Blog Posts by CNBC

By Shivali Nayak, CNBC.com

It makes business sense to have more women in the boardroom as they have a positive impact on the bottom line, said women executives at a seminar in Singapore organized to mark International Women's Day.

More Women, More ProfitabilityA 2011 survey by U.S.-based non-profit organization Catalyst shows that company boards made up of 19-44 percent women achieved 26 percent more return on invested capital than those firms with no women directors, according to McKinsey's Head of Public Affairs, Southeast Asia, Penny Burtt.

She was speaking at the Singapore Management University and Procter & Gamble organized conference.

Burtt says a separate McKinsey research also shows that gender diversity impacts businesses positively.
"Companies with more women at the top tend to have more leadership capabilities, better decision making and better corporate governance," Burtt said.

Despite the advantage of hiring women, they still lag men when it comes to top managerial positions. For example, in the

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Consumers are in the driver's seat as retailers move away from wardrobe staples and shift to fashion-forward pieces while planning their upcoming fall inventories, industry analysts said.

Bursts of color and fur, shown here at the BCBG Max Azria show in New York, will be popular in stores this fall.To cater to a more strategic and tech savvy shopper, retailers are increasing their e-commerce offerings and incorporating the latest fashion trends instead of playing it safe as they try to entice consumers to break out their wallets and boost sales.

"I think smart retailers who are trying to find a way to capture the consumer's dollar know that fashion is where they have the best opportunity," said Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of The Tobe Report, a fashion retail consulantcy firm. "Basics are really going to be a price war."

While recession-era inventories emphasized versatile basic pieces with minimal embellishment that avoided the risk of trying to capture the hottest runway looks, the upcoming fall season will be different.
Designers will take their

By Colleen Kane, CNBC.com

To hear them tell it in home renovation programs and publications, every kitchen should look like it's starring in a cooking show or else be dismissed as subpar, even when the existing older components are still perfectly functional. The critics are harsh. There is no room for an avocado laminate countertop.

This kitchen-shaming has proven most beneficial to contractors, to makers of granite and marble countertops, and to manufacturers of stainless steel appliances. Yet, as much as the tastemakers tout the latest "classic" or "neutral" ideal, one day these, too, shall look dated.

See the Slideshow: Extreme Kitchens

Extreme Kitchens

So homeowners can either plan to periodically overhaul their kitchens to reflect what's in vogue, or they can flout the conventions, go with personal taste and choose a look that no one else has.

Many homeowners, builders and designers have done the latter. In the spectrum of unusual kitchens, there are automated kitchen islands with adjustable

By Erica Emmich, CNBC.com

Lavish Luxuries

When it comes to quality craftsmanship and one-of-a-kind design, luxury goods reign supreme. Luxury also usually means a price tag that has consumers digging deep into their wallets.

While some people will pay big bucks for the high-end name alone, designers and manufacturers say they have reasons for their hefty prices. The item may be handmade or a limited edition, or the design could include an expensive fabric or piece of jewelry.

Whatever the reason, some consumers don't seem to mind. Luxury sales are on the rise worldwide. In fact, the demand for luxury goods has grown by double digits since the end of the financial crisis, according to Bain & Company. Retailers like Coach and Saks have seen their stocks soar over the past three years.

Here we take a look at some items that epitomize luxury - from six-figure cars to designer shoes going for thousands of dollars - and why they have those eye-popping price tags.


See the slideshow:

By Courtney Reagan, CNBC.com

High-end spending is on the rise. According to Bain Consulting, the demand for luxury goods has grown by double digits since the end of the financial crisis.

Men are shopping like ladies and the women are buying like guys.However, it's not just the demand that's surprising the experts. Luxury retailers are also seeing an unexpected new shopping trend - men are shopping like ladies and the women are buying like guys.

It turns out traditional gender roles are no longer trendy when it comes to luxury.


Take Ferrari, for example. Many of the drivers clamoring for keys to the Italian sports car aren't who you might expect.

For many years, women in the North American market made up just 1 percent of Ferrari's customers, according to Marco Mattiacci, president of Ferrari North America. However, there has been a dramatic gender shift. Now, 10 percent of Ferrari owners in North America are women. The "feminization" of the Ferrari market in China is even greater - Ferrari has seen the number of female buyers rise to 30

By Stephanie Landsman, CNBC.com

It isn't unusual to see retailers sell refurbished computers or televisions. But what about shoes?

High-end department store Nordstrom is funneling its returned and worn shoes to its Nordstrom Rack outlet stores. This practice is surprising since outlet stores are not known as second-hand stores. It's a place for retailers to send their unsold merchandise each season.

Worn and refinishedThe shoes are clearly labeled as "worn and refinished" - and it's reflected in the markdown. Sometimes they are slipped side-by-side on the racks with new items. Other times, they're put on display in a section of the shoe department.

"On a perception level, it turns you into a junk store, a second-hand clothing store. And, that is something that now calls into question Nordstrom's reputation as a first-rate, quality high-end type of brand retailer," said branding expert Robert Frankel.

He isn't disputing the rationale of the strategy. Nordstrom gets to preserve margins and sell its

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Constance Atkinson, a 20-year veteran of couponing, estimates that she saves more than $1,000 per year by scouring the newspaper for deals.

Consumers redeemed 63 percent more coupons in 2011 as they increasingly looked online and used their smartphones to scour for deals, according to Coupons.org.Atkinson, a Brooklyn resident, and other bargain-seeking consumers fueled a 63-percent surge in coupon redemption last year, according to new data from Coupons.org.

But the changing face of the coupon user may surprise you.
Households with incomes of $100,000 or more are twice as likely to coupon as those who earn less than $35,000. College-degree holders are also twice as likely to use coupons as those who did not graduate from high school.

Atkinson, who made a beeline for the CVS coupon dispenser during a recent trip to the drugstore in New York City, has grown so accustomed to using coupons that she has a hard time imagining paying retail at Macy's a department store that she frequents.

"It would be very difficult for me to do that unless I had to buy a gift," she said. "I would say nine out of 10 times, I would

By Patricia Orsini, CNBC.com

New Franchising Opportunities

For would-be entrepreneurs, franchises offer built-in benefits, such as brand-name recognition and proven formulas upon which to build success. That's not to say that plunking down a chunk of money will buy you a thriving business: Owning and operating a franchise requires, like any business, an investment of time, as well as the will to succeed.

The downturn in the economy has fueled an interest in franchise ownership, said Brian Miller, president and chief operating officer of The Entrepreneur Source, which offers franchise and business ownership coaching. "The kind of jobs that build long-term wealth and equity have gone away for many, and a lot of people are looking to take control of their own destiny. Franchising is a residual benefit of that."
The number of franchise establishments in the U.S. is projected to increase by 1.9 percent in 2012 to 749,499, according to the International Franchise Association. That's not