Consumer Electronics

FORT WORTH, Texas — RadioShack has unveiled its first branded section of a college bookstore at the University Co-op at the University of Texas at Austin, as part of the retailer’s five-year agreement with NACSCORP, which sports the retailer's new logo.

Fort Worth, Texas -- As part of a previously announced plan to expand into non-traditional channels, RadioShack said its first shop-in-shop college store has opened at the University of Texas at Austin.

Located within the University Co-op bookstore, the RadioShack-branded section features consumer electronics products geared toward college kids. The Top Tech at UT Students' Fingertips RadioShack's retail space consists of a 12-ft. section of wall located on the first floor of the Co-op, and features items such as headphones and Bluetooth speakers.

With just a few days until the San Diego Comic-Con kicks off, Hasbro has announced the expansion of its Kre-O construction brand to include Dungeons & Dragons, the iconic fantasy entertainment brand from Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro. 

There has been a recent trend in retail of new dynamic store formats that make the physical store experience more closely mirror the virtual store experience. Examples include Staples “omni-channel” stores that feature kiosks offering access to Staples’ full product inventory and RadioShack’s new concept store in Manhattan that includes interactive product fixtures such as display speakers that customers can test with music from their own personal devices.

The U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing an increase of 0.6% in retail trade sales for June when compared to May. Sales were up 6% when compared to June 2012.

The figures are adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, and exclude automobiles, gas stations and restaurants.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. retail and food services sales totaled $422.8 billion last month, according to new advance estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. This represents a 0.4% increase from $421.2 billion in the prior month, and a more substantial 5.7% increase from $399.9 billion in the same month last year.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack Corp. on Friday released a statement in which it said that its balance sheet continues to be strong, with total liquidity of $820 million at the end of the first quarter. The chain released the statement the day after a report said the retailer was considering hiring a financial adviser.

Sport Chalet has opened its first urban retail concept, at the renovated FIGat7th center in downtown Los Angeles. Sleek and contemporary looking, the 27,000-sq.-ft. store puts the emphasis on education and training, with a dedicated central area, the “Expert Center,” for classes and clinics. It’s designed to facilitate customer interaction with in-store experts on any topic, ranging from bike repair to the area’s best surfing spots.