aggregatedcontent

Here’s a circuitous route to free advertising on Google: Phillips & Co. will install QR codes on rooftops in an attempt to sneak into Google Maps. Phillips & Co.’s new proposition, called Blue Marble, offers a “space-accessible profile” for businesses, cities, schools — anyone who wants to raise their profile.

It's no secret the continuing rise of e-commerce combined with the rapid evolution of smartphones gives shoppers the option to do extensive research and make decisions based on price, location or just plain preference.

When we first heard that Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino was launching a tuxedo line, we feared the worst. This is the man who Abercrombie & Fitch offered six figures to stop wearing its clothes. Well, the lookbook has finally arrived (via MTV Style) and we have to say, it’s actually worse than we expected.

Brisbane, Calif. -- Bebe Stores reported Thursday that revenue for the quarter ended Oct. 1 rose 7.1% to $116 million, missing Wall Street’s expected $124.1 million in sales. Same-store sales for the quarter rose 7%. The apparel retailer said it is focused on international growth and expects its international licensees will grow by up to 30 freestanding stores and 30 shops inside department stores in the fiscal year.

Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who helped usher in the era of personal computers and then led a cultural transformation in the way music, movies and mobile communications were experienced in the digital age, died Oct. 5. He was 56.

OneStopPlus.com announced its expansion in the Canadian marketplace with the launch of an exclusive shopping catalog and initial strategic TV advertising buy. The catalog offers an assortment of trendy plus-size fashion from proprietary brands, including Woman Within, Roaman's, Jessica London and Avenue, and the advertising buy seeks to target on-trend plus-size Canadian women in top networks.

Golfsmith has established a partnership with The MoreGolf Group, South Africa’s largest golf retailer, as part of a global strategy toward growth. At 78 stores, Golfsmith is the largest golf specialty retailer in the United States. It said it will reinvest the income generated from the just-announced partnership into its core U.S. business. In the past year, Golfsmith has formed new partnerships for its proprietary brands in Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and now South Africa.

_ NEW YORK and DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sharper Image and Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a multi-year license agreement to manufacture and market products in the travel accessory and connectivity categories. Both organizations expect to see an incremental impact in their business in calendar year 2012, particularly during the 2012 holiday season. "We are quite pleased to have a new licensee partner in Tandy Brands Accessories," said Sharper Image Senior Vice President Federico de Bellegarde. "Tandy Brands has the product development capabilities and strong retail relationships necessary for

Fort Worth, Texas -- Pier 1 Imports said Thursday it has, through a subsidiary, signed a new, long-term private-label credit card agreement with Alliance Data. Under terms of the new agreement, Alliance Data, through its bank subsidiary, will provide end-to-end private-label credit card services from account acquisition to multichannel marketing and customer service for Pier 1 Imports. Pier 1 Imports’ current private-label credit card program will remain in place until portfolio conversion occurs, which is anticipated in the first quarter of 2012. Alliance Data expects the program portfolio to be in the $120 million range by the end of