Check it Out: Retail by Appointment

A scheduling tool for Tiffany & Co. that enables consumers to schedule an in-store meeting with the brand's certified gemologists makes sense; Dollar General doing the same doesn't seem like a productive use of time and resources.

I applaud AT&T for its efforts to make the in-store shopping experience as quick and painless as possible. A word of caution, however: Don't make me sit in a waiting room for a half-hour after my scheduled appointment like I'm forced to do when I visit the doctor.