National business briefs, Sept. 21

Chick-fil-A policy heats up

ATLANTA — Chick-fil-A is once again in the public relations fryer. The controversy flared up this week when a Chicago politician said the company was no longer giving to groups that oppose same-sex marriage, angering Christian conservatives who supported Chick-fil-A this summer when its president reaffirmed his opposition to gay marriage. Civil rights groups hailed the turnabout, yet the company never confirmed it and instead released two public statements, neither of which made Chick-fil-A's position any clearer. The events suggest the Southern franchise may be trying to steer clear of hot-button social issues while it expands in other, less conservative regions of the country. In its statement Thursday, the Georgia-based company said its corporate giving practices had for many months been mischaracterized.

Starbucks to sell brewer

NEW YORK — Starbucks Corp. is turning up the heat on the single-serve coffee market, and someone might get burned. The Seattle-based company says it will start selling its new single-serve brewer online this week for $199. The machine will be rolled out in its ubiquitous cafes next month. The arrival of the Verismo, which was announced earlier this year, comes amid intensifying competition in the piping hot market for single-serve brewers and the coffee pods they use. The sector is currently dominated by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., which pioneered the market after its acquisition of the Keurig brand machine in 2006. But this month, the company's patent on its K-cup technology expired, which spawned copycat versions of coffee pods for Keurig machines.

Walmart drops Kindles

NEW YORK — Walmart Stores Inc. is phasing out the sale of Amazon.com's Kindle Fire tablet and Kindle e-readers, the second major retailer to stop offering the items in six months. Walmart, the world's largest retailer, said Thursday the decision was made as part of its overall merchandising strategy to offer a broad assortment of products at low prices. Amazon has been selling lower-priced tablets at thin — if any — profit margins to boost sales of digital media like books and music from its online store. That makes it less attractive for major retailers to carry Kindles in their stores, particularly as online retailers like Amazon.com become more of a threat for traditional brick-and-mortar stores.