Looks like Google will open its own retail stores this year

Google reportedly plans to open several retail locations in the United States before the end of 2013, a move that would better position the company's products against Apple.

Microsoft to open 6 retail stores in early 2013, after adding 51 shops this year

Microsoft will ring in the new year by opening six new retail locations that will help customers get better exposure to products such as its Surface tablet and Windows Phone devices.

Apple retail employees come in sprightly, but leave worn-out

When you think Apple, you undoubtedly imagine the Cupertino headquarters where real geniuses are hard at work on your next favorite gadget. But the reality is most of Apple’s employees belong to its retail chains, and they are paid hourly …

Brazil retailer using Facebook likes… on its clothing hangers

Facebook is constantly absorbing our real-life data that we contribute to the social network, but one Brazilian clothing store is taking Facebook’s data and throwing it back into the physical world.

The store, C&A, is putting “real-time Likes” counters on …

How Amazon can be a friend to small businesses

I’ve been testing out the Kindle Fire tablet for the last several weeks. At $199, it’s a tremendous value. It’s no iPad — I just upgraded to the new iPad as well — but it provides a solid base-level tablet …

Dish to close down more Blockbuster stores soon

Finding a Blockbuster near you will become even harder in the near future. Dish Network Corp, which purchased the video-rental retail chain last year, made a statement Thursday saying more of the retail stores would be closing down in the …

Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer running retail divison until Johnson replacement found

Since Apple lost its head of retail, Ron Johnson to department store JCPenney, the company has been on a search for a replacements. In the meantime, someone needs to be at the retail beast’s helm, and that’s chief financial officer …

Shopkick partners with Visa to give customers more incentive to shop at a physical store

Mobile rewards startup Shopkick has partnered with credit giant Visa to incentivize purchases made within a brick and mortar retail store, the companies announced today.

Customers who shop at a handful of partnering stores now have the ability to accumulate …

Microsoft to open 75 retail stores in the next 3 years

Microsoft on Wednesday announced that it will open 75 physical retail stores in the next two to three years. COO Kevin Turner made the announcement at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference.

The big M is clearly taking notes from Apple, which …