Sharper Image

(Newser) - Specialty gadget retailer Sharper Image, purchased Thursday in a bankruptcy auction for $49 million by investment firms Hilco Organization and Gordon Brothers, will close its remaining 86 stores, reports CNet. The new owners say they’ve developed a wide-ranging licensing strategy for the brand and will continue developing the company...

(Newser) - Stores across the country are closing their doors, the New York Times reports, victims of a downturn in consumer spending. Retailers are often heavily leveraged, and as the economy falters banks are tightening credit. Several chains, including Sharper Image, have declared bankruptcy; others like Footlocker, Ann Taylor, and Zales are...

(Newser) - Consumers holding Sharper Image gift cards are out a collective $25 million after the gadget retailer stopped honoring the cards when it filed for bankruptcy in February, MarketWatch reports. With the shaky economy likely to produce more bankruptcies over the next year or two, consumers would be wise to redeem...