Peanut-butter recall

Peanut-butter recall

WASHINGTON

The company that makes Skippy peanut butter is recalling two of its spreads that may be contaminated with salmonella.

No illnesses have been linked to the recall of the Skippy reduced-fat creamy and reduced-fat chunky brands.

Unilever United States Inc. did not specify how many jars have been recalled. They are packaged in 16.3-oz. plastic jars with use-by dates of May 16-21, 2012.

Unilever detected possible salmonella through its own testing. The recalled jars were distributed to retail outlets in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, the company said.

Southwest raises fares, cites fuel cost

DALLAS

Southwest Airlines Co. has joined a sweeping increase of $10 in the price of many domestic round-trip airfares, citing the need to offset high fuel prices. Southwest’s action over the weekend may have ensured success for a price hike by major airlines that seemed to be faltering. Southwest carries more U.S. passengers than any airline and wields great influence over prices.

Barbie store closes

SHANGHAI

Barbie is hitting the road as Mattel Inc. closes down its Shanghai flagship store dedicated to the iconic brand after just two years.

The six-story store, complete with spa, cafe, design studio, fashion stage and shelves and shelves of Barbies and Barbie products, closed Monday, the world’s biggest toy maker said in a statement explaining that it plans to use its experience in Shanghai to reach customers across China.

“I have gone on a tour of China!” a cartoon Barbie says on the store’s website, explaining the brand is on a “Barbie Pink Bus Tour.”

Mattel is not the only foreign retailer with an extravagant investment in this huge but challenging market to change strategy.

The closing of Barbie’s citadel on Shanghai’s Huaihai Road shopping belt follows the closure last month of all of electronics retailer Best Buy’s brand-name stores in Shanghai.

Associated Press