ryan’s strategy after the company disclosed $3.7 billion in contract losses and a probe by antitrust regulators into some business practices.

If Club Med Courts Celebrities, Designer Audigier Says He'll Inject Cash French designer Christian Audigier said he may invest up to 10 million euros ($14.9 million) in Club Mediterranee SA if the holiday maker accepts his “marketing initiative” to use celebrities to promote the resorts.

No Fit for Luxury Lifestyle for Tokyo Women Costs Versace, Gucci Customers Akiko Sayama re-examined her spending habits when the Tokyo staffing agency where she works cut its overtime budget. She lost more than $13,000 in annual pay, so one of the first things she did was curb her tastes for Louis Vuitton and PPR SA’s Gucci.

Starbucks's Schultz Pushes Instant Coffee, Seattle's Best to Propel Growth Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz is shifting the coffee seller’s focus from cost cutting to growth by promoting new products, including Via instant coffee and its Seattle’s Best Coffee brand.

McDonald's Shaves Seconds Off Big Mac Orders to Hold On to Market Share At a McDonald’s Corp. test kitchen in an unmarked Illinois warehouse, next year’s menu plan for the U.K. has hit a snag. When the visiting British team adds wrap sandwiches, service slows.

Kirin Cuts Annual Profit Forecast 25% on Closures of Two Japan Breweries Kirin Holdings Co., Japan’s biggest beverage maker, cut its full-year net income forecast by 25 percent on costs to close two domestic breweries in the shrinking beer market.

London's Luxury-Home Price Decline Eases on Scarcity, Foreign Buyers Luxury-home prices in London had their smallest annual decline in 15 months in October on a shortage of properties for sale, Knight Frank LLP said.