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This fall, Macy's will begin a 350-store test of tablets and handheld devices to engage customers in select merchandise areas. The retailer has also started installing free WiFi service to enable customer use of smart mobile devices, with plans to have more than 300 locations upgraded by the end of October.

Flash-sale website One Kings Lane has raised $40 million from venture capital and private equity firms led by Tiger Global Management, the latest sign of growth for an online shopping genre that's upending traditional fashion and home retailers.

Retailers are likely to hire the same or possibly fewer seasonal workers for the year-end holidays as they hired in 2010, outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.

New York City -- Barnes & Noble said Tuesday that the FTC has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, allowing investor Liberty Media to move forward with its stock purchase in the bookseller. Barnes & Noble announced on Aug. 18 that Liberty Media invested an aggregate of $204 million in the company through the purchase of newly issued convertible preferred stock, totaling a 16.6% interest in Barnes and Noble. Under the terms of the investment, Liberty has elected two nominees to Barnes & Noble’s board of directors. Barnes & Noble will expand its board

An Ikea store in Australia is testing out Manland, described as a place for husbands and boyfriends with short retail attention spans to hang out while their wives and girlfriends run the aisles of Ikea. Think ultimate man cave stuff such as video games, foosball tables, free hot dogs, and pinball machines.

Kmart is driving traffic to its store locations via a new mobile initiative that rewards consumers when they complete interactive challenges. The company partnered with SCVNGR on the mobile program, which enables consumers to compete in challenges to unlock rewards and discounts.

WATERLOO, Wisconsin (BRAIN)Trek has taken over distribution of the Bontrager and Trek brands in Mexico and started selling directly to retailers in that country this month. Trek was previously distributed by Teknobike for the past decade, and has been present in the Mexican market for 20 years. The move from distribution to subsidiary allows Trek to take advantage of its global retail support infrastructure and give Mexican customers access to a wide range of value-added services, the company said in a press release. The Mexican market offers great opportunity for Trek and our retailers, said Trek director of international

Ikea has redesigned its medium-density fiberboard masterwork, the BILLY bookshelf, to sport deeper shelves and optional glass doors meant for decorative doodads. This has prompted a whole bunch of publications to declare the four-inch tweaking of BILLY as a clear signal of the demise of books in their non e-form.

Jeff Schumacher, formerly Sports Authority's chief marketing officer, "has resigned from The Sports Authority," the company said in a brief statement. "After leading several important and successful initiatives for the company, including the exciting new partnership with the Denver Broncos, Jeff plans to pursue new interests in his career," said the statement. "We thank him for his contributions to the company and wish him the best in the future."

Lowe's is set to unveil a new marketing campaign, tagline and overall brand positioning tied to a series of new capabilities that will allow consumers to manage a variety of home-improvement and maintenance projects. The tagline, "Never Stop Improving," will go live today, along with a new campaign from agency BBDO. Both efforts set the stage for the launch of My Lowe's in mid-October.