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Pittsburgh -- Ikea has plugged in the new solar energy system installed at its Pittsburgh-area store in Robinson Township, Pa. The 86,800-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 694-kW system, built with 2,884 panels. It will produce approximately 852,200 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 648 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 115 cars or powering 73 homes yearly. Since 2000, Ikea Pittsburgh hosted a 31kW PPA (power purchase agreement) array that was removed to facilitate installation of the new system, owned and operated by Ikea. Including this system, there are 22 completed solar energy

New York -- Virgin Mobile will open a flagship on Thursday in Chicago, the New York Times reported. The wireless company, which is owned by Sprint, hopes to build awareness of its brand by redefining the relationship between the customer and the carrier, according to the report. In the report, Ron Faris, head of brand marketing at Virgin Mobile, said the store will focus on what customers can do with the phones as opposed to the phones themselves. Salespeople, for example, will be responsible for knowing about new apps to install on the phones, and they will hold app

Daffy's, a 19-store chain that sells discount designer brands in the U.S. Northeast, said it will shutter its business in the next few months, citing an uncertain economy and weak consumer spending. "The process will entail the gradual closing of Daffy's stores and the liquidation of its merchandise," Michael McMullan, a Daffy's spokesman, wrote in an emailed statement today. Daffy's, which doesn't have a final date for the closure of the business, will continue to employ its associates and give them pay and benefits for at least 60 days, McMullan said. Daffy's has about 1,300 employees.

New York -- A survey released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman-Sachs found that 42% of U.S. consumers expect to spend more on back-to-school items this year than they did in 2011. With the back-to-school shopping season already well underway as one-third of households reported that they have begun to shop, ICSC and Goldman-Sachs expect the average household expenditure on all types of back-to-school items will be about $300 this year. Forty-four percent plan to spend the same amount as last year, while only 14% indicated they would spend less. Of the 42% of consumers

Kent, Wash.-based Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) will open its first-ever Kansas store in Overland Park. The 23,500-sq.-ft. store is slated to open in fall 2013. It will feature a bike shop and a seasonal gear rental department. Additional stores are slated to open this fall in San Antonio; Cincinnati; Woodbridge, Va.; and Medford, Ore. Currently, REI operates 123 retail stores in 30 states. SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS DDI's RetailDesignDiva blog is dedicated to retail design issues, opinions and frustrations of the day.Read the Diva's recent rantings. DDI's Retail Design Newswire Sign up

"When I first met Tiesto, I was really so impressed," said Paul Marciano "GUESS has been a pioneer in fashion for 30 years," said Tiesto. "I've been a fan of the brand for a long time. It's really an honor to have been selected to partner with them in such a global way. The opportunity to work with Paul Marciano Beginning in August, the Limited Edition Tiesto watch by GUESS, a new multi-functional style, will be available worldwide in GUESS stores and at department and specialty stores. The apparel collection will follow in October for women and men. The

Mobile shopping rose while social media sales fell, providing an indication of where U.S. retailers may invest in order to capture the attention and loyalty of the digital consumer, according to a new report from IBM. The IBM Retail Online Index, a cloud-based analysis of the online retail sector, reported that retailers experienced 15 percent growth in sales from mobile devices but saw a 20 percent decline in sales traced to social media based on a much smaller base over a three-month period.

A mass-market retailer is going high end ... again. Following in Target’s footsteps, eBay announced plans on Tuesday to partner with a handful of designers during the upcoming holiday season as both retailers jockey for a slice of slumping U.S. retail demand. The eBay cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData("ebay","WSODQ_COMPONENT_EBAY_ID0E2KAC15839609","WSODQ","true","ID0E2KAC15839609","off","false","inLineQuote"); Holiday Collective will feature original, limited-edition items of men’s and women’s apparel, jewelry, travel and electronics accessories and home decor. The collection, which will be comprised of more than 40 pieces, goes on sale on November 12 at prices ranging from $50 to $100. The chosen designers include Jonathan Adler, Steven Alan and Tibi.

Anchored by an Idea Center, the Jo-Ann app for iPad® is an all-in-one resource for crafters. The Jo-App app for iPad provides inspiration three ways thanks to the interactive Idea Center This is an amazing compendium of ideas. The app is beautifully designed for endless browsing. Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the leading fabric and craft specialty retailer in America, is excited to announce the launch of its newest, most interactive inspiration resource to date – the Jo-Ann app for iPad®. “Our customers crave fresh inspiration delivered to them through a variety of means. What we have accomplished with

New York -- Sycamore Partners extended the expiration date of its tender offer to buy The Talbots by 14 days. Sycamore said in May that it would buy the women's apparel retailer for $193.3 million, or $2.75 per share -- a price that was lower than its previous offers. The tender offer was previously scheduled to expire at midnight, New York City time, on July 13. It now has been extended to July 27.