From doughnuts to biscuits, there are more options than ever for heart-shaped foods, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The customer has filed a negligence lawsuit against the popular coffee chain.

Retailers everywhere are dialing back free shipping policies and other efforts to maintain profit margins.

It’s not like no one saw this coming. Dunkin’ has officially announced that it is dropping “Donuts” from its name. Will Dunkin’s name change help advance its strategy of creating an image for the company as a beverage-led, on-the-go brand?

David Hoffmann, the newly named CEO of Dunkin’ Brands, knows what it takes to keep the brand relevant in the minds of consumers — and it isn’t doughnuts. Do you think Dunkin’ Donuts is headed in the right direction under David Hoffmann?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials seem to have captivated many Americans, and some U.S. marketers are looking to cash in. How successful do you expects retailers and brands to be with promotions tied to the upcoming royal wedding?

Dunkin’ Donuts is continuing along its path to a new look and feel with a new concept store. But is Dunkin’ making a mistake by trying to move upmarket?

Doubling down on its mission to educate consumers on how to eat right, Earth Fare, the natural and organic food retailer, last week introduced the first edition of its quarterly healthy lifestyle magazine, “The Clean Plate.” What risks and opportunities do you see in tying “clean” eating to a retail food brand’s image?

Dunkin’ Donuts plans to test an abbreviated Dunkin’ slogan and signage, beginning with a store last week in Pasadena, CA, to help make the chain better known foremost for its beverages. Do you see more pros than cons in removing “Donuts” from the Dunkin’ Donuts name?

On June 2, “National Donut Day” also known as“National Doughnut Day” saw a number of large and smaller doughnut sellers give away free products to customers. Do you see annual national days as a proven marketing tool to reach new and existing customers or are they largely ineffective in achieving those goals?

All’s fair in love and retail. With a growing list of restaurants looking to grab share of the out-of-home breakfast market, who could blame Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks for going after the lunchtime opportunity. What do you think of the prospects for Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks to be successful during the lunch day-part?

Restaurants are invading the supermarket. Every day it seems as though a new restaurant product is either being placed on store shelves or announcing a deal that will lead to that. What are the plusses and minuses for each party when restaurant-branded items are sold in grocery stores?

In a recently published Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, emotional engagement proved the most important factor in purchasing decisions and brand loyalty, and showed promotions and discounting reaching “saturation levels.” How well do retailers recognize the value of emotional engagement?

Dunkin’ Donuts is turning to the man (and woman) on the street to help it gain an advantage in the competition for hot and cold coffee drinkers. The chain announced a multimillion dollar ad campaign featuring actual customers. Are real customers more effective than actors in ad messages for businesses such as Dunkin’ Donuts?

Today, only 36 of roughly 2,100 Dunkin’ Donuts in the Northeast make doughnuts from scratch in stores. Are stores being short-sighted by focusing on the savings of bake-off operations rather than the marketing and customer experience value of baking in stores?

Marketers are looking to tailor in-store ads to consumers based on what they purchase. In the future, according to The Wall Street Journal, those messages flashed on digital screens in stores may also change based on a person’s appearance. What do you think of the potential for in-store digital media connected with RFID, facial recognition and other technologies to drive unplanned purchases?

It turns out that fact really is scarier than fiction. The latest case in point is Dunkin’ Donuts decision to pull an online ad promoting the chain’s ice coffee and starring Rachel Ray because some conservative bloggers said the scarf she was wearing reminded them of a traditional Arab headdress called a keffiyeh. Did Dunkin’ Donuts make the right decision in pulling its online iced coffee ad with Rachel Ray and her black and white scarf?

As of Oct. 15, items on the menus at each of Dunkin’ Donuts 5,400 locations will qualify under federal guidelines to be labeled as containing zero grams of fat. The chain is moving to its recipe reformulation after testing its new oil blend in 400 locations around the country. How will core consumers of Dunkin’ Donuts react to this news? What do you think of the company’s decision to downplay the health aspect of its switch to a new cooking oil blend?

Religious and moral dilemmas are no longer the sole territory of pharmacy employees dealing with whether or not to dispense contraceptives. According to a Chicago Tribune report, a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee, who happens to be an Arab Muslim, has run into a conflict with the company over his refusal to sell products containing pork in his stores. Is Dunkin’ Donuts or the franchisee in the right here? Should Dunkin’ Donuts be concerned about the reaction of the Arab and Muslim communities?

Dunkin’ Donuts shops can be found in a variety of neighborhoods, and the company and its franchisees are cognizant that employing workers in diverse communities often means hiring people whose first language is not English. The company’s franchisees have recently begun posting signs in shop windows that read: “We follow the law! This company hires lawful workers only.” Will the pilot program described in The Boston Globe article significantly reduce the number of illegal aliens employed in the U.S.?

Dunkin’ Donuts, says Nation’s Restaurant News QSR Newsletter, was reborn on April 10th when the fast food chain began the “most significant repositioning” in its 55 year history. The chain is expanding its menu for dayparts other than breakfast, and its successful beverage business to include more premium drinks at a lower price point than competitors. Dunkin’ Donuts is looking to triple its size within 10 years. What will it have to do to reach its goal?

It is now official. Pernod Richard has sold its Dunkin’ Brands business (Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops and Togo’s sandwich stores) to an investment group including Bain Capital, Carlyle Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $2.43 billion in cash. What should the new owners of Dunkin’ Brands do with its Dunkin’ Donuts unit? What do you expect to see the ownership group do with Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s?

A group of buyout firms, including Bain Capital, Thomas H. Lee Partners, and The Carlyle Group, have been in talks to purchased Dunkin’ Donuts from its French parent, Pernod Ricard SA. Pernod, which officially takes over ownership of Dunkin’ Donuts as well as Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s today from Allied Domecq, previously announced its intention to sell the foodservice businesses. What do you make of the seemingly increasing number of deals involving buyout firms to takeover retail and foodservice businesses?

A 20-year old manager of a Dunkin’ Donuts in Yonkers, NY may have been doing the right thing when he responded to complaints about workers being disrespectful by speaking in Spanish while waiting on customers. He just shouldn’t have put up a sign forbidding them to speak to each other in Spanish while speaking with one another behind the counter. As a consumer, have you ever felt strange when workers speak to each other in a language you do not understand while you are being waited on?

Dunkin’ Donuts chief executive, John Luther, told Reuters in a recent interview he wants everyone to drink his company’s coffee and he expects that will be the case in the near future. Where do you think taste, price, experience and other variables rank in consumers’ decision where to buy coffee? Are the major coffee shop businesses such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts vulnerable to competition based on the purchasing decision hierarchy of consumers?

Dunkin’ Donuts is rolling out espresso in its stores for a very good reason says its chief executive officer, Jon Luther. Its customers asked for it. What are your thoughts on Dunkin’ Donuts selling espresso and espresso-based drinks?