Retailers' in-store holiday strategies [...] Web shopping accounts for only about 7 percent of U.S. retail sales, and last year about half of Americans didn't even shop online, according to Forrester Research. In the wake of the recession, many retailers laid off sales staff and postponed store remodeling to shore up the bottom line. [...] many merchants have repaired their balance sheets and are opening fewer stores, giving them resources to match the Web's speed, pricing and wealth of product information. Stores give shoppers "the full brand experience: the environment, selection, service," says William Taubman, chief operating officer of Taubman Centers, a luxury mall owner. Borrowing a tactic perfected by Amazon.com, Wal-mart Stores Inc. is starting to view its 4,000-plus U.S. locations as distribution centers and is testing same-day delivery on web purchases. Penney, Nordstrom and Sears Holdings are among retailers deploying touch-screens and tablets in stores to make consumers aware of all their products and offer recommendations, much as Amazon does. The trick is to combine technology with the human touch only a well-trained salesperson can provide, says Paul Price, CEO of Creative Realities, a digital experience consultant to Macy's and Foot Locker. The discounter has also asked vendors for items that differ from those sold by online rivals and pressed them to institute minimum prices to help stop extreme discounting by competitors.