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Consumer electronics and appliances are staples in the lives of modern consumers. From DVD players to refrigerators, the American household is awash with electronics that perform a plethora of tasks, says industry analyst Justin Waterman. Prior to the recession, the Consumer Electronics Stores industry benefited from increasing household wealth and falling product prices.

However, the collapse of the US housing market, the subprime mortgage crises and the subsequent recession dealt a blow to the industry near the end of 2008. Unemployment reached near-historic levels and household wealth declined. As such, consumer confidence fell to an abysmal level, decreasing demand significantly in 2009. The demise of former major player Circuit City illustrates how reduced demand has impacted industry. In light of these conditions, IBISWorld estimates that revenue will fall at an average annual rate of 2.6% to $80.9 billion over the five years to 2012.

In addition to falling sales, rising competition with retailers outside of the Consumer Electronics Stores industry has initiated price battles among companies over the five-year period. In order to drive consumer traffic, many consumer electronics stores have been forced to lower their price markups on merchandise, Waterman says. As a result, industry profitability has declined.

With falling margins, many underperforming firms have exited; IBISWorld estimates that the number of enterprises has declined 1.9% per year on average over the past five years to roughly 39,354 businesses. Current major companies include Best Buy Co. and RadioShack Corp. Because of Circuit Citys exit, these companies earned a greater share of the industry and overall market share concentration has been slightly diluted.

Through 2017, the projected economic recovery that will underpin renewed consumer spending is expected to spur the industry's comeback. While spending is not expected to immediately reach prerecession fervor levels, renewed confidence in the economy is expected to drive retail sales. In fact, the industry has already shown signs of recovery; revenue is estimated to bounce back in 2012 as spending conditions improve.

Demand for electronics accessories and peripherals is projected to rebound even quicker because these items are relatively inexpensive and can enhance existing technology. Demand for advanced products, including Blu-ray players, light-emitting diode (LED) TVs, 3-D TVs and smartphones, will also likely drive growth. For more information, visit IBISWorlds Consumer Electronics Stores in the US industry report page.

As US secretary of state Hillary Clinton meets West Bengal's first woman chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, discussions on foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail and India-Bangladesh ties are expected to be high on the agenda. Clinton arrives for her second ever visit to Kolkata on Sunday. She will meet Banerjee at the state secretariat the next day, with the illustrious Time Magazine listing them as two of the most influential people in the world.

Speculation is rife that Hillary - who is to meet Banerjee just a day after her meeting with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - would raise the issue of the Teesta Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh, which was sent into cold storage due to Banerjee's opposition last year.

According to senior officials of the US administration, discussions over India-Bangladesh ties and trade ought to come up in the discussions as West Bengal will be the main beneficiary of strong India-Bangladesh ties.

The Teesta treaty was proposed to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Dhaka last year. But the signing was scrapped following Banerjee's last minute opposition to the quantum of water to be shared with Bangladesh.

The issue of FDI in multibrand retail and other economic reforms are likely to come up at meeting. Discussions over US investment in West Bengal would also be on the discussion table.

"The visit may lead to increase in potential American investment in the state. This would be a good opportunity to discuss potential investment in fields like IT or biotech where land requirement is comparatively less," said political analyst Sabyasachi Roychowdhury.

This will be Clinton's second visit to the city after her presence at Mother Teresa's funeral in 1997.

Security has been beefed up in the city including the state secretariat and the governor's house.

Two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) teams have visited both venues.

With a brush of new paint and colourful electrical lighting, the state secretariat is gearing up to welcome Clinton.

Street lamps in and around the Writers' Buildings and governor's house have been fitted with new bulbs.

Fischer reported that HELLA Electronics recently completed a 50,000-square-foot addition to its San Jose Iturbide plant north of Mexico City and is adding new production lines to its high-tech manufacturing facilities in Flora, Ill., as well. The San Jose Iturbide plant this month received Ford Motor Company's coveted Q1 award for outstanding quality and customer service.

HELLA Lighting also is in the midst of a major expansion program in the Americas. Roger Ventosa, HELLA Lighting's director of program management and marketing for Mexico and South America, said the company will break ground next month on a 215,000-square-foot facility in Irapuato, Mexico, to produce automotive headlamps and rear-lighting systems. Located in the state of Guanajuato, the plant is scheduled to open in mid-2013.

This month the company also is opening a new 9,000-square-foot design and development center in Guadalajara, Mexico, and adding to its product development teams in both Guadalajara and Plymouth, Michigan.

Production will begin at a 15,000-square-foot addition to HELLA Lighting's Guadalajara manufacturing complex this summer as well. The new lighting facilities in Irapuato and Guadalajara will increase HELLA's annual production capacity in the Americas for headlamps by 1.2-million units, from 3.7-million up to 4.9-million. Production capacity for rear-combination lamps will climb by 1.5-million, from 2.4-million up to 4-million.

HELLA currently has more than 2,500 employees in the Americas, a number that is expected to grow by 30 percent or more by the end of 2014.

"We see tremendous potential for growth in the Americas for both electronics and lighting during the next three to four years," Fischer said.

He noted that the auto industry is focusing more and more attention on fuel-economy and improved driver-assistance features, areas of particular strength for HELLA.

The company's LED lighting technology for both exterior and interior applications also is attracting considerable customer interest. Exterior LED lighting from HELLA already is featured on a number of vehicles and the company also is the industry's leading supplier of premium-car ambient interior-lighting systems.

About HELLA: HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co. develops and manufactures lighting and electronics components and systems for the automotive industry. Its joint venture companies also produce complete vehicle modules, air-conditioning systems and vehicle electric systems. In addition, HELLA has one of the largest automotive aftermarket organizations in the world, with its own sales companies and partners in more than 100 countries.

HELLA Group sales were $6.09 billion in fiscal year 2010-2011. HELLA is one of the top 50 automotive parts suppliers in the world and one of the 100 largest industrial companies in Germany. Nearly 25,000 people work at 70 locations in more than 30 countries, including more than 3,800 research-and-development engineers and technicians.