Shop til you drop … Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. Photograph: Richard Baker/In Pictures/Corbis

Tags : Shopping

Mullen: Relationships Key to Preventing Conflict

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2011 Relationships. As Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, prepares to retire from the military next week, he called these ties between national leaders and their foreign counterparts key to preventing misunderstanding and, ultimately, conflict.

Mullen offered his insights last night at the Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital here as part of its sixth annual Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Lecture series.

Mullen entered the military at a “challenging, tumultuous time for our country” during the Vietnam War. Now, as the top US military officer, he acknowledged having “a very difficult job at a very difficult time.”

But throughout his four-decade career, and particularly in his current post, he said, relationships have made the difference.

A student of the late Army Gen. George C. Marshall, Mullen said he was inspired by the importance Marshall placed on relationships while rising through the ranks to become Army chief of staff, secretary of state, then secretary of defense.

Marshall’s example is particularly applicable in today’s complex world, Mullen said. “Relationships are more and more critical,” he told last night’s forum.

Relationships can be at every level: between the defense secretary and his counterparts; the secretary of state and hers; the top military officer and his. But ultimately, Mullen said, they form a foundation that enables two nations to work together and overcome challenges.

“There is no cookie cutter [formula],” the chairman said. “You have to work with these individuals to really understand [their issues].”

One of Mullen’s most concerted efforts has been to strengthen the United States’ relationship with Pakistan through his personal relationship with Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Visiting Pakistan 27 times during the past four years, Mullen said he has developed “a very close relationship” with Pakistan’s senior officer.

Their relationship has helped move Pakistan beyond its distrust of the United States — the product of America’s abandonment in 1989 and of its breaking of relations altogether from 1990 to 2002, Mullen said.

The Pakistanis “remember that like it was yesterday,” he said, with many of them skeptical that the United States’ renewed interest toward Pakistan since 9/11 will endure.

Mullen credits his relationship with Kayani with helping overcome some of that mistrust while advancing both countries’ interest in facing down terrorists.

It’s a relationship Mullen conceded has had its bumps along the road, such as after the United States led a secret raid into Pakistan in pursuit of Osama bin Laden. It also has required tough talk about Pakistan’s failure to keep terrorists from crossing into Afghanistan and its intelligence agency’s ties to proxy terror groups such as the Haqqani network.

“I’ve had very frank conversations with [Kayani],” Mullen said last night.

But thanks to the strength of the relationship, Mullen said, those conversations “didn’t break” the process. “I attribute some of that to the fact that we stayed in touch,” he said. “I think it’s important that we can talk about it.”

Mullen expressed regret that he has no relationship whatsoever with his Iranian counterpart, and said he would welcome one, “even if we completely disagree.”

It could promote understanding that, in a time of crisis, could help keep issues from escalating. “If there were problems there or conflict breaks out there” under current conditions, “there would be miscalculations just based on the complete lack of knowledge of each other,” he said.

The chairman recalled, for example, hosting Gen. Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the People’s Liberation Army, at the Pentagon in May. Two months later, Mullen traveled to China to build on those talks.

“We discussed many important issues of mutual concern,” Mullen told reporters in Beijing then during a joint news conference with Chen. “And I believe we went a long way toward advancing some of the initiatives to which we both committed during your visit to the United States in May.”

Mullen conceded last night that he and Chen have many areas where they disagree. “But we do agree on some things, and we have got to keep that relationship alive and try to understand each other,” he said.

That understanding could clear up questions about issues like China’s military build-up, and its lack of transparency about it, Mullen said. It also could encourage exchange about issues such as China’s current actions in the South China Sea to reach a peaceful resolution.

“The last thing in the world I want to see is a conflict with them in that part of the world,” Mullen said.

In yet another part of the globe, Mullen credited the longstanding US military-to-military relationship with Egypt with helping that country through its current turmoil.

Mullen has consistently praised the Egyptian military for its restraint in the face of a protest movement that ultimately toppled Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

Mullen said he has “a very strong relationship” with his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, and has talked with him “dozens of times or more” in recent months as the country works its way toward democracy.

“He wants us to stay in this relationship,” Mullen said. “He feels strongly about the importance of it.”
 

