Consumer Electronics

Gamers who can’t make it to Anaheim, California, this fall for GameStop’s third annual Expo will still be able to participate in the retailer’s event thanks to a new relationship with Twitch, the world’s leading online gaming community.

GameStop and Twitch, a video platform with a massive audience, reached an agreement in which Twitch will broadcast live from GameStop’s annual video gaming show known as Expo. The event will be held September 10 and occupies 300,000 sq. ft. at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us, Inc. announced that it has named Michael J. Short executive CFO, effective June 23.
 
Short, 53, a seasoned finance executive with broad retail and corporate development experience, was most recently executive VP and CFO of AutoNation for seven years.
 

After helping brands such as Michael Kors, Coach, J Crew and Victoria’s Secret develop and execute digital strategies, Ian Cohen has joined the nation’s largest rent-to-own company as vp of omnichannel.

Former AutoNation CFO Michael Short will become the new CFO at Toy’s “R” Us on June 23 to replace Clay Creasey who left the retailer after eight years.

New York – Online is the leading channel for consumers to perform both back-to-school and back-to-college shopping. According to a study from e-commerce marketing technology provider HookLogic and polling company Qriously, 35% of consumers shop for back-to-school suppliers online, while 34% shop in-store and 33% shop both channels (some totals equal more than 100% due to rounding).

Walmart continues to press on the mobile phone front with an exclusive deal with Virgin Mobile. As of Saturday, June 21, Virgin Mobile’s payLo will offer customers domestic unlimited voice or unlimited texting for $20 per month.

For budget-conscious consumers who don’t need a smartphone, payLo offers affordable devices and value-driven monthly plans. Customers who purchase a Kyocera Kona or Samsung Montage in participating Walmart stores or at Walmart.com can choose between two exclusive $20-per-month offers:

Brussels – Major multinational retailers such as Starbucks and Apple will have to start paying higher taxes in Europe, thanks to a move by the European Union (E.U.) to end certain tax breaks it has now defined as “state aid,” which is prohibited by E.U. bylaws. These breaks, which member nations including Ireland, Luxembourg, and Netherlands have used to allow some types of profit to be classified as tax-deductible debt, had come under fire from other E.U. nations and the U.S.

Chicago – Women represent $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, and that figure is expected to grow to $28 trillion in the next five years. According to a new report from email marketing solutions provider SimpleRelevance, women make or influence 85% of all purchase decisions.