• Cell phone novels — composed on cell phone keypads — have infiltrated mainstream literary society in Japan. Of last year’s ten best-selling novels, five were originally cell phone novels. Most are love stories written in short text message style sentences with undeveloped characters and thin descriptions. Most text consists of dialogue. Written in the first person, many cell phone novels read like diaries, and almost all authors are young women. The No. 1 best-selling novel last year originated as a cell phone novel and was recently made into a movie.

• The New York Times recently launched a new text-messaging service for cell phones and other mobile devices. Readers text a keyword, found in each section of the newspaper, to "698698" (NYTNYT) and receive a return message with the three latest articles from the appropriate section. The paper does not charge for the service, but standard text messaging fees do apply.

ENVIRONMENT

• Whole Foods recently announced plans to stop offering plastic grocery bags in all of its 270 stores in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom by April 22nd (Earth Day). Whole Foods will instead offer several options: free paper bags made from 100% recycled paper, reusable bags made from recycled plastic bottles for $0.99 and canvas bags for $6.99 to $35. Customers will be rewarded for bringing in their own bags, with a $0.05 to $0.10 reduction off of their bill.

• JCPenney will launch a major store-wide program to identify merchandise within its private label lines that is either organic or eco-friendly in March. The program is being developed in partnership with longtime environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo, who will be called the company’s “Green Living Partner.”

FOOD & BEVERAGE

• The Girl Scouts will this year join the ranks of 100-calorie pack food offerings, with the introduction of a new cinnamon flavored cookie. The 100-calorie packs will be sold with regular boxes of cookies during the group’s annual cookie sale.

• Wal-Mart will test four new stores, called Marketside, in the Phoenix area. The new stores will be half the size of Wal-Mart’s existing Neighborhood Market grocery stores, which are themselves much smaller than a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The move comes after British retailer Tesco opened its first U.S. stores - Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets - last fall in the LA area. No word yet, if the new stores will expand to more locations.

• Costco, one of the nation's largest warehouse retailers, is launching its first line of private-label beers - Kirkland Signature Hefeweizen. The beers will be brewed by San Francisco-area brewer Gordon Biersch, which also brews private-label beers for Trader Joe's supermarkets.

FASHION & RETAIL

• Liz Claiborne Inc. has hired Isaac Mizrahi as its new creative director. With this new role, Mizrahi will end his successful five year relationship with Target Corp. The "Isaac Mizrahi for Target" collection will continue to be available exclusively in select Target stores and at Target.com through the end of 2008. His first women's collection for Claiborne will hit stores for spring 2009.

• Iconic 80’s brand Members Only is re-launching for spring 2008. Best known for its bomber style jackets, the new collection features tube, shift and racerback dresses, lambskin vests and trench coats designed by Kelli Delaney (alumni of Glamour, Allure & Us Weekly). The new collection is carried at Henri Bendel, with updated Member Only jackets retailing for $950.

MARKETING/ADVERTISING/PR

• The Scouting Association in the UK recently announced several new, unconventional merit badges, including one for public relations. Requirements for the new public relations badge include contacting a local media outlet and securing media coverage for a scouting event or pitching a positive news story about scouting to a local paper. The PR badge was created to teach communication skills in an increasingly media-driven world.

• A Japanese marketing company recently announced that staff members are allowed to take "heartache leave" after a break-up. Employees aged 24 and under are given one day off per year, 25 to 29-year-olds can take two days and those older, can take three days recovery time.

MEDIA 

• Oprah Winfrey is getting her own cable network called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. The Oprah Winfrey Network will be part of the Discovery Network, taking over the Discovery Health Channel. Oprah will be the chairman of OWN, with "full editorial control" and responsibility for "programming, branding and creative vision." Discovery and Winfrey will each own 50% of the network, and OWN will be an independent company. The new channel will premiere next year.

• National Geographic is converting its bimonthly newsletter, The Green Guide, to a quarterly magazine. Launching March 4, National Geographic Green Guide will offer tips for leading an eco-friendly lifestyle, home improvement advice, product news and coverage of environmental issues. The title will initially be sold for $4.95 at retailers including Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods Market and by annual subscription.