Retail Stores

Apple Store sales boomed in the second quarter of 2011, marking the highest second-quarter revenue and earnings in Apple's history, the company reported in a recent earnings call with financial analysts.

Gas at Costco and Sam’s Club is a well-known way to save. In Chicago, it cuts 20 cents off the average per gallon price. Don’t have a club store nearby? Look no further than the local grocery.

RadioShack's first-quarter earnings dropped 30 percent and the struggling consumer-electronics retailer slashed the top end of its full-year outlook amid higher costs and lower margins.

Under Armour announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31. Net revenues increased 36 percent in the first quarter of 2011 to $312.7 million compared with net revenues of $229.4 million in the first quarter of 2010.

With the news that Wal-Mart will acquire mobile and social commerce firm Kosmix, the big-box retailer became the latest of several large brands last week demonstrating a healthy commitment to the mobile space by investing heavily in related acquisitions or new business.

In an effort to bring in young, new customers, Shiseido — Japan’s leading cosmetics brand — plans to open a new beauty and health internet mall. The website will be called “Beauty Platform” or BPF. The site is expected to launch in April of 2012 for Japanese consumers.

At age 50, Caitlin Kelly lost a salaried job at the New York Daily News, so she started working as a sales clerk at The North Face. As a successful freelance writer, she felt burned out by the constant pitching of stories and the lousy pay for those stories. She was restless in the New York City apartment she shared with her well-employed male partner. Kelly had decided against becoming a mother, and no pets shared the apartment.

National figure skating champion and U.S. Olympian Johnny Weir is gliding into the fashion fray. He’s launching a Little Black Dress collection for spring exclusively on eDressMe.com. The dresses, which will be available April 30, are being unveiled in conjunction with the second annual “Ice Dreams” skating show in Bensenville, Ill., which offers young skaters a chance to perform alongside their Olympic heroes.

Apple's second fiscal quarter looks to have turned out well for its retail stores with sales up some 90 percent. That increase added to the company’s record-breaking figures that included $24.67 billion in quarterly revenue and $5.99 billion in profits.

comScore's annual Online Credit Card Report reveals a greater percentage of credit card shopping activity among consumers who reported having a more positive view of the economy. During the past 12 months, 20 percent of all cardholders reported shopping for a new card. Consumers who reported feeling more confident about the economy stands at 34 percent.