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B&H Photo Adds Installer Locator
New York — B&H Photo, the Manhattan-based pro and consumer imaging and CE specialty retailer, has added an installer-finder to its website. The widget,...
Retail
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Court Approves RadioShack Sale
Wilmington, Del. – A federal bankruptcy court here OK’d last week’s sale of RadioShack’s intellectual property to hedge fund Standard General over the objections...
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RadioShack Saga Continues In Court
Wilmington, Del. — Yogi Berra could have been referring to RadioShack when he famously observed, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” Today federal bankruptcy...
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Toys ‘R’ Us Moving FAO Schwarz
New York – FAO Schwarz, the storied toy emporium on Manhattan’s Fifth Ave., will shut its doors on July 15. Owner Toys “R” Us...
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TWICE Retail Rebels Re-Write The Rules
New York – Across the country are showrooms large and small, public and private, national and local, that belie prognostications pronouncing the end of...
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CE/Majap Retail Sales Slip 3.5% In April
Washington – April sell-through at CE and appliance stores fell 3.5 percent year-over-year to an estimated $8.5 billion, the U.S. Commerce Department reported. Sales...
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Conn’s Opens 4th Tennessee Store
Memphis, Tenn. – Conn’s, the Texas-based multiregional chain, has opened it fourth HomePlus superstore in Tennessee. The 50,000-square-foot furniture, appliance and CE showroom is...
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Walmart Launching Three-Day Shipping Service
San Bruno, Calif. – Walmart will begin testing a three-day shipping service for online purchases this summer. The program will cost customers $50 a...
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RadioShack Stores Will Retain Name
New York — Standard General, the company that owns what’s left of RadioShack’s stores, will get to keep its name as well. The hedge...
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Newegg Launching Business PC Line
City of Industry, Calif. – Leading CE-specialty e-tailer Newegg.com has introduced a private-label line of desktop PCs for its Newegg Business subsidiary. The new...
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AT&T Partners With Ron Johnson’s Enjoy
Menlo Park, Calif. – AT&T will begin providing free hand-delivery and in-person support service next week through a partnership with Enjoy, the e-tail startup...
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Amazon To Open 2nd New Jersey Distribution Center
Carteret, N.J. — Amazon.com has confirmed plans to open its second New Jersey distribution center (DC) in the town of Carteret. The new 1...
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Nebraska Furniture Mart Officially Opens Dallas Doors
Updated! The Colony, Texas – Nebraska Furniture Mart formally cut the ribbon to its third and largest mega-emporium on Thursday. The 560,000-square-foot showroom, located...
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GE, Qualcomm Develop In-Store Shopper Tracker
East Cleveland, Ohio — GE Lighting and Qualcomm’s Atheros subsidiary have created an in-store shopper tracking system for retailers. The service works by sending...
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RadioShack Trademark Sale Still In Limbo
Wilmington, Del. – A federal bankruptcy court judge here has approved the bidding process for RadioShack to sell its trademarks, online domains, and other...
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Newegg Relaunches GameCrate Gaming Site
City of Industry, Calif. – Leading CE-specialty e-tailer Newegg.com has re-launched GameCrate, its one-year-old informational website for gaming enthusiasts. The latest iteration uses original...
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Best Buy Accepting Apple Pay For M-Commerce Purchases
Updated! Minneapolis — iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users can now pay for their Best Buy purchases using Apple Pay. Effective today, the No....
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Sony Launches 4K Android TV At VAC
Santa Monica, Calif. — Sony Electronics will debut its first Ultra HD TVs with Android TV OS at a Video & Audio Center (VAC)...
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Distributor Spins Out Online Vinyl Store
Itasca, Ill. – There’s a not-so-new kid in town selling vinyl LPs. Collectors’ Choice Vinyl (CCVinyl.com) is a recently-launched resource for record albums, turntables...
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Amazon Remains Low-Price Leader In CE: Report
Ottawa, Canada – A report by market research firm 360pi confirms that Amazon.com remains the low-price leader in consumer electronics, and it advises CE...
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Bidding For RadioShack Brand Set For May 6
New York — RadioShack’s intellectual assets, including its trademarks, online domains, patent applications, franchised dealer relationships and, controversially, its customer database, will be put...