Tags : Relationships

The fact that gold can deliver that peace of mind to some investors is a fascinating thing to watch. Because the gold market might be overvalued right now, in a bubble that could pop at any second. Or it might not be. Theres really no way to tell.

At least, theres no way to tell by using the kinds of metrics available that can show if stocks are appropriately valued, like price to earnings ratios.

Yet todays gold rush shows no signs of dying down.

All my portfolios have gold in them, and weve always taken the position were going to have allocations to the metals, particularly to gold, Auerbach said about his firms investments.

Gold, more so than any other commodity, is a fear asset. Its an asset that people run to when they fear the debasement of their currency, and I think what we have been seeing for some time is that fear has been in the marketplace for a number of years. This isnt just the result of 2008. Gold has been on a run for almost 10 years now.

The US and global economies may not be able to shake their debt-induced hangover anytime soon.

Billionaire hedge fund manager and Memphis native Paul Tudor Jones, who will be the featured guest at the 125th anniversary party in November for The Daily News, sister publication of The Memphis News, said the economic picture will remain bleak for a while.

I am very worried about the sovereign credit crisis in Europe spreading to both Japan and the United States, calling into question the credit worthiness of government bonds, said Jones, whose brother Peter Schutt is president of Learn more about The Daily News Publishing Co Inc

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Watch Service>The Daily News Publishing Co Inc. and whose father Learn more about John Paul

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Watch Service>John Paul Jack Jones once ran the family-owned paper.

If and when this happens, it will be very bad for all asset prices such as stocks and real estate.

Some of those same thoughts were included in the most recent quarterly newsletter from Memphis-based IronHorse Capital Management.

Several factors lead to the conclusion that a follow-on recession is a high probability event, the firm wrote. First, global GDP growth is slowing dramatically and hitting stall speed in the developed markets. It seems that economic indicator deterioration is picking up velocity. In the same bucket, growth trends and potential are less promising than expected in the global emerging markets near to immediate term.

Second, two and a half years of economic growth coming out of the Great Recession hasnt reduced overall international imbalances to our satisfaction, nor does the current trajectory suggest that imbalances will be dealt with in a satisfactory way.

Gold hit record highs early this month when it topped $1,920 an ounce. And while over the last few weeks the price of the metal has swung at times as much as $50 in a matter of minutes not the kind of volatility one necessarily would associate with a safe haven asset some financial pros say dont blow the final whistle on the gold run just yet.

Auerbach said that even at $1,800 or $1,900 an ounce, gold is still a buy, adding that he believes gold on an inflated basis should be trading north of $2,000 an ounce.

I think the run in gold since late June/early July is more of a lsquo;flight to safety activity than any near- to immediate-term worries about inflation, said Learn more about Chad Cunningham

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Watch Service>Chad Cunningham, chief investment officer for IronHorse Capital Management, who noted that golds rise for the last decade has coincided with the decline of the dollar.

At the peak of the recent crisis in late 2008, Cunningham said global investors turned to the dollar as a safe haven, and at the same time gold sold off pretty decently from early 2008 to October 2008.

He did offer one caveat.

I do know one thing: I would not short gold at this stage, Cunningham said. No major indications yet that the trend is cracking.

The gold craze translates into dollar signs for the independent shop Lester works for, where she said customers bring in everything from broken chains to earrings to jewelry and bullion.

Ive seen gold teeth, grills, silverware, tableware, trophies weve seen it all, really, Lester said.

How it works is you bring in your items. Whatever you think might be gold, silver or platinum, and it doesnt matter whether you know if it is or not. And we do everything in front of you.

We want to make sure the customer sees everything and is comfortable with the process. So we test the items in front of you, and we also explain the process as we go along. Then we weigh the item and are able to make an offer.

2011 marks the 40th anniversary of an important gold-related event in US history the removal of the country from the so-called gold standard.

That move by then-President Learn more about Richard Nixon

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Watch Service>Richard Nixon essentially untethered the amount of paper money in the US to the countrys supply of gold with the result that if the Federal Reserve so chooses, for example, it can create billions of dollars in new money as it did during the Great Recession to try and stave off an economic collapse.

I think this is all just a reflection of the fact that people are coming at least sophisticated investors are coming to understand and accept the fact that our current monetary policy in this country is to print money, Auerbach said. And when you print money, you debase the value of your currency. Youre reducing its purchasing power and its ultimate value.

