Retail Stores

The retail industry is a changing industry, very much like every other industry. And if one doesn't change with the times, then the internet will sweep everything away and leave those who can't change with it in the dust.

According to Shop It To Me's data, Labor Day weekend 2011 offered discounts averaging more than 48 percent off on clothing, shoes and accessories on sale online. That was significantly better than the average discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (for clothing, shoes and accessories on sale online), when we tracked discounts averaging 41 percent to 42 percent off.

Apple is building a new store in the heart of Silicon Valley with an extremely high-bandwidth connection to one of the internet's major hubs. With the 16,600-square-foot, two-story store, Apple will be trying out a "new prototype" of its retail environment, according to documents filed with the architectural review board in Palo Alto, Calif., where the store is located. Along with the familiar all-glass storefront and the prominent use of stone, the new store will include interior trees and a skylight. 

The New York Times reported Thursday about Allen Questrom's on-air visit with CNBC for its Fast Money Halftime Report, during which the former J.C. Penney CEO was very candid about his disapproval of new chief Ron Johnson's approach to leadership.

Shoppers armed with smartphones have become a major challenge for some brick-and-mortar retailers, according to a new eMarketer report, Adapting to a Showrooming World: How Retailers Are Earning Customer Loyalty. In 2011, InsightExpress found that more than one-half of smartphone owners said they had used their device for "showrooming" — i.e., looking at an item in-store before buying it online from a competitor at a lower price.

Here's a look at a few key takeaways — and fun perspectives — via tweets sent during eTail East, which took place in Boston Aug. 13 to Aug. 16:

Apple said recent staffing changes it made in its retail stores selling iPhones, iPads and Macs were "a mistake," and is reversing the policies. Staffing was reduced at some locations and hours were cut as...

Sears is preparing to spin off its Hometown and Outlet stores as well as some hardware stores into a separate publicly traded company. Sears had signaled that it would split the companies back in February. There are a total of 1,238 Hometown, Outlet and hardware stores as of April 28, according to Sears, which is trying to turn around its business and spruce up its image. It's already closed five Hometown stores, eight hardware stores and one Outlet store.

This infographic from order fulfillment services provider Fifth Gear focuses on e-commerce' post-recession resurrection.

Microsoft reportedly is expanding its retail footprint in advance of its big reveal of Windows 8. Analysts say it's a smart move even as some question whether the company can generate enough buzz to make Windows a viable alternative to the iOS-Android duopoly in the mobile device market. Its got to give consumers a reason to go out there and upgrade, said Israel Hernandez, senior analyst and managing director at MKM Partners LLC.