Allied Forces

• Drivers wanted: Taking a cue from Europe, one Portland, Oregon-based company hopes to ignite enthusiasm for the concept of car-sharing right here in the United States. Touted as both an environment- and budget-conscious mode of transportation, car-sharing essentially provides infrequent drivers with the wheels they need--without the burden (and cost) of ownership. Will motor-mad America hit the pedal--or the brakes--on this idea?

• Tapped out? Hardly! Wonder not if consumers still crave bottled water: The McMost of restaurant chains is now peddling H2O in a bottle--a clear sign that the water industry remains a sparkling one.

• Throwing the book at 'em: They may be wordly wise, but booksellers can't seem to keep out of the courts. Independents continue to go after the major chains, alleging unfair business practices. At press time, we learned of a North Carolina indie bookseller suiting up for battle--against Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders--in another war of words.

• Souped up: Smoothie chain Jamba Juice is heating up its menu with four varieties of soup. In fact, by the time you read this, Jamba Juice's Souprimos should be available throughout California as well as in Denver and Phoenix. The soups du jour--an unlikely complement to chilly fruit smoothies, perhaps--are nonetheless thought to be a natural follow-up to the line of breads Jamba Juice added this summer.

Contact Source

The RE/COM Group Inc., (609) 722-9500, http://www.recom.com

This article was originally published in the November 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Allied Forces.