Gold is the manifestation of investor fears about the stability of the dollar. Thats the bottom line.

Tags : Commodity

Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Rustic Canyon is the lead investor in a round of funding from a social shopping site out of Y Combinator. According to Mertado, a social shopping service which links users with home and kitchen products via Facebook said Wednesday that it has raised $2.3M in a Series A round. The round came from new investor Rustic Canyon Partners, and also included prior investors Blumberg Capital and Redpoint Ventures. Mertado is based in Redwood City. A key part of Mertados service is video content, whre it has syndicated content from Food Network, Fine Living, and Better TV to promote home an dkitchen products in its catalog. Mertado also has a deal with th Press Enterprise, the newspaper publisher for Riverside and San Bernardino County, where the Press Enterprise will develop a co-branded social shopping site with Mertado. More information #xBB;

Tags : Shopping

Got a song in your heart, a dance in your step and artistry in your soul?

Give em the autumn off. Others — singers, dancers, musicians and artists — are ready to provide all that for you.

Just show up. Theyll take it from there.

Well do our part here by offering highlights of the fall arts season:

Taking a bow as Las Vegas premier performing arts center before the Smith Center for the Performing Arts finally welcomes patrons next spring, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas hits the downbeat Friday with a performance by jazz cats Chick Corea (piano), Stanley Clarke (bass) and Lenny White (drums) at Artemus Ham Hall.

Theyll launch the annual New York Stage and Beyond series, which continues with the Complexions Contemporary Ballet Nov. 5, followed by Neil Bergs Broadway Holiday Dec. 3.

Another UNLV series, the Charles Vanda Master series, takes off Oct. 1 with the Utah Symphony, featuring pianist Jeremy Denk, tickling the ivories to Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Dvorak. Following that act, the UNLV Symphony Orchestra teams with Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter and teenage cellist Julian Schwarz Nov. 22.

Finally, the universitys Classical Guitar series strings us along with the Falla Guitar Trio Oct. 12 and Elena Papandreou Nov. 9.

Their collegiate companion — the College of Southern Nevada –#xa0;goes retro Friday when The Lion King cast turns back the performing clock a century to perform Vegas Vaudeville at the Nicholas Horn Theatre (see story in Friday Neon).

Mixed in with numerous shows by music and dance students will be City Moves, an Oct. 22-23 dance extravaganza featuring Strip performers to benefit CSN and Family Promise of Las Vegas. A dose of swing closes the fall season with Walt Boenigs big band holiday concert Dec. 18.

Waiting to leap into their new home at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts as co-tenants of Reynolds Hall next March, Nevada Ballet Theatre and the Las Vegas Philharmonic limber up at the Paris Las Vegas Theatre and UNLV, respectively. Adding to the classical gas are separate shows from the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society.

Fans of the Phil — which got an early start with a Masterworks concert last weekend — continues by hosting guest violinist Rachel Barton Pine Nov. 19. On a break from its musical formality, the organizations Pops series welcomes conductor Vincent Falcone and singer Bob Anderson Oct. 22, then Kristen Hertzenberg of Phantom and Jersey Boy Travis Cloer with the Las Vegas Master Singers Dec. 17.

Flexing musical muscle as well, the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society led by Douglas Peterson performs contemporary pieces Missa Criolla and Horn Mass Oct. 22 at the Winchester Cultural Center, then digs into Mendelssohns St. Paul Oratorio Nov. 13 at Ham Hall.

Full-body artistry, the signature of Nevada Ballet Theatre, will be on display as the troupe celebrates its 40th season by opening with Dance Dance Dance! Oct. 29-30. Teaming with the Hubbard Street Dance of Chicago, NBT will present pieces from classical to contemporary, including George Balanchines Concerto Barocco and Up, by the companys artistic director, James Canfield.

Come Christmastime, the dance company returns to its holiday tradition, staging The Nutcracker Dec. 17-24.

Heading to Henderson, the citys ArtBeat series salutes the legacy of Jim Morrison and the Doors courtesy of Peace Frog at the Events Plaza Friday, while the Henderson Pavilion hosts the Henderson Symphony Orchestra Saturday, as well as Oct. 28.

