Kaomi Goetz

The coffee giant recently partnered with the Rodarte fashion house to offer a holiday collection. It's the latest example of high-end designers teaming up with mass-market retailers to make money while showing their work to a broader audience.

With cellphones nearly ubiquitous, fewer people are relying on watches to tell time. But some retailers are doing brisk business marketing watches as fashion statements, or by appealing to shoppers' sense of novelty or nostalgia.

Many women are using online games to connect with friends and relatives whom they otherwise may not have time to socialize with. The games have tapped into a new market through mobile devices and Facebook.

Some of today's offices barely resemble their predecessors: grey, steel furniture is giving way to bright colors, soft fabrics and warm lighting. Manufacturers say the trend speaks volumes about the work force employers want to attract.