Consumer Electronics

Despite posting increases in the last few quarters, GameStop was seeing shares drop because its numbers were falling short of analysts’ expectations. But thanks to growth in its mobile business and demand for new game consoles, the company started the year with better-than-expected profit that drove shares to rise 5%.

Polaroid Fotobar has opened a flagship at The Linq, a new, pedestrian-friendly shopping street in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The two-level, 8,500-sq.-ft. space — part retail, part museum — celebrates the storied history of Polaroid while also tapping into consumers’ love of digital photos.

New York -- Google and Costco Wholesale Corp. came out on top in a survey of large companies with the best compensation and benefits for workers by jobs site Glassdoor. Rounding out the top five were Facebook, Adobe and Epic.

The ranking was based on an online anonymous survey that asked employees to rate how satisfied they were with their pay and benefits on a scale of 1 to 5. Costco and Google both received a score of 4.4 out of 5. Google ranked higher than Costco only by fractions of a point.

Woodland Hills, Calif. — Peak Financial Partners, Inc., a private real estate investment firm and Misuma Holdings, have acquired a $45 million note secured by Myrtle Beach Mall, a 521,000-sq.-ft. enclosed mall facility in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

On the heels of a mostly disappointing 2013 earnings season, many U.S. brick-and-mortar retailers will focus on building out their online presence for growth, according to Moody’s Investor Service’s new report, “Brick-and-Mortar Continues to March Online,” by Charlie O’Shea, VP – senior analyst, Moody’s.

Here are five highlights from the study:

Burlington, Mass. — KeyPoint Partners has added three new property management and leasing assignments to its portfolio. The firm will manage and lease Walnut Hill Plaza, a 298,000-sq.-ft. retail center in Woonsocket, R.I., and Summit Square, a 133,900-sq.-ft.-retail center in Warwick, R.I.

In addition, KeyPoint will manage the 97,000-sq.-ft. Harbor Village in Townsend, Mass.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — The Cheesecake Factory and Island Purveyor featuring Tommy Bahama have taken space at CoolSprings Galleria in Nashville, Tenn., according to the center’s owner CBL & Associates Properties. Both plan to open later this year.

The new tenants are part of CBL’s redevelopment and expansion plans for the 1.1 million-sq.-ft. super regional shopping center anchored by Belk, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney and Macy’s.

First quarter same store sales at Best Buy fell a greater than expected 1.3% due to declining sales of consumer electronics and competition from online retailers.

While the retailer experienced growth in computing, gaming and appliances, it was more than offset by declines in other categories, including tablets, services and home theater. President and CEO Hubert Joly focused on the positive, however.