Wazzzuuuup? Improper sales ploy, mom says

Herald staff

STAMFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut woman’s e-mail complaint about boys’ T-shirts with a variation of a popular beer brewer’s slogan prompted J.C. Penney Co. Inc. to pull the shirts from the shelves of all of its stores.

Diane Samples, a New Fairfield mother of a 4-year-old boy, was shopping at the JCPenney store in Danbury about three weeks ago when she saw a shirt in the boys’ department bearing the word "Wazzzuuuup?"

The spelling of the popular expression was different from the "Whassup?!" advertising slogan for Budweiser beer and did not contain the beer brand’s logo. But Samples said it appeared that the shirt was designed to boost brand loyalty among youngsters.

Confidence drops: Consumer confidence dropped sharply in October to its lowest level in a year, raising questions about the strength of the coming retail holiday season. The New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 135.2, a steep drop from the revised 142.5 reported in September and the record high of 144.7 registered in May and January.

Solectron grows: Solectron Corp., which produces electronics for companies that outsource their manufacturing, is offering to buy Singapore-based rival NatSteel Electronics for $2.4 billion. Solectron said the deal proposed Tuesday would strengthen its presence in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Solectron, which has a major facility in Everett, said it hopes to complete the offer by the end of December.

Tuesday prices: Gold sold for $264.50 a troy ounce, silver sold for $4.78 and platinum sold for $578.10.

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