The Consumer Memo, 11/27: Has the swine flu peaked?

Fewer college students infectedSwine flu infection rates at U.S. colleges and universities fell 37 percent last week, adding more evidence that the second wave of pandemic flu has peaked. The drop followed a similar decline a week earlier, according to a survey of 243 college and universities by the American College Health Association. In the latest report, the attack rate decreased to 13.4 cases per 10,000 students from 21.3 cases. The proportion of colleges with outbreaks fell to 90 percent from 95 percent.

iPhone expansion
The iPhone’s arrival in South Korea is generating considerable buzz among consumers and industry watchers amid expectations it will shake up a market dominated by world-beating domestic manufacturers.

Judging from pre-orders that started Nov. 22, Apple Inc.’s hit communications device appears set to make serious inroads in South Korea — home to some of the world’s most sophisticated mobile phone users. So far, KT Corp., the local mobile carrier which has contracted with Apple to sell service plans for the phone, says it has received 53,000 advance orders ahead of today’s Saturday’s official launch.

On the Black Friday front
The Wal-Mart store where a worker was fatally trampled by a holiday crowd in 2008 ran out of vouchers for some promotional items before the start of this year’s sale, leaving more than 1,000 waiting shoppers empty-handed.

Wal-Mart left the Valley Stream, N.Y., location open all night this year to keep crowds from gathering and started handing out tickets at midnight for discounted flat-screen televisions and other items. The prices didn’t take effect until 5 a.m. By 3:15 a.m., the store had reached capacity and 15 minutes later the vouchers were gone, said Steven Restivo, a company spokesman.

“I cut the holiday short thinking I could buy something I wouldn’t normally buy,” said Paul Dalton, 43, a construction worker from Island Park, New York. Dalton said he thought the sale would start at 5 a.m. and wanted to buy a 32-inch, Emerson LCD TV set advertised for $248. “I am very disappointed.”

Vanguard adds index funds
Vanguard Group Inc. opened seven index funds that target fixed-income investments, the U.S. mutual-fund asset category that has drawn 94 percent of client inflows this year. Three of the funds will buy U.S. government debt, three will hold corporate bonds and one will focus on mortgage-backed securities. Vanguard, the largest U.S. manager of stock and bond funds, said each will offer the option of an exchange-traded share class.

Roddick's brandRoddick extends sponsorship
Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick extended his sponsorship agreement with the French clothing company Lacoste SA through 2013. Financial details of the deal between the company and the sixth-ranked player on the ATP World Tour weren’t disclosed.