Consumer Electronics

San Mateo, Calif. –- Last year, Black Friday was the top date for “card present” (CP) fraud, where a payment card is presented in a store for unauthorized usage. Data science company Feedzai analyzed data representing $750 billion in payment volume and more than 17.5 billion transactions in both card present (CP) and card not present (unauthorized online card purchases, or CNP) environments.  

Indianapolis –- Consumer electronics retailer Hhgregg Inc. swung from profit to loss in a generally difficult second quarter of fiscal 2014. Hhgregg reported a net loss of $10.38 million, compared to net income of $3.68 million in the same quarter the prior fiscal year. Net sales dropped 11% to $505.86 million from $568.31 million. Same-store sales declined 11.4%. Growing expenses and declining gross profit helped push the chain into the red.

Digital retailer QVC is adding new in-app features that allow customers to make easy and quick purchases with just a touch of their finger. 

Using Apple’s fingerprint sensor technology, Touch ID, the QVC for iPhone app now gives customers the option to log in to their QVC accounts on all iOS 8-enabled iPhone 5S, 6 and 6+ mobile devices using only their fingertip for authentication.   

Clifton, N.J. -- Blink Fitness is set to open its newest New Jersey location at Clifton Plaza in Clifton. The fitness chain will occupy 15,000-sq.-ft. of newly constructed retail space at the 80,000-sq.-ft. shopping center, which is managed and leased by Levin Management. Levin Management negotiated the long-term lease.   

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Fifty-seven percent of consumers use their smartphones to assist shopping activities in store. According to new data from CFI Group's report "Holiday Shopping 2014: Shutting Down the Showroom Effect," which surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers and is sponsored by EBay Enterprise, 60% of survey respondents compare retailer's prices to their online competitors, while 63% use their phones to check prices at other local stores.  

With technology products at the top of many wish lists this Christmas, The NPD Group’s top analyst covering the product category weighed in with a dozen expectations for the holiday season.

“The tech industry faces even more intense pricing and promotion than last year’s holiday shopping season,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “The challenge of surpassing the impressive start to last year’s holiday season will be addressed head-on by the market’s emphasis on competitive offerings.”

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack's Fix It Here same-day mobile repair service is now available in 31 stores in the Boston area. Fix It Here is available in more than 550 RadioShack stores in key markets across the nation, and RadioShack plans to rollout Fix It Here to 750 locations by the end of the year.  

Weaker than expected third quarter sales prompted Kohl’s to lower its profit forecast while noting that e-commerce sales increase 30%.

The company held an investor conference on Oct. 29 and said third quarter sales were expected to decline 1.4% due to softer than expected sales during October. The top line weakness caused the company to confirm that profits would be at the lower end of a previously forecast range of $4.05 to $4.45 a share.