Opinion ID: 572645
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claire's Sound System

Text: 6 Claire's has a policy to provide the following stereo components to each of its stores: a Radio Shack Optimus STA-20 5-watt stereo receiver, two Realistic Minimus 7 speakers, an indoor antenna, and speaker wire. As a general rule, Claire's ships a radio receiver to each new Claire's store. 3 General contractors install the speakers and associated wiring pursuant to corporate specifications designed to conceal the wiring as much as possible. Stereo receivers are a stock item furnished to each store as a matter of course based on a supply requisition form. When a receiver breaks, the store manager simply orders a replacement receiver from the corporate purchasing manager. In the three and a half year period from 1987 to July 1990, Claire's purchased at least 527 receivers, 1240 speakers, FM antennas, and speaker wire at a total cost of $108,112.42. Claire's currently owns and operates at least 669 receivers and 1338 speakers. 7 The individual Claire's Boutiques and Arcadia stores use the receivers provided by corporate headquarters to receive and play radio broadcasts during regular business hours. Prior to their acquisition by Claire's in October 1989, the Arcadia stores subscribed to a commercial background music service. In addition, 24 Claire's Boutiques stores had a trial subscription to a commercial background music service. Claire's ended both its subscriptions because it concluded that its employees preferred listening to the radio. 8 The receivers are ordinarily kept in a small storage room at the back of Claire's stores. 4 The door between this room and the selling area is typically closed during business hours. Two strands of speaker wire run from the speaker jacks in the back of the receiver to speakers in the store's selling area. Both strands run through a hole in the wall separating the storage room from the selling area. One strand is attached to a speaker that is hung from the ceiling in the rear corner of the selling area. The other strand of wire runs above the dropped ceiling and is connected to the second speaker which is also hung from the ceiling. The first speaker is an average of 5-15 feet from the receiver, and the second speaker is an average of 20-35 feet from the receiver. Both speakers are hidden by a decorative dropped ceiling.