In the search for independent business owners who might have positive thoughts on how big box stores can be countered, I discovered a blog post at Inflow Inventory , an inventory system for small to midsize businesses, about how Virgilio Rubini, owner of ChocoStyle, a small chocolate manufacturer and retail store owner views big box competitors.

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Macy's raised its profit forecast for the fiscal fourth quarter and reported upbeat sales, signaling its recent strength continued through the holidays even as January same-store sales fell short of views.

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Linardos views the evolution of the Ovi Store in terms of three phases.

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It features luxury retailers at the street level, a glass box housing a clothing store on the fifth floor and a soaring space with stunning views on the seventh floor that can be rented for events all connected by an internal staircase that spirals up like a DNA helix.

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It also throws in a "Find my Phone" feature, a remote wipe and a camera option that will let you see your phone's front or rear camera views -- as well as snap pictures remotely and store them directly on your computer -- without activating the display (a very useful feature in case your prized possession gets stolen).

ENGADGET

REI's Web site, launched in 1996, is the Internet's largest store for outdoor gear and clothing, with 30, 000 pages of items, many with multiple views of the products.

FORBES: Backpackers meet bottom line

REI's Web site, launched in 1996, is now the Internet's largest store for outdoor gear and clothing, with 30, 000 pages of items, many with multiple views of the products.

FORBES: Backpackers meet the bottom line