RadioShack Reports Some Static

RadioShack Corp. (Ft. Worth, Texas) has reported that total sales from its retail division, including sales to its dealer/franchise stores, decreased 4 percent for April, down from $327.5 million last year to $313.4 million this year. And comp-store sales at company-owned stores decreased 2 percent for the month.

“April proved to be a challenging month for us,” said Leonard Roberts, chairman and ceo. “The current economic slowdown, plus a negative shift in the April calendar, clearly impacted our business.

“We remain confident, however,” he continued, “that this week's launch of the Verizon Wireless store within a store and the planned June roll-out of a new financial model for direct-to-home satellite will help us begin to regain our sales momentum.”

Year-to-date, the consumer electronics retailer shows a 6 percent increase in total retail sales and a 5 percent increase in comp-store sales.