Redmond, Wash.

Joe Keenan is the executive editor of Total Retail. Joe has more than 10 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.

Microsoft has announced plans to open 30 "pop-up" holiday stores across the U.S. and two in Canada, an effort intended to drum up interest in Windows 8 and its Surface tablet ahead of the holiday shopping season. The Redmond, Wash. company operates 23 permanent stores nationwide with another eight opening soon. These locations are mostly on the east and west coasts: The holiday locations are placed in areas without permanent retail stores, with several in the Midwest. With the new locations, Microsoft's retail footprint more than doubles, if only temporarily.

Redmond, Wash. -- Eddie Bauer and PlayNetwork have announced the launch of the Eddie Bauer Emerging Artist Program. “The Eddie Bauer Emerging Artist Program was born from the spirit of adventure and discovery inherent in the First Ascent and Eddie Bauer brands,” said Kirsten Kinkead, multimedia producer at Eddie Bauer. “PlayNetwork is the ideal partner for this program because they have a true understanding of our core values and will translate that into media experiences that resonate with our customers.” As a music and media partner, PlayNetwork joined forces with Eddie Bauer to open up new ways for customers

This month, Terry Powers, founder/president of the ComputerGear catalog, recalls how a simple dare led to her career in the catalog business.

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