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When you chat with Karen Riley-Grant, Dockers' new director of global consumer marketing, about the brand's bid for the high-end business, there's no need to dance around the big khaki elephant in the room. "There's a negative perception out there that we have to overcome," Riley-Grant admits. "It's the idea of the pleated-pant cube-dweller with the blue Oxford and the brown shoe." But now Dockers is on the offensive, claiming its rightful place in the pantheon of pants. A label stitched into some pairs of the premium trousers proclaims: "Khakis may not be fancy, but it probably isn't a good idea to call them boring either. Men wearing khaki won two world wars, wrote the great American novel and discovered a little thing called relativity. Nope, khaki may not be fancy. But it is far from ordinary."

Wal-Mart is looking to export products worth "hundreds of millions of dollars" from India as the world's largest retailer wants to make the country a major sourcing hub, the chief executive of its Asian operations said. India is an important country for the retailer--for sourcing materials due to cost advantages and because of the growth potential it offers when the markets in the developed world, including at home, are saturated. Only a small portion of India's retail market is organized at present, leaving huge space for expansion.

The U.S. Postal Service's current business model "is not viable," and the mail agency should make deeper job and wage cuts, hire more part-time staff and consider outsourcing some operations, according to a draft of a government audit by the Government Accountability Office. Auditors also urge Congress to remove restrictions on the Postal Service's ability to close post offices and cut Saturday mail delivery, according to the report, which offers recommendations similar to those proposed in the USPS's 10-year business plan.

After spending last year atop the retail death-watch list, Talbots Inc. is now a favorite on Wall Street, thanks to cost cuts and a complex financial arrangement for unloading its enormous debt. But to solidify its comeback and boost sales, Talbots must complete a merchandise and image overhaul aimed at attracting younger customers. And that's a tall order for a brand that many women think of as perfect for their grandmothers.

When Lee Applbaum joined RadioShack in September 2008, he had his work cut out for him. Circuit City had filed for bankruptcy, and retailers across the country found themselves enduring the worst holiday season on record. A year and a half later, Mr. Applbaum, 39, an alumnus of Schottenstein Stores, Coca-Cola and David's Bridal, is presiding over what may well be the beginning of a massive turnaround for the staid brand that many consumers had long ago abandoned. The retailer, with the quaint word "radio" still a part of its name, had been viewed as a purveyor of parts, batteries and off brands. Today, it is doing its best to leave those trappings behind. It boasts a new creative platform and nickname in "The Shack," distribution deals with T-Mobile and iPhone, and a sponsorship of Lance Armstrong, who now competes for the newly formed Team RadioShack.

Men's clothier Jos. A. Bank said Monday that it will test out factory outlet stores, which sell goods at lower prices, as it looks for new revenue streams. The men's retail chain plans to open five stores by the end of the fiscal year. If the stores perform well, the company said it would open more. Company executives believe there might be a market for as many as 50 to 75 factory outlet stores in the U.S.

Sears guarantees it will match a lower price at Lowe's and Home Depot, and give mower buyers a $10 gift card and tractor buyers a $20 gift card. Sears sells a variety of lawn-and-garden brands, and its prices are compared with rivals on the website, but the site emphasizes its primary brand, Craftsman. Sears, which says its lawn-and-garden shoppers tend to be a bit older and higher-income than its rivals, is intent on keeping its leading share of the powered lawn-and-garden market and battling shoppers' perceptions that Craftsman products cost more than other brands.

As consumers kept a tight lid on spending, Williams-Sonoma felt the pressure. Profit and sales sank like a souffle gone bad. In the fiscal year ended January 2009, sales fell 15 percent. Profit dropped to the lowest point in years, to 35 cents a share vs. $1.76 the year before. But the pots and pans are banging again. Shoppers seem to be back in stores, and not just looking.

While every organization must be ready to successfully react to crisis situations, any B2B PR pro worth his or her well-worn AP Style Book will agree on the importance of proactive messaging opportunities for the C-level suite. Traditionally, this has been achieved by drafting talking points, pitching CEO bios to trade reporters and securing keynote speaking opportunities in hopes of spreading the word about the B2B company, its products and its key messages. Increasingly, social media has opened up new outlets for management to monitor and participate in consumer and media relations.

Gap has launched a dedicated iPad application - developed by AKQA - that features a range of branded and Gap-related content, and allows users to browse and purchase products from its 1969 range of clothing. Gap's free application invites users to browse through a selection of video content, press coverage, celebrity imagery, and a range of Gap products. Web content is accessible from within the app, alongside Twitter feeds from Gap staff such as designer Patrick Robertson. Each piece of content prompts the user to share it with friends via e-mail, and features a call to action prompting users to purchase from directly within the app.