Consumer Electronics

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 36th birthday is not normally an occasion for an over-the-top celebration; however, that’s what multichannel retailer HSN is doing this month when it hosts what it’s calling the biggest party of the year.

To celebrate its 36 years, HSN has partnered with Toyota to give away four 2013 Toyota RAV4s in July as part of a month-long sweepstakes. Each week, customers can sign up via the HSN Arcade gaming portal at HSN.com and one winner will be announced on HSN every Saturday night at 8 p.m. EDT.

New York -- RadioShack Corporation has opened the first of the next generation of stores scheduled to roll out across the country and around the world over the next several months.

Hasbro and Electronic Arts have taken their relationship to the next level and extended their agreement, which will see EA develop several of Hasbro’s bestselling gaming brands for mobile platforms globally. 

A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, and RadioShack’s quest to makes its 4,300 U.S. stores relevant again began this week with the opening of a new prototype and a re-imagined corporate logo.

Over the weekend, RadioShack opened a store at 2268 Broadway on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that aims to attract tech-hungry shoppers who will find a new level of products, services and excitement in a store that makes the buying experience fun, according to the company.

Having past the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the most viewed stories of the year to date on ChainStoreAge.com. (Based on the results,  the ongoing saga of J.C. Penney remains the industry's biggest story.) Here are the Top 10 stories of the first six months:

PITTSBURGH — GNC Holdings has elected former PetSmart CEO Robert Moran and former Midas CEO Alan Feldman to its board of directors.

"We are pleased to welcome Messrs. Moran and Feldman to the GNC board," stated Joseph Fortunato, GNC chairman, president and CEO. "Their extensive experience leading global consumer brands and retail operations, both domestically and overseas, and past experience as CEOs of retail businesses should add significant strength to our board as we execute our future strategies."

New York -- RadioShack Corp. unveiled its new concept store, opening a location on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The store showcases a number of the features that will be part of a new generation of RadioShack stores that will be rolled out in locations throughout the United States and internationally over the next several months. The new concept is part of a wider initiative by new CEO Joseph C. Magnacca, who took the reins in February, to turn around the ailing chain.
   

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Newegg, a leading electronics-focused e-retailer in the U.S., has launched a “flash sale” site, NeweggFlash.com.