Other ArtBeat dates include Sept. 30 (sounds of the 70s with Ambrosia), Oct. 14 (country music with Glen Templeton), and Oct. 21 (singer Jeanette Jurado).

Elsewhere on the Henderson schedule, Christian rockers Casting Crowns show up Sept. 25, guitarist Benise indulges his taste for Spanish music Oct. 7, and Serenades of Life — an evening of performances by local physicians and medical professionals — takes place Oct. 22, subtitled Doctors in Concert.

Opera elbows its way onto the schedule as Sin City Opera plans the one-act comic opera Ba-ta-clan Nov. 4-5 at the Onyx Theatre.

Local libraries jump into the performance pool. Among multiple offerings: Into the Woods is staged by the Las Vegas Dance Stars Saturday through Sept. 24 at the Summerlin Library, while Best of Broadway Las Vegas: A Soulful Musical Celebration pulls into the West Las Vegas Library Sept. 30-Oct. 3.

Art galleries and museums around town provide an eclectic experience. Well start with … poop. Waste no time learning about waste as The Scoop on Poop — featuring the bowel movements of animals in order to learn a lot about an animal by what it leaves behind — opens Sept. 26 at Springs Preserve, running through Jan. 8.

Prefer your viewing a tad more dignified? Photographer Lincoln Maynards work graces the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art Tuesday through Nov. 19. Over at UNLVs Barrick Museum, in a heavy fundraising season to make up for its loss of state funding, an exhibit exploring censorship through banned comic books opens with a reception Sept. 30, and Let Them Eat Cake — art depicted and inspired by, yes, cake — starts Oct. 16.

Recently opening, three exhibits sponsored by the city of Las Vegas explore different themes. Photographer Angela Bellamys Pano Project, addressing Las Vegas urban landscape, runs through Oct. 27 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center.

Cutely titled, The Best Little Pet Show in Vegas! showcases images of our nonhuman companions through Oct. 27 at the City Hall Bridge Gallery. World history and culture are the modest topics handled in Art Coming to Life/Visual Arts Exhibit, featuring the work of Nja One through Nov. 5 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center.

Finally, that annual literary juggernaut, the Vegas Valley Book Festival, hits town Nov. 3-6, with most events at the Historic Fifth Street School.

Featuring more than 100 authors — including keynote speakers Max Brooks (World War Z) and Jane Smiley (A Thousand Acres) –#xa0;the fest is a potpourri of panel discussions, readings, book signings, workshops, poetry readings, spoken-word performances and exhibitions, most of them free.

Ready for that song in your heart, that dance in your step, that artistry in your soul?

Just show up. Theyll take it from there.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@review journal.com or 702-383-0256.

Tags : Artistry

Los Angeles: Actress Amanda Seyfried says she enjoys doing intimate scenes on-screen.

The 25-year-old said she felt comfortable shooting intimate scenes in the film In Time with co-star Justin Timberlake, as he had just finished filming his raunchy comedy Friends With Benefits, Us magazine reported.

A lot of my costars have been sexy guys my age, and so, why not? Im not going to pretend its not fun. Justin was great – he had come from doing Friends With Benefits, where he basically had sex every day at work and so it was easy for both of us. We just kind of got it on, and then were like, That was good, Seyfried said.

Tags : Fun

Are you the type of person who heads to the gym with a clear plan in your head of what you are going to do? Or are you more often the person who looks at the weight room feeling overwhelmed, maybe picks up a set of weights to do some bicep curls, but ultimately ends up on the treadmill because it’s just easier than trying to do something different? The weight room can be an intimidating place if you are not familiar with it and if you don’t have much experience.

#13;

So how do you plan an exercise routine? Are free weights or machines a better choice? Which is a more effective plan: light weights and high repetitions or heavier weights with fewer repetitions?

#13;

There are fairly lengthy answers to all of these questions, but I would like to try to simplify things a little and give you a game plan for moving forward. Probably the easiest solution is to hire a qualified personal trainer, explain your goals and have them map a game plan for you. However, this may not be financially possible. The first thing to decide is how many days each week you will be lifting weights. I would recommend two to three days. If you have more time available and four to five days is possible, by all means, that’s great!

