By Mary Ellen Lloyd
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
RadioShack Corp. (RSH) has begun running Target Corp.'s (TGT) mobile-phone departments under a new partnership, according to a published report.
RadioShack's Kiosk Operations Inc. unit took over mobile-phone sales at about 100 Target stores in California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Texas and Washington in October, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal reported.
Representatives for Target and RadioShack didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, but the Business Journal said Target plans to expand the concept to all of its roughly 1,700 stores in 2010.
Target's kiosks are branded as Bullseye Mobile Solutions, the newspaper said, and are run by Kiosk Operations employees who wear black shirts instead of the red ones Target workers typically wear. Products and services are the same as those already offered by Target: Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T phones and service plans, as well as various prepaid phones and calling cards.
RadioShack has taken several steps this year to boost its wireless business, including adding Verizon Wireless last month to 450 kiosks it operates in Sam's Club stores under that retailer's brand. Wireless phones and services generate about a third of RadioShack's sales.
RadioShack shares recently traded down 0.6% at $16.79, while Target shares were up 1.2% at $48.99 in recent trading.
-By Mary Ellen Lloyd, Dow Jones Newswires, 704-948-9145; maryellen.lloyd@dowjones.com