Retail Stores

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and retail partner Hot Topic are launching dedicated in-store boutiques with exclusive merchandise inspired by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Gap (NYSE:GPS) gained more than 6% after posting stronger-than-expected third-quarter revenue, driven in part by October sales and international demand. The San Francisco-based retailer reported third-quarter revenue of $3.65 billion, up 2% from $3.59 billion a year ago, beating the Street’s view of $3.56 billion. Comparable store sales for the three-month period ended Oct. 31 were flat. Gap said international demand, up 3% in comparable store sales from a 6% decline last year, led the identical store sales, with Gap North America up 1% from a 7% drop last year

U.S. retailers are poised to report their weakest monthly sales gains in six months as unseasonably warm weather and fewer shopping events hurt demand for fall merchandise in a slowly recovering U.S. economy.

NOW that Halloween is done, Madison Avenue is embarking on the mad dash to Dec. 25. The sluggish economy is raising the stakes for the Christmas shopping season. Some retailers and marketers, worried that uncertainty among shoppers might increase as the weeks go by, hope to pull demand forward by moving up the start of their pitches.

We're excited to offer you Retail Online Integration's 50 best tips of 2010. Our editorial staff reviewed every word published in our print publication, e-newsletter (The ROI Report) and website over the past year. From there, we've extracted the best money-making and cost-saving pointers. Enjoy.

The year’s most popular discount shopping event, referring to the Friday after Thanksgiving, is arriving ahead of Halloween this year, with some promotions beginning this week and others throughout November.

If there's a halo product for retail this holiday season, it's Steve Jobs' iPad, the fastest-selling new product in Apple's history.

Neiman Marcus may be known as a place for Texas-size yearnings and price tags, but in a sign of the economic times for luxury retailers, the company is being drawn to a less haughty shopper.