#13;

Let’s assume you will be strength training two days each week, to begin. The key to creating a great program is to make sure you have a balanced routine. In other words, you want to do exercises that strengthen all muscle groups, not just a select few. I have seen gym members in the past (and sorry, it’s mostly the men!) who focus on building one or two body parts, like their chest and biceps, and forget about the rest of the body. I know it sounds silly, but this is more common than I would like to think.

#13;

A good rule of thumb is, if you do exercises for the front of your body (your chest), make sure you do an equal number of exercises for the back of your body. The same rule applies for your biceps/triceps, abs/lower back, etc. Also, you will want to work your legs just as much as your upper body. Perhaps one day you could do upper body work, and the next day you train you could do lower body work. That would be an example of an upper body/lower body split routine. The bottom line is to just make sure all of your body parts are getting equal attention.

#13;

As for free weights versus machines, there are pros and cons for both types of training. If you are just starting, machines may be less intimidating and generally there are pictures and instructions printed on the machine that can assist you. Unfortunately, machines have a set movement pattern that may not feel natural to some people. Also, the crossover between machines and the movements that you do in your everyday life is much less than free-weight exercises.

#13;

Free weights require a greater utilization of your stabilizing muscles when you are performing exercises. They also allow you to move through a range of motion that is completely natural for your specific body. There is no fixed position as there is with machines. However, free weights can be more difficult to work with if you are a beginner. They require strict attention to form and alignment, since you don’t have a machine doing that work for you.

#13;

As for heavier or lighter weights and lower or higher repetitions, much of this depends on your goals. The majority of the time, you need to make sure you are lifting enough weight to stimulate development of the muscles. Don’t worry about “bulking up.” It takes a tremendous amount of calories and an excessive amount of weight lifting for this to occur. For general strength training, 10-15 repetitions of each exercise is a good starting place. If you finish 15 repetitions fairly easily you may want to try increasing the weight (as long as you can do the exercise with good form) on your next set.

#13;

This information is just scraping the surface for getting started. Hopefully you already have a strength training program in place. If you don’t, you can always refer to my previous articles, Lift to Lose–Part 1 and Lift to Lose–Part 2. Don’t be afraid of the weight room! It can be your best friend when it comes to fat loss and your overall health!

Tags : Exercises

Los Angeles, CA, September 15, 2011 –(PR.com)– Two-Day Intensive Corel Painter Workshops for Photographers.

Painting Portraits from Photos: Saturday and Sunday, October 15-16, 2011.

Painting Landscapes from Photos: Saturday and Sunday, October 22-23, 2011.

Photographers learn to turn their beautiful photos into exquisite works of art at the Artistry Retreats, taught in Los Angeles by Corel Painter Master and original Painter expert, Karen Sperling, who wrote the first several Painter manuals and the bestselling book, Painting for Photographers.

Divided into two separate workshops–one for painting portrait photos and the other for painting landscape photos–the Artistry Retreats get photographers up and running in Painter, a software program that lets you paint in oil and watercolor styles on the computer.

The Artistry Retreats, include:
bull; An overview of Corel Painter software basics, including a look at Painters brushes.
bull; Art concepts and theories needed for painting photos like how to tell if a photo is a good candidate to be turned into a painting and how to choose colors.
bull; Hands on, step-by-step instructions for turning portrait or landscape photos into paintings in Painter.

After attending an Artistry Retreat, professional photographers have the tools to create artwork from their photos to sell to clients, through galleries and museums and in other, less conventional, ways, and hobbyists have the fundamentals to create nice paintings of their kids, grandkids and travels.

For more information, visit the Artistry web site http://www.artistrymag.com/.

###

About the Instructor
Karen Sperling is the original Corel Painter expert. She demod Painter when it debuted at Boston Macworld in August 1991 after having written the first Painter manual. She went on to write the manuals for the next several versions of Painter and wrote several published Painter books, including her current bestselling book, Painting for Photographers. A Painter Master listed at Corels web site, Karen produced the Painting for Photographers DVD Volume 1: Portraits and the Painting for Photographers DVD Volume 2: Landscapes. She has created two bonus CDs featuring her own custom Painter brushes, one for painting portraits and the other for painting landscapes. The book, DVDs and CDs are available at the Artistry web site http://artistrymag.com/.

