Consumer and retail news: 10 things you need to know today

AP

1. Jessica Alba's $1.7 billion Honest Company is under fire for allegedly using an ingredient it promised to avoid A recent lab test discovered that Jessica Alba's company's laundry detergent contains SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), Serena Ng of The Wall Street Journal reports. The company previously claimed its detergent didn't contain that ingredient.

2. McDonald's just dealt another blow to Starbucks' troubled loyalty program

McDonald's is building a loyalty program into its smartphone app. The program is still in its early stages, but it will likely reward customers with deals based on the number of visits they make to McDonald's every month, Nation's Restaurant News reports.

3. IHOP’s 'modern-day Robin Hood' has given away thousands of dollars of free soda

Prosecutors are accusing William Powell of giving away $3,000-plus in soft drinks as a waiter at a Brooklyn, New York IHOP, reports New York Daily News. Powell says he was "looking out for the community" by handing out free beverages during the eight months he worked at IHOP

4. Starbucks’ CEO sent all employees a letter about the election

Starbucks is making a TurboVote digital tool that allows for speedy voter registration accessible to the company's 114,000-plus US employees — the equivalent of about 20% of Wyoming's state population.

5. Homes near Targets are almost twice as valuable as homes near Walmarts

According to data from RealtyTrac, not only does living near a Target instead of a Walmart mean your house is probably more valuable, but it also means its value is most likely going up much faster.

6. Amazon Echo gadgets reset an owner's thermostat and went rogue after hearing a trigger word on a radio show

After NPR mentioned the magic wake word — Alexa — on the air during the program, some Echo owners said that their gadgets began behaving strangely. One listener told NPR their Echo reset their home thermostat.

7. This one small, inexpensive addition makes the MacBook much better

A $20 add-on for your MacBook charger, called the "Blockhead" reorients your charger so that it hangs flat against the wall rather than stick out — and potentially fall out.

8. DiGiorno pizzas, Stouffer's meals recalled for glass in food

Nearly three million boxes of frozen DiGiorno pizzas, Stouffer's lasagnas and Lean Cuisine meals are being recalled after customers said they found pieces of glass in their food.

9. Chobani is expanding its product line

In an effort to expand its product line, Chobani will begin selling drinks and dips made with yogurt in July, according to Bloomberg.

10. Gatorade showcases new innovations at SXSW 2016

Gatorade showcased a few of its future inventions at SXSW, including protein bars, vegetable-based nitrate boosts, protein-enriched yogurt, and a new smart bottle that tracks your rate of hydration, according to Fast Company.