The phrase "personal shopper" inherently has a certain air of snobbery about it, calling to mind that wealthy aunt who always bought the best Christmas gifts but whose over-the-top get-ups elicited constant eye-rolls from your mother. No more. J. Crew has quietly rolled out services that bring personal shopping to the masses -- by not charging for it.

For guys, there's "Jack Knows Best." Here, male customers can read basic tips on blazers and bowties from a company stylist -- but they can also email him about specific sartorial conundrums at jack@jcrew.com.

Think your ever-prepared colleague who's already bought and wrapped all her gifts has an impressive jump on the holidays? Consider this: electronics mega-chain Best Buy started prepping for Black Friday, the official, chaotic start to the holiday shopping season, in August.

That's when the company sends out a Black Friday "Toolkit" to each of its stores, summarizing the company's ticketing and security procedures, according to company spokesperson Scott Morris. The Toolkit is followed by several autumn "rehearsals," which simulate the day's events, he said.

And now, with the big day just weeks away, the company is tanned, rested and ready, and looking forward to what it hopes is a bright spot in a dark retail year

Big Apple fixture FAO Schwarz, once besieged by financial troubles, is back -- and starting today, its magic is available to kids all across the U.S., thanks to Toys 'R' Us.

The New York Times reports that the toy megachain, which purchased FAO Schwarz earlier this year, is launching Schwarz-branded boutiques within 600 of its stores. The online boutique launches today.

The selection consists of high-end items in classic categories -- collectibles, stuffed dolls and dress-up are all among the categories. So how can Schwarz's somewhat retro -- and pricey -- wares compete in a market that often revolves around the latest Wii game or miniature iPod?

One word: grandparents.

No, seriously. Grandparents, the official sponsors of rocking horses, model cars and American Girl dolls (the historical ones, mind you!) are the last sales stronghold for timeless toys. They appreciate the Schwarz brand, love helping their grandkids build collections and believe that toddlers don't need their own mp3 players (they're onto something there).

So note to Toys 'R' Us: push FAO Schwarz to the senior crowd. They get the magic, and they have the means -- after all, if there's one type of spending the recession can't puncture, it's the kind grandparents do to spoil their grandchildren.

Itching to spend? Go shopping online -- and we don't mean on an e-commerce site.

The New York Times reports that consumers formerly known as shopaholics are acting out their old retail lust in cyberspace -- outfitting their Second Life, There or IMVU avatars in the latest Jimmy Choo stilettos and Gucci bags.

Target has drawn in consumers by putting spaghetti, shoes and stereos under the same roof. Next up in its quest to marry shopping and convenience: a target.com library of online magazines -- complete with links to the products featured in them.

The "Target Newsstand," which you can browse through, has already launched, although those aforementioned e-commerce links won't materialize until 2010.

So what's in it for Target shoppers -- and magazine readers -- in the meantime? The site's subscriptions to online versions of publications like Elle and Woman's Day seem pretty cheap -- most are less than $10.

But are the discounted, e-reader versions of your favorite magazines actually good values? We chose 10 titles and decided to find out.

The release of the "Sex and the City" movie sequel may still be seven months away, but brace yourself for the onset of what's sure to be a nauseating barrage of promotional efforts. And at the reins of it is none other than the film's megawatt star, Sarah Jessica Parker.

WWD reports that Parker's third fragrance, SJP NYC, will hit stores in May, timed to the sequel's release. What's more, Coty, the fragrance behemoth behind the scent, is already "working with the film's producers and distributors to leverage the relationship."

As fans of the franchise probably remember, the 2.5-hour, big-screen version of "SATC" gave A-list exposure to a dizzying array of products (see Vanity Fair's roundup). And since the film grossed more than $500 million worldwide, you can bet brands will be elbowing their way into the sequel any way they can.

Here's hoping that any tie-ins between the launch of SJP NYC and "SATC 2" will occur way, way off-screen.

I'm 99% sure the creatives behind the film have too much class to write Parker's fragrance into the script. But if Carrie spritzes herself with the contents of a zebra/paisley/flowered bottle before she skips off to the rumored Stanford-Anthony wedding, I'm walking out of the theater.

Print media may be suffering a decline, but there's one genre within the industry that's still thriving: catalogs.

As the Wall Street Journal reports today, catalogs -- 17 billion of which were mailed last year -- will likely be around forever, because people appreciate being able to hold and look closely at photos of products they may buy.

Can't afford to take the kids on a Disney World vacation this year? No problem. Soon, you'll be able to give them a Disney experience at the local mall -- for free.

As The New York Times reported today, Disney -- heeding the recommendations of Steve Jobs, whom it consulted -- will completely overhaul its retail stores over the next five years, upgrading them from toy stores to interactive arcades.

The proposed additions include movie theaters and karaoke contests, and the company is considering doing away with the "Disney Store" name and rebranding their retail spaces as "Imagination Parks."

At a time when many retailers are struggling just to keep their heads above water, Disney's refurbishment campaign might seem excessive at best and foolish at worst. But the truth is, the makeover is a long time coming.

Disney launched its retail stores in 1987, at a time when kids' interaction with the brand was limited to visits to Disney World or Disneyland and viewings of each year's blowout animated feature. That was before the days of Pixar blockbusters and Disney Channel megastars.

The plans for "Imagination Park" call for CGI-like Lucite trees and satellite live feeds of Disney Channel characters -- which means the shops will finally be in sync with Disney's modern identity. And that today's kids, whose eyes might have glossed over the towers of plush Mickey dolls in the window, will likely start dragging their parents into the store.

The philosophy behind the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book has always been simple: if you can (or can't) dream it, they'll find it, price it, and honest-to-God offer to sell it to you, whether it's an exotic safari or a priceless bauble.

Here's how recession respect gets interpreted in something as fanciful as this catalog -- for the first time, the selections do not include any items or experience that cost north of $1 million. The most expensive thing for sale is a jet and pilot training package for two, which costs a mere $250,000.

If you're looking to shop the catalog a bit more frugally, consider one of the book's lower-end offerings: a $3,225 red velvet coat, a $175 iPhone case or or a $3,300 crystal tree.

And go ahead and table those million-and-up gifts until the next holiday season -- after all, it's the thought that counts.

Liz Claiborne is making some major moves -- and JC Penney is reaping the benefits.

The 33-year-old women's clothing company, known for its classic, tailored looks, announced today that from here on out, JC Penney will be the brand's exclusive retailer.

For JC Penney, the deal is a coup in the Penney's versus Macy's battle that heated up a few months ago with the opening of JC Penney's first Manhattan store, situated directly across the street from Macy's historic flagship.

For Macy's, losing the Claiborne brand to JC Penney is more of a blow to the store's heritage than its sales. Claiborne and Macy's have been synonymous for decades.

When I read this press release, the first thing I thought of was: I can't imagine what the store will use to fill in the gap vacated by Claiborne's neat skirts and trim little jackets, which often occupy high-visibility real estate on the Macy's floor.

The second thing I thought of was: hey, wait a minute -- what about Isaac Mizrahi's Claiborne collections? Last spring, the designer took over the brand's creative vision and turned out a highly-hyped (mostly by Macy's) assortment of tartan dresses and bright shoes. His subsequent collections have been less buzzed-about, but just as solid -- and the pieces' prices stretch into the hundreds of dollars. Somehow, I couldn't picture the $399 shrunken leather jacket flying off the racks at JC Penney.

But Claiborne already had an answer for that conundrum -- Mizrahi's higher-end products will jump to QVC. So if you want to get your hands on his designs, put down the car keys and pick up the remote.