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eCommerce - Friday, October 27, 2006

Rec Room Super Store Funded With $6M

No offense to Chicago-landers, but that town blows. There's nothing to do there in the winter but retreat to your basement to play air-hockey and watch the Hawks and Blues face-off. Suburbanites there seem to spare no expense to deck out their basements with crap to get them through 8 months of bad weather. So we think Highland Capital Partners is making a great move by investing $6M in Chicago speciality retailer Rec Room.

Staples founder, Highland Partner and Chicago native Tom Stemberg made the investment and joined the board. With the $6M, Highland got a majority position and installed a new CEO.

The retailer doesn't do much on-line, just has a widget to help you to plan your dream rec room. Apparently there is so much cool stuff in its show-room that the company opens it up for party rentals.

Rec Room has three Chicago-area stores--in Algonquin, Downers Grove and Deerfield--and one in Naples, FL

Read - Staples founder sees a play in Rec Room (Chicago Tribune)