Karen has taught and demod Painter for 20 years all over the United States at just about every venue there is, including the national Professional Photographers of America (PPA) convention, local PPA affiliates and PPA schools; WPPI; American Film Institute; Macworld; Seybold; and SIGGRAPH. Karens commissioned portraits and paintings are held in private collections around the world. Her abstract art has been exhibited in New Yorks prestigious Chelsea section and during Art Basel Miami. Her portraits and fine art are available at her art web site http://karensperling.com/.

Tags : Artistry

WAYNE, NJ, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — ToysRUs, Inc. today unveiled some of the companys key initiatives to win this holiday season at a special preview event in New York City with retail industry reporters. At the event, Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, ToysRUs, Inc., discussed the state of the company as it approaches the Christmas shopping season and lifted the curtain on some of the excitement ToysRUs#174; has in store for customers in the coming weeks. He was joined by Neil Friedman, President, ToysRUs, US, who added his unique insight as he enters his first holiday with the company.

At ToysRUs, we believe that differentiation and innovation will set us apart and help us win with consumers this holiday season, Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, ToysRUs, Inc., told reporters. Weve worked to enhance our omnichannel offerings, expand our e-commerce fulfillment capabilities and deliver an improved shopping environment for our customers. Our team has spent the year preparing for the months ahead, and we are excited to see our holiday strategy unfold.

During the event, Mr. Storch highlighted the companys five consecutive years of positive comparable store sales in December. He also laid out what the company believes are its most significant competitive advantages heading into the holiday season, including differentiated product offerings, growing e-commerce business, enhanced omnichannel capabilities and improved store experience.

Differentiation is Key New Marketing Campaign to Highlight Unique Toy Finds

At todays preview event, ToysRUs showcased some of the exclusive products, specialty merchandise and unique finds it will bring to customers this holiday as a result of a year-long search across the globe by the ToysRUs merchandising team. The company worked closely with manufacturers and inventors to offer select products, like My Keepon#8482; and Air Swimmers#174;, and entire toy lines, such as Moshi Monsters#8482; and The Trash Pack#8482;, which are exclusive to RUs#174; stores in the US Also new to the companys assortment are specialty brands that are not found at mass market retail locations, such as Uglydolls#8482;.

ToysRUs continues to focus on growing its exclusive brands business by expanding lines with new products and categories. With the addition of its sourcing office in Shenzhen, China last year, the company is working to drive innovation and quality, introducing new items to its popular brand lines, including Imaginarium#174;, Journey Girls#174; and True Heroes#174;.

The company is supporting its differentiated product offerings with a fully integrated marketing program that includes print advertisements, as well as in-store and online boutiques. This weekend, ToysRUs will introduce its first-ever catalog featuring Only at ToysRUs merchandise. With 44 pages dedicated to the companys exclusive brands and products, the catalog showcases nearly 350 items that cant be found anywhere else, including NERF#174; N-Strike#8482; Sonic Series Blasters from Hasbro#174;, City Central Train Table from Imaginarium#174; and more. In addition, consumers will find significant savings throughout the catalog, as well as 15 coupons providing even more value offerings. This fall, the company will bring many of its exclusive products to life through a series of fun television commercials.

Rapidly Growing e-Commerce Business

The companys e-commerce business continues to grow, increasing a significant 30 percent from 2009 to 2010. Last year, Toysrus.com averaged 15 million unique visitors per month, and more than 30 million in December alone. The companys robust online sales have earned it a top spot number 29 on Internet Retailers 2011 Top 500 Guide, which ranks US and Canadian retailers based on total online sales.

To support the companys growing online business, ToysRUs opened a state-of-the-art distribution center dedicated to e-commerce orders in July 2011 near Reno, Nevada. This facility enables the company to increase fulfillment capacity and expedite deliveries to online customers in the western US ToysRUs continues to invest in e-commerce enhancements to advance the companys online business and customer satisfaction.

Making ToysRUs Available However, Whenever, Wherever Through Its Network of Stores, e-Commerce Sites and Evolving Mobile Shopping Capabilities

The company continues to focus on creating a seamless in-store and online shopping experience for customers, allowing them to shop with ToysRUs and BabiesRUs#174; whenever, wherever and however they choose. This year, the company has enhanced its omnichannel offerings, including the expansion of its popular Buy Online, Pick Up In Store program and the addition of Family and Friends Pick Up. Next month, the company will begin to leverage inventory from its network of stores through a Ship from Store program to help fulfill Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com orders. This service will improve the speed with which customers receive their items and also provide an additional means to fulfill online orders.

