Items tagged with retail
It feels like forever ago that Circuit City bit the dust. Everything seemed to be humming along just fine, and suddenly, the wheels feel off. That left Best Buy, its main rival, in great shape. Suddenly, the world was its oyster. There really was no competition. But that's the issue: just because there was no issue on...
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Need a job for the holidays? You might be in luck. Microsoft plans to open at least a dozen so-called 'pop-up' retail stores across the U.S. and Canada, from Massachusetts to California, this coming holiday season. These "Microsoft Holiday Store" locations are undoubtedly an effort to kickstart Windows 8 and...
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Remember when eBay was an auction site? Those were the days. Nowadays, eBay is a full-on storefront, keeping that auction setting at the core but building a vast network of other opportunities around it. There's Buy-It-Now, for starters, and there are a variety of opportunity to sell goods on eBay without going...
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It's really not a great time to be in retail consumer electronics sales. Or maybe it's just not a great time to be Best Buy. The United States' largest consumer electronics retailer hasn't had a great year, with its CEO stepping away and sales / profits sliding. Now, it's taking measures to ensure that it doesn't slip...
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In what is being deemed as a "leadership transition," Brian Dunn has stepped down as chief executive officer and director of Best Buy. Director G. Mike Mikan will assume the role as CEO on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found, Best Buy announced. "There were no disagreements between Mr. Dunn and the...
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For you nostalgic types out there, you may want to head over to your local Best Buy electronics store and take a stroll through nerd nirvana, it could end up being the last time you do so. In reporting its fourth quarter and full year 2012 financial results, the mega electronics chain outlined a new transformation...
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During a presentation today, Target confirmed plans to have "special displays" of Apple products in 25 of its retail stores. Although few details are available regarding the partnership, we would expect the deal to be similar to the deal between Apple and Best Buy in which the big-box electronics store sells Apple products from dedicated mini...
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Would you miss Best Buy if the electronics chain suddenly shut its doors for good the way Circuit City did awhile back? The knee-jerk reaction by many tech enthusiasts is to answer "Hell no!" followed by a Best Buy horror story or three, but such incidents aside, would you really be happier if Best Buy no longer existed? Regardless of your...
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What does Apple have to do with J.C. Penney? Not a lot, on the surface. But this week, the two are crossing paths in an odd way. J.C. Penney has just named Ron Johnson as their next Chief Executive Officer, and it could mean big, big things for their stores. Ron isn't nearly as well-known in the mainstream as someone like Mr. Ive or Mr. Jobs,...
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Last fall, Walmart launched a test to see how well a Walmart Wireless Shop would perform. The test launched in about 20 flagship stores. Each of the Walmart Wireless Shops is about 2,000 square feet in size. They carry a range of smartphones and cell phones and offer a variety of pre- and post-paid service plans...
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Recently, it was reported that Wal-mart stores would begin carving the size of their electronics department due to shrinking sizes of gadgets, and now it feels like Best Buy is following suit. Now that Circuit City no longer exists (that's STILL hard to believe!), Best Buy has become the go-to big box retailer when it comes to electronics....
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You may have noticed a larger electronics section in your local Wally World. That's because over the past couple of years, Walmart devoted about 20 percent more floor space to push home entertainment items, and in particular television sets. But with consumers showing little interest in 3D TVs, and with popular...
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Best Buy plans to launch a buyback program aimed at helping you "future-proof" your technology. The retailer plans to launch the program during the Super Bowl this Sunday. Through the Buy Back Program, you can purchase the technology you want today, knowing that within two years (four for TVs), Best Buy will buy it back for a set price. The...
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If you find yourself frequently disappointed by gifts from Aunt Mildred or Uncle Fred, Amazon may have a solution in store for you. Amazon was recently awarded a patent for a solution that will enable gift recipients to automatically exchange an item before they ever receive it. With Amazon's system, you'll get the chance to choose something...
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Some of the Internet's biggest retail players are setting their sights on the flourishing business of local services. Google is reportedly interested in buying local coupon site Groupon for as much as $6 billion and Amazon.com is planning to invest $175 million in online coupon company LivingSocial, a Groupon competitor. eBay is buying Milo.com,...
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The retail sales of electronics and appliances this summer should have a modest increase over last year, according to IBM's analytics-based forecast. The sales are predicted to increase 4 percent - $953 million - in June, July and August. June July August 3-month total 2009 (actual) $7.791 $7.740 $8.131 $23.662 2010 (forecast) $8.034 $8.069...
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Not long ago, we learned about Walmart's plan to expand its consumer electronics offerings. The big-box retailer is not alone. Target also has a system-wide plan to upgrade its TV, gaming, and digital imaging sections and product offerings. The rollout began last month and should be completed by June. With the new CE department design,...
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As margins on actual wares grow slimmer, many retailers are looking to soak up more cash in the form of services. Granted, that's increasingly tough in the DIY universe that we live in, and even tougher in a retailer that looks to save people money. In an odd move aimed to rival Best Buy's Geek Squad, Wal-Mart has announced plans to offer...
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It's a crazy world we live in. While some industries are shutting retail locations down to cope with a slower economy, the consumer electronics realm seems to be ramping up for growth. While Apple has already made the (smart) decision to open a 24/7 location in the Big Apple, Best Buy still has yet to open a single...
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We knew that Microsoft was going to open its own retail stores this fall, some of them (they say) right next to Apple retail outlets. They even hired David Porter (a former 25-year veteran Wal-Mart executive) to be Corporate Vice President of Retail Stores. That's experience, and they're not stopping there; they're apparently hiring away Apple...
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Given that "radios" lost their glitz decades ago, we'd say a RadioShack re-branding is long overdue. Announced today after a flurry of rumors, RadioShack Corporation has decided to completely overhaul its brand, its mission and in some ways, its purpose. Moving forward, you'll see less of the aged RadioShack branding and more of "THE SHACK,"...
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Later this summer, T-Mobile customers will be able to head to their local RadioShack in order to purchase handsets, accessories, and services. The new retail agreement between RadioShack and T-Mobile expands RadioShack’s postpaid wireless offerings and brings some of T-Mobile’s highly anticipated handsets, such as the T-Mobile myTouch 3G with...
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