For consumers, in-store pickup combines the ease of shopping online with the promptness of purchasing from a local retailer. But while it's been revealed that this method isn't any more efficient than just buying in-store, that hasn't stopped brick-and-mortar shops from adopting and promoting this service - nor has it dissuaded customers from using it.

In taking the helm of General Motors, Mary Barra becomes the first woman to serve as chief executive officer of a major automotive company, a sign that corporate boards and investors increasingly see leaders' gender as a non-issue and gender diversity perhaps even as an asset.

No matter who gets elected president next month, the United States economy in 2013 will have only tepid growth. Does that sound like this year all over again? Yes, indeed.