Mobile commerce is the companys fastest growing channel. On-the-go customers can shop the companys mobile-enabled e-commerce sites via their smartphones, and take advantage of the dedicated ToysRUs and BabiesRUs apps for iPhone, iPad or Blackberry. Shoppers can also use coupons on their mobile phones and subscribe to the companys mobile messaging program to learn about promotions.

Continuously Improving the Customer Shopping Experience

Improving the shopping environment in its stores continues to be a focus for ToysRUs and customers have noticed. According to the companys consumer research presented today, last holiday season ToysRUs rated among the best retailers for knowledgeable and friendly associates, its in-stock position and organized store locations, among other features. The companys workforce plays an integral role in providing an enjoyable in-store experience for customers. Shoppers can count on toy-trained associates to help them find the perfect present for the little ones in their lives.

Customers continue to respond positively to the companys growing footprint of integrated stores, which combine ToysRUs and BabiesRUs under one roof. These convenient, one-stop shopping destinations fulfill the needs of children of all ages and provide a streamlined shopping environment that is easy to navigate and showcases the companys exclusive brand offerings. Through the execution of its integrated store strategy, ToysRUs has updated many of its existing locations by renovating both the stores interiors and exteriors. In some markets, it has also allowed the company to relocate older stores to new sites in the current center of retail activity in that area. More than 20% of its US locations are now integrated format stores.

ToysRUs will once again operate ToysRUs Express locations in malls and shopping centers nationwide this holiday season providing an added convenience for on-the-go gift-givers. Busy parents, grandparents and last-minute shoppers will find a carefully selected assortment of toys, games, crafts and perennial favorites at the conveniently located ToysRUs Express stores.

The learnings from the ToysRUs Express store initiative have led the company to open 12 ToysRUs Outlet locations nationwide over the past year, securing multi-year leases for these approximately 5,000-square-foot stores. ToysRUs Outlet stores feature a wide selection of value-oriented products unique to these locations, as well as an edited assortment of the items available in full-size ToysRUs stores.

About ToysRUs, Inc.

ToysRUs, Inc. is the worlds leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 873 ToysRUs and BabiesRUs stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 520 international stores and over 200 licensed stores in 34 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brands flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, ToysRUs, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.

SOURCE ToysRUs, Inc.

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Tags : Shopping

Last night I was at an event where I woman said, “I want to get in touch with my creativity. I used to paint and play music, but no longer do that.”

This got me thinking about how we throw around a lot of terms with no real clarity around what they mean.

Here are four terms that people use interchangeably.

1. Invention, from my perspective, invention is the creation of something that previously was not in existence. The focus is not on commercial value but rather on novelty.
2. Innovation, on the other hand, is an end-to-end process that starts with a specific problem, challenge or opportunity and results in commercial value (however that is defined for the organization).
3. Creativity is one step in the innovation process. When you have a defined problem/opportunity, creativity is the act of finding a solution.
4. Artistic endeavors are things like music, painting, and photography. There may be commercial value. But the primary focus is often on the experience.

You might think I am splitting hairs discussing the differences between these terms. But language is important to any culture. And distinguishing these words can be quite useful in helping an organization grow.

Commercial organizations (including non-profits) really want innovation. Putting people through creativity training is interesting, but if the resulting solutions are not relevant to needs or are not ultimately implemented, there is no point. In fact, it can create extra work that detracts from the real opportunities.

Invention can be great. But I know a lot of broke inventors. Developing something new does not mean there is a market need.

Equally, I know a lot of great artists who never want to “sell out” and as a result are struggling to get by.

Innovation is the key. The resulting change does not need to be radical, it only needs to be relevant to the needs of the market. It does not need to be fancy, as long as the solution is commercially viable an implementable.

Getting clear on these distinctions can help you focus your energies on what matters most.

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Stephen Shapiro is the author of three books, a popular innovation speaker, and is the Chief Innovation Evangelist for Innocentive, the leader in Open Innovation.

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