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MESA Launches Consumer-Finance Program
Arvada, Colo. — The Mobile Electronics Specialists of America (MESA) has teamed up with Alliance Data’s Card Services business to create a financing program...
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Retail Briefs
BrandSource Details Exec PromotionsTUSTIN, CALIF. – The BrandSource buying group has shed more light on its recent promotions of Tom Bennett and John White....
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Johnson’s Appliances Turns 70
OCEAN CITY, N.J. – In a time of independent dealer contraction and family succession issues, Johnson’s Appliances & Bedding is a throwback to another...
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Batteries Plus Bulbs Sparking Ownership By Veterans
Hartland, Wis. — Batteries Plus Bulbs, the franchised specialty chain, is making it easier for military veterans to set up shop. Starting today, the...
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Sprint Bringing Stores To Customers’ Homes, Offices
Overland Park, Kan. – Sprint will roll out a fleet of 5,000 vehicles by year’s end to deliver and set up phone upgrades, transfer...
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Apple Watch Retail Strategy Won’t Fly For Long: CIRP
Cupertino, Calif. — Apple’s distribution strategy for the Apple Watch is going to slow it down right out of the gate, according to research...
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Sprint: We’re Doubling Company-Owned Store Count
Overland Park, Kan. — Sprint will more than double the number of company-owned stores tomorrow when it opens 1,435 Sprint-RadioShack stores, the company said....
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Imports Recovering After West Coast Port Strike
Washington — Import cargo volume for the nation’s retailers is rebounding after the long West Coast port strike, according to the National Retail Federation...
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Verizon Opens Fourth Destination Store
Boston – Verizon Wireless opened its fourth Destination store here, its first on the East Coast. The 8,000-square-foot showcase features more than 1,700 products...
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Revamped RadioShack Re-Emerging April 10
NEW YORK – Emerging from bankruptcy under new ownership, a revamped RadioShack will begin taking shape April 10 with fewer stores, a slimmer assortment...
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Amazon, Vendors Collaborate On IoT Replenishment
SEATTLE –Amazon.com is trialing an automatic product-replenishment program with Whirlpool, Brother and other vendors that can sense when supplies are low, or allow customers...
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CE-Vet Ron Garriques To Run RadioShack
New York — Former Dell and Motorola exec Ron Garriques was tapped to head the newly reborn RadioShack. He was introduced to employees, franchisees...
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Ex-Curacao Crew Launching New Retail Venture
Encino, Calif. – Come October there’ll be a new retail kid in town with a decidedly Latin flavor. Jerry Azarkman, co-founder of Curacao, the...
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Sears Raising $2.5B In Lease-Back Deal
Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holdings is forming a real estate investment trust (REIT) that will buy about 250 Sears and Kmart stores and...
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Judge Approves RadioShack Sale
Updated! Wilmington, Del. – Standard General has received the go-head from a federal bankruptcy court here to buy RadioShack’s 1,740 remaining stores, Reuters reported. The...
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RadioShack Deal Could Fall Through: Judge
Wilmington, Del. – A federal bankruptcy court judge warned yesterday that a deal to keep more than 1,700 RadioShack stores open could be derailed...
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Amazon Adds Home Services Store
Seattle – Amazon.com has formally launched a vast menu of outsourced home services that includes home theater installation, IT support, and CE and majap...
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Best Buy Closes Future Shop
Minneapolis – There is no future for Future Shop. Canada’s largest CE specialty chain, which was acquired by Best Buy in 2001, is being...
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RadioShack Hearings Enter Week Two
Wilmington, Del. — Hearings in RadioShack’s bankruptcy auction were expected to enter their second week at the federal court here this morning. Top creditor...
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Apple, Mobile Stores Driving GameStop’s Growth
Grapevine, Texas — GameStop said its growing contingent of Apple and AT&T wireless stores is fueling the business amid mixed results in its core...
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Sears Hometown Launches Majap Initiative
Hoffman Estates, Ill. — Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (SHO), the nation’s fifth largest white-goods retailer, is looking to rev up its major appliance...