Don’t count on that Black Friday bargain. This holiday season, stores won’t be competing on price — the battleground will be availability. With shoppers buoyant (for now), there’s little need to simulate demand, while supply shortages and higher shipping and labour costs will push retailers to protect margins. That all adds up to fewer doorbusters. Already there’s evidence that deals ...

There’s no one to deliver the pizzas. Shares of Domino’s Pizza Inc initially fell after the largest pizza company in the world posted its first decline in US same-store sales in more than a decade. These results came as a shock to analysts and investors, who were expecting continued growth while the pandemic supercharges demand for takeout and delivery meals. ...

On October 1, the 930-passenger Zhao Shang Yidun (or China Merchants Eden) departed from Shenzhen on an eight-day “Charming South China Sea” cruise. It’s a landmark voyage, and not just because it transits one of the world’s most hotly disputed waterways. The ship, jointly operated by Viking Cruises Ltd and state-owned China Merchants Group, is the first five-star luxury ship ...