Austrian CE retailer Niedermeyer teams up with German internet and mail order company Cyberport in a collaboration the two companies say combines "the best of retail stores and online trading."

The retailers now allow customers to shop online through Cyberport's website before picking up purchases at a Niedermeyer outlet.

Cyberport is trialling the system with 9 Niedermeyer pick-up points (including Niedermeyer's Vienna HQ), with plans to expand the service across all of Austria in 2012.

The Continue reading...

Best Buy's UK saga comes to a complete close-- Best Buy is pulling out of the UK after only 2 years in the British retail scene, with the closing date set on 15th January 2012.

The announcement comes in the shape of an "Open Letter" signed by Best Buy UK MD Steve Jensen. Reports of Best Buy's closing were already out earlier this month.

The closing will not only affect all 11 brick and mortar Best Buy stores-- the company's UK website will also go out of service.

Now all Best Buy stores are operating Continue reading...

In attempts to improve declining sales ahead of the holiday season (and maybe taking advantage of Best Buy's UK closure) HMV opens the trial of the first Techshop store at One New Change mall, London.

As the name implies the 111.5 square metre HMV Techshop focuses on selling CE (including tablets, notebooks and MP3 players), alongside a small video game and DVD/Blu-ray title selection. Customers are also able to try goods and ask for advice from tech advisers in-store.

HMV Head of Technology Ewan Continue reading...

It was a long time coming-- Kesa manages to find a willing Comet buyer in the shape of "Hailey," a group of companies headed by retailer turnaround specialists OpCapita.

The price of sale? "An aggregate consideration of £2."

Only two pounds? That's not even 1 pound per letter for this famous UK brand, but the deal gets worse...

Kesa also had to give the new owners a dowry worth £50M. And it gets to keep the liability of paying out on the Comet Benefit Pension Scheme.

Kesa chariman David Newlands Continue reading...

Apple finishes work on the flagship 5th Avenue, New York store-- removing the wooden shell surrounding the building to reveal a tweaked version of the iconic Steve Jobs-designed ground level glass cube.

Jobs wasn't happy with amount of glass panes within the original 9.8m x 9.8m cube, ordering the company to rebuild it at an estimated cost of $6.6 million.

The original design consists of 90 panes of light blue-tinted glass, with metal joints holding everything together-- the new design uses only Continue reading...

It's all over the press as the SUNDAY TIMES in UK initiates a report that BEST BUY will close its 11 big box stores in UK.

Most folks believe this yet-unconfirmed report because of a June announcement putting the UK retail development on "hold..." Hold means "under review" in American organizations that see growth as essential to business. Meetings this weekend may lead to a public announcement this week when Carphone Warehouse Group has to cough up its half-year results.

After 62 million pounds Continue reading...

SupplyManagement.com reports Best Buy Europe wants to improve relationships with suppliers, working to collaborate and engage more with them.

The retailer has a Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) team for this purpose-- and plans to meet strategic suppliers over the next 6 months to share information and find value-for-money solutions.

BBE employees now act as single points of contact with providers, holding monthly meetings with both internal stakeholders and suppliers and documenting feedback. Continue reading...

Metro Group CEO Eckhard Cordes is stepping down from his position in a statement saying "...I do not anymore wish to prolong my current contract ending 31/10/2012," amidst corporate drama worthy of a TV series.

Cordes will remain in his position until next year, but he insists new managerial blood should take over Metro Group in his stead.

Why the exit? Cordes refers to recent events where "...I [Cordes] have come to the conclusion that the trustful basis to stay on as the head of METRO AG's top Continue reading...