Ultra HD TVs are projected to account for 20 percent of TV sales at h.h. gregg during the holiday season, Chief Financial Officer Dennis May said on the company’s Q3 earnings call Thursday. While the CE category remains “challenging,” the retailer’s previously announced strategy to focus on higher margin large-screen and 4K TVs appears to be paying off as stores are seeing growth in the 4K and OLED TV categories, May said. Janney analyst David Strasser said the mix shift to large screen and 4K TVs drove average selling prices higher in the quarter, “partly offsetting substantial declines in units.” H.h. gregg’s decision to opt out of smaller-screen TVs also accounts for “deviation from industry trends,” Strasser said. If that momentum continues, h.h. gregg could “surprise to the upside this holiday,” Strasser said.
RadioShack’s "Fix It Here!" same-day mobile device repair service has expanded to 31 stores in the Boston area, the chain said Wednesday. Repairs for most smartphones and tablets start at $39.99, typically take two hours and include a 90-day warranty on parts and labor, it said. The service technicians repair common problems such as cracked screens, faulty cameras, water damage, audio defects, broken charging ports, faulty batteries and broken buttons, it said. With the Boston expansion, the service is now available at more than 550 RadioShack stores in "key markets" nationally and will roll out to 750 by year-end, it said.
Following a settlement agreement between Apple and Bose in which Bose said it intended to “dismiss and terminate” legal action alleging Apple subsidiary Beats Electronics violated five Bose patents on noise-canceling headphones, Apple apparently shoved Bose off the shelves of its stores. Media reports Monday cited the absence of Bose products in Apple stores, and our scan of the online Apple shop found no Bose speakers or headphones. At the Bose website, meanwhile, an Apple search brought up numerous products designed to be paired with Apple gear. The OE2i audio headphones ($109.95) are listed with the Made for iPod logo and described as “For music & calls with iPod/iPhone." The Bose website also features four SoundDock products ($149-$299) designed to work with iPods or iPhones. Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
RadioShack will roll out its initial launch of Apple Pay starting Monday at more than 900 stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, the retailer said (http://bit.ly/1CvMCnP). RadioShack will introduce the digital wallet service in more markets to be announced in 2015, it said in a Thursday news release. To use Apple Pay, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, owners need only hold their device close to an in-store near field communication contactless reader, it said. Best Buy and Walmart are among the big retailers that have spurned taking part in Apple Pay. Best Buy suggested it was because it has no NFC capability installed in its stores, while Walmart gave no reason (see 1409150051).