Microsoft taking a small bite out of Apple stores Julio Ojeda-Zapata/St. Paul Pioneer Press Looking to modernize the Richfield grade school where she works, and flush with a cash for a major technology purchase, Tonicia Abdur-Salaam went in search of classroom computers at the Mall of America not long ago. First she stopped in the […]

Retailers get jump on season Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune Don’t get spooked, but Christmas trees, holiday music and popular toys are already starting to creep into area stores — before Halloween is even a memory. Despite, or perhaps because of, strong holiday sales in 2011 — consumers spent $563 billion, the most since 1999 — retailers […]

Target starts holiday ads well before Halloween Sandra Guy/Chicago Sun-Times With Target Corp. rolling out its earliest-ever TV holiday ad, is Santa Claus already on his way? The Minneapolis-based retailer, known for cheap-chic goods and an iconic bull’s eye and dog mascot, aired its first holiday ad Monday — which Advertising Age reported was three […]

Power 30: The Top Tech Innovators SmartMoney Staff/SmartMoney A small number of people have an outsize influence on the balance of your bank account, the fortunes of your investment portfolio, how you communicate and what you buy. They’re not necessarily masters of the universe, but their thoughts, actions, and even their whims impact your bottom […]

Area malls welcome new retailers, more on the way Richard Lee/GreenwichTime.com Shopping malls across the country were hit hard by the recession as vacancy rates skyrocketed, but as the economy improves, there are fewer empty store fronts in the indoor retail meccas, and area malls seem to be following the trend. Reis Inc., a provider of […]

Upscale mall project heralds shift in area’s shopping paradigm Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune When a plan to build Southwest Florida’s most ambitious shopping hub stalled four years ago, many wondered if the Mall at University Town Center would ever surface again. Amid the worst recession in decades, key future tenants — among them, luxury retailers Neiman […]