Heineken recently announced new sustainability targets, stating that it aims to reduce the amount of water used in the brewing process to 3.7 hectoliters (hl) of water per hectoliters of beer produced by 2020, compared to 5.1 hl in 2008 (approximately 98 gallons by 2020, compared to approximately 135 gallons in 2008).

The National Council of Chain Restaurants is urging repeal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), claiming it is disastrously costly for the restaurant industry, commodity prices and the food supply chain. The lobbying group released a 32-page report, which can be read in its entirety at http://www.NCCR.net.

Although the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been in effect for 35 years as of Dec. 19, many companies still have a long way to go in complying with it. Indeed, 44.6 percent of professionals say either that their companies are not making improvements to prevent and detect corrupt activity or that they don't know if their company is doing so, according to a survey by Deloitte.

As China's economy has grown, much attention has been paid to its middle class and its high-net-worth individuals. Less noticed has been its affluent population.

After a half-decade of running on the treadmill, manufacturers are once again positioning themselves to achieve growth. An Accenture survey found that 89 percent of 81 senior manufacturing executives at U.S.-based companies with global operations are expecting growth. In fact, about four in 10 companies surveyed already have successfully restored either their production or profitability levels beyond pre-recession levels of 2007.

Any time merchants can cut costs, they're in a better position. They can either lower their prices, allowing them to be more competitive, or they can pocket the savings and earn higher margins.

Some 19 percent of consumers plan to spend more or substantially more (5 percent) on holiday gifts this year versus last year, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs 2012 Holiday Spending Intentions Survey. This is the highest percentage of consumers reporting they intend to increase spending over the previous holiday season since the International Council of Shopping Centers began asking the question in 2004.

Smartphones may be among retailers' strongest allies this holiday season, according to Deloitte's annual holiday survey of consumer spending intentions and trends.

While a majority of start-up business owners do not believe the economy will grow in the next 12 months, 83 percent are nonetheless confident that their own profits will, according to the fourth-quarter Kauffman/LegalZoom Startup Confidence Index.

So much for the enduring power of big-box brands. On Oct. 31, the owner of Circuit City and CompUSA's brands decided to kill the online remnants of the former chains, redirecting traffic to TigerDirect.com.