• Ashley Tisdale, shopping for sunglasses and purses with her mother in Beverly Hills. The actress sported some fashion-forward gladiator sandals during the spree – and stopped for a hair appointment earlier in the day.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The mere thought of a mother-daughter shopping excursion for a back-to-school wardrobe is enough to make many wince. But with a budget and a little planning, the experience can be a breeze.

How does a local retailer thrive during an economic slump? Open doors to customers across the country and around the world. Twigs, Monroe Street's upscale accessory and apparel boutique, this month launched a new Web specialty shop, Copper Beetle (www.co

Brooklyn's Fulton Street Mall is a retail powerhouse, drawing 100,000 shoppers a day and bringing in some of the highest rents in the city. Yet landlords in the venerable shopping district think it could be much more.

There's a way to get designer duds at a lower price. It's all through secret sales on "members only" shopping Web sites. The sites offer designer duds at bargain basement prices. Everything from clothes, to shoes to jewelry is one sale.