Some surprising lessons on how car companies' responses to product recalls affect consumer and investor perceptions. 

Whole Foods may promise ethical products, but its offerings often contradict expectations. 

Fish sticks fulfilled the need to repackage an abundance of frozen fillets. But did they become a consumer staple?

Fashion magazines, which first emerged in the 19th century, bridged notions of femininity with an increasingly consumerist society.

Consumerism, a hallmark of American life, may not be as beneficial as we all think.