Consumer Electronics

Rochester, Minn. — Electric Friends, which produces animal-themed speakers for iPhone and iPod, will be available in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide beginning Sept. 28, featured as an end cap throughout the holiday season.

New York -- As women age, they find the shopping experience less enjoyable, according to a survey by global design consultancy Fitch. The study finds that the most fulfilled female shopper is between 16 and 24 years of age, suggesting that shops are designed for the young.

“There is a big opportunity for retailers to redress the balance and improve all our shopping experiences — which is better for business and better for shoppers,” said Tim Greenhalgh, chief creative officer office, Fitch.

The e-commerce experience has expanded beyond desktop environments and moved in-store via Web-based kiosks and consumers’ personal mobile devices. One of the biggest hurdles for retailers is delivering a consistent, rich, user experience across all digital channels. Eager to overcome this challenge, Best Buy Canada sought a solution to streamline digital information delivery.

Blending multiple components in a single development isn’t a new idea. In fact, the Urban Land Institute first turned the phrase “mixed use” some 30 years ago, defining it as three or more significant revenue-producing uses in a single project.

New York -- Two U.S. retailers took home top honors at the 2012 World Retail Awards in London, with Costco Wholesale Club named “Retailer of the Year,” and Macy’s recognized as “Multichannel Retailer of the Year.” The awards were announced as part of the 2012 World Retail Congress.

Amazon.com, Trader Joe’s and Costco Wholesale Corp. came out on top with consumers in a survey by global consulting firm OC&C Strategy Consultants. Rounding out the top five were Zappos and iTunes.

Widespread media reports have Walmart discontinuing the sale of Amazon’s popular Kindle devices, which begs the questions what took so long and will we ever see a Walmart tablet.

Walmart’s decision to begin selling the Kindle was one of the more wrong-headed moves the company has ever made. A Kindle is Amazon’s version of a Gillette razor, essentially a device that provides consumers a portal to purchase Amazon’s other inventory, or in Gillette’s case, more blades. Target wisely gave Kindle the boot earlier this year.

Loveland, Colo. -- Bass Pro Shops has signed a letter of intent with Loveland, Colo.-based shopping center developer McWhinney to anchor a new northern Colorado development at Centerra.

The approximately 117,000-sq.-ft. Bass Pro Shops is intended to draw shoppers from Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and beyond.

“We are very excited to bring Bass Pro Shops to Loveland and be part of the Centerra development,” said Johnny Morris, founder and CEO, Bass Pro Shops.