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.