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Joe Fresh, the Canadian value-priced apparel brand, has opened its first permanent U.S. store in New Jersey and another in New York. The company will make its New York City debut in Manhattan’s Flat Iron District on Nov.3. A second store will open in the spring on Fifth Ave.

Mobile marketing is the hottest buzzword around these days. With consumers using their smartphones to do just about everything, putting your marketing message in their pocket is clearly a good idea. But any time you’re talking about mobile, privacy issues raise their heads. While consumers have clearly shown their passion for discounts and coupons, some of them have concerns about sharing their location in order to get location-based deals sent to their phones.

Tiffany & Co. announced plans to open a store in Prague, marking the luxury retailer’s first location in Eastern Europe. The 2,600 square-foot store is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012.

Dollar General is offering a 10 percent discount on toy purchases of $100 or more during the holiday season. The dollar store chain said the discount will be in effect through Dec. 24 at all of its 9,600 locations, which cover 36 states.

It's hard to refrain from publishing constant new stories about the indignities of working at Target, America's most clean and attractive union-busting big-box store. There are all too many current and former Target employees anxious to send us stories of exploitation and generally disgraceful workplace conditions. 

eBay and designer Jonathan Adler have opened The eBay Inspiration Shop — a 24/7 shoppable storefront in New York City showcasing a collection of new, must-have merchandise for the fall season. The “always-open” store windows enable shoppers to browse and buy the very moment inspiration strikes, leveraging eBay’s mobile technology to shop anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

Strongsville, Ohio -- The IBM Retail User Group has named Giant Eagle veteran Ron Ferri as its new president. The announcement was named at the group’s recent board of directors and 35th Annual Conference planning meeting in Las Vegas. Ferri, a business process consultant with the supermarket chain, has participated in the IBM Retail Users Group for 12 years.

DDI has been heralding the latest retail store design ideas since 1988 and has become a trusted source for all things retail. When DDI first appeared 20 years ago, the market was right for a magazine that focused on the retail environment. DDI has grown to become the retail design resource for store design concepts and a trusted guide to retail design ideas. DDI carefully chronicles the changes and focuses on the things that generate a buzz the world over in the retail industry.

Consumers should be prepared to start seeing sales tax collected on more and more of their online purchases as cash-strapped states look for additional sources of revenue, says tax industry research group CCH, a Walter Kluwers business.

Amazon is expanding its test of shipment lockers that it started last month in its hometown of Seattle to New York City. According to published reports, the online retailer is testing the buy online/pick up in store lockers at Rite Aid, Gristedes, and D'Agostino locations throughout the Big Apple. The retailer began piloting in-store pick up lockers at a 7-Eleven location in Seattle in early September. Since the initial pilot, tests have expanded to the UK and now Manhattan. Customers can see if they are near one of these pick up locations by checking their Amazon address books and