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Walgreens is piloting a program to hire cognitively and physically disabled employees in its stores across the country, according to CEO Greg Wasson. The company's distribution centers in South Carolina and Connecticut are already about 50 percent staffed with disabled workers, he said.

Nordstrom will offer free shipping permanently on all purchases at its more than 100 namesake department stores starting this week, increasing competitive pressure on its rivals. The move comes about six months after the retailer became the first department store chain to add standard free shipping and returns on online orders.

What happens when you pair social media darling Pinterest with Facebook, the undisputed heavyweight of the social networking world? Lowe's is hoping for big things as one of the first brands to feature its Pinterest presence in Facebook through a new tool from social marketing firm Vitrue.

It's not just startups that are trying to push what's possible with mobile advertising. Gap recently completed an ad campaign combining traditional transit ads with geo-fencing technology.

Starting today, TOURNEAU, a retailer of fine timepieces, will begin the painstaking task of shifting forward its expansive inventory of watches in accordance with Daylight Saving Time. Spread over 35 stores across the country, over 1,000 TOURNEAU watch technicians will begin the monumental process of changing hundreds of thousands of timepieces from the 111 brands the stores carry: a process that will take two full days to complete nationwide.

San Francisco - Internet and catalog sales grew to 44% of total revenues for Williams-Sonoma Inc. in 2011 and the company expects non-store sales to account for 50% of sales in the next three years.This year, the company will expand its international shipping operation from 75 countries to 99, president and ceo Laura Alber said during the company's quarterly conference call yesterday."The largest new opportunity that we see in our future is global expansion," she added. "We currently attract a significant number of foreign nationals to our stores and websites, who frequently encourage us to open in their communities."The

CHATTANOOGA, Ten. -- The nation's largest specialty golf retailer will swing into the Chattanooga market just in time for the golf season. The newest Golfsmith location provides golfers with an unrivaled golf retail experience. The 15,750 square foot facility offers golfers the ability to try out equipment right inside one of the indoor, high-tech hitting simulators, or on the indoor putting green. And when it comes to outfitting golfers from head to toe, Golfsmith carries a selection of authentic apparel brands and fashion not found elsewhere. Golfsmith's expansion is bucking a major retail trend in the golf industry. In

A South African court today has largely dismissed an appeal from its government and unions to roll back approval for Wal-Mart's $2.4 billion acquisition of Massmart, ending months of uncertainty about the status of the deal.

The economics of internet commerce have changed so much that Alex Zhardanovsky is now taking on the once seemingly impossible challenge of selling pet food online. Zhardanovsky co-founded PetFlow.com, a Manhattan startup that's raised $10 million in venture capital and now ships 1 million pounds of pet food a month, in 2010.

Women’s apparel retailer maurices plans to open approximately 60 stores this year, according to the Duluth News Tribune. The total includes the chain’s first international location, in Canada. maurices currently has 803 stores in 44 states, with the count up 32 stores since June.