U.S. trade deficit rose to $39.1B in July

WASHINGTON » The U.S. trade deficit widened in July from a four-year low in June. American consumers bought more foreign cars and other imported goods, while U.S. companies exported fewer long-lasting manufactured goods.

The rise in imports points to resilient consumer spending, which drives 70 percent of economic activity.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the trade gap rose 13 percent to $39.1 billion. That’s up from June’s deficit of $34.5 billion, which was the smallest since late 2009.

Fed survey finds economy growing

WASHINGTON » Economic growth held steady across the United States from July through late August, as Americans bought more cars and homes and auto factories added workers.

A Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday showed that all 12 of the Fed’s regional banking districts reported modest to moderate growth. That’s roughly in line with the Fed’s previous survey of those districts from late May through early July.

Attractive financing options helped boost demand for new cars and trucks in most districts, with many reporting robust sales.

P&G to roll out cheaper version of Tide

NEW YORK » Procter & Gamble will introduce a lower-priced version of Tide in 2014, a liquid detergent called "Tide Simply Clean and Fresh," as it seeks to attract shoppers on a budget.

P&G, the world’s largest consumer product maker, is known for its premium products like Tide and Bounty that cost more than competitors but are perceived by customers to be of higher quality.

But as growth in developed markets has slowed and P&G expands in emerging markets, the company has been working to become more balanced in its offerings, with more goods at both the low and high end of the price spectrum.

Campbell to turn Keurig into soup machine

NEW YORK » If you ever wanted soup to come out of your coffee maker, you’re in luck.

Campbell Soup Co. says it will start offering K-cup soup packs that can be made with Green Mountain’s popular single-serve coffee machines. The soups include a K-cup pack of broth that is brewed over a packet of dry pasta and vegetables.

Green Mountain says its machines are designed so that the system is cleansed by the brewing process, meaning there wouldn’t be a danger of the soup and coffee flavors mixing. In addition to coffee and tea, Green Mountain also offers K-cups for fruit drinks and hot cocoa.

Retailer targets poor Chicago neighborhood

CHICAGO » Promising to commit to the neighborhood, executives with the upscale grocery chain Whole Foods announced plans Wednesday to build a store in the heart of one of Chicago’s most impoverished and crime-plagued areas.

However, Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb had almost no answers for how the company — known for its organic and expensive fare — would follow through with the promise to make the store more affordable, leaving residents and experts skeptical.

Roughly 10 miles south of downtown, Englewood is one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods. It’s part of a police district that saw a roughly 40 percent increase in homicides last year, boarded-up homes are increasingly common as the neighborhood has lost population, and fresh food options are limited.

Sony looks to climb in smartphone market

Sony Corp. is betting its Xperia Z1 handset will propel it to No. 3 in the smartphone market, leaping from seventh place by vaulting past competitors such as LG Electronics Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd.

The Xperia Z1, which comes with a 20.7 megapixel camera and will be in stores this month, will help it gain ground in the U.S. and China to become the biggest rival to Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy devices, said Dennis van Schie, Sony Mobile Communications sales chief.

"Our ambition is to become a top three player," van Schie said at the IFA consumer electronics show Wednesday in Berlin. "We are, right now, enjoying fantastic momentum in the markets where we play. We are breaking into the U.S.; we are building momentum in China."

Sony has its sights set on a market dominated by Samsung, which controlled a third of smartphone sales globally in the second quarter, according to research from Gartner. The Tokyo-based company doesn’t rank in the top five, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

ON THE MOVE

Turtle Bay Resort has hired Lara Leimana Fonoimoana as its group sales manager. She had been a Hawaii sales manager at the Polynesian Cultural Center since 2005 as well as an Aloha Airlines flight attendant and a Realtor for Prudential Locations on Oahu.

Bettina Mehnert takes over as chief executive officer of Architects Hawaii on Oct. 28. She has served as chief operating officer since 2010. Mehnert, a third-generation architect, was the first woman in Architects Hawaii history to hold a key leadership position. She started with the company in 1988 as a principal and director.

Kemuel DeMoville has been named manager at Leeward Theatre. He was an instructor at Leeward Community College,where he taught courses in theater.

SHIFTING GEARS

Auto glass shop is expanding

Family run Ace Auto Glass will open its ninth location Monday in Kaneohe.

The branch is at 45-685 Kamehameha Highway and will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The business offers repair and replacement of automotive windshields, power windows in doors and tailgates, and side mirrors, as well as windshield repair and replacement for boats, buses and heavy equipment.

Services also include water spot removal and the appli­cation of coatings that promote water beading.

Super car club rides again

The next meeting of the Pacific Super Car Club will be Sunday with a 10 a.m. gathering at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl and a cruise to Waimea Falls Park.

Reservations are required to secure parking at the North Shore destination. Lunch can be purchased from the snack bar. Reservations can be emailed to Ed Kemper at Edracers@aol.com or Lindsey Akamu at hawaiianvantage@hotmail.com.