Amazon.com has posted a third-quarter profit increase of 68 percent, a signal that things could be getting a lot better for online retailers as the holiday season remains just around the corner. A 44 percent rise in sales of electronics and general merchandise was one of the main factors in Amazon’s strong performance, a category that now comprises 43 percent of Amazon’s total sales.
The company also posted a 17 percent increase in sales of media, a figure that was surprisingly low in the second quarter because of disappointing video game sales. This result was strengthened by the release of several popular …read more

European electronics maker Royal Philips Electronics has posted an unexpected third-quarter profit due to the fact that the company’s operating earnings in its consumer unit almost doubled. Considering the dire straits that the technology industry has been through since the onset of the witehring recession, Philips’ performance has come as something of a surprise to many analysts.
The company’s third-quarter net income rose to $256 million, marking a rise of almost 300 percent from the same period last year’s figures. Philips’ performance completely smashes analyst expectations, with analysts expecting a net income loss of 44.7 million euros, or about $66 million. Sales, …read more

Although RadioShack has managed to post results that beat analyst expectations in the second quarter, its shares have fallen 8 percent. Investors are worried that RadioShack’s second quarter results only came after vigorous cost-cutting measures and that the electronics company will not be able to maintain profitability once it runs out of costs to cut.
 
Analysts have also wondered whether or not RadioShack actually went too far in its cost-cutting measures, hurting the company’s chances of gaining ground as other competitors continue to bow out. RadioShack ended up cutting 11 percent of its costs mainly through limiting the amount of money …read more

In a move that looks mutually beneficial, at least on paper, TiVo announced today that it would form a marketing alliance with electronics retailer Best Buy. Although the financial details of the deal have not yet been released, the deal would involve TiVo providing its recording technology to Best Buy’s own brand of televisions and other electronics.
 
TiVo stands to benefit greatly from partnering up with Best Buy, the top specialty consumer electronics retailer in the country. Putting TiVo recording technology in Best Buy’s electronics would boost TiVo’s sales. In return, Best Buy would benefit from consistent advertising on TiVo’s on-screen …read more

This is how we shopped in the 60’s and 70’s back before credit cards were popular. Now Layaway is back with a digital money twist. I like it!