Internet Shop Closes; Headquarters Moves

Virtual Emporium Inc. has moved its headquarters to Cambridge, Mass., and closed its Third Street Promenade shop, hailed as the first Internet retail outlet when it opened in November. The company will continue its hybrid version of computer-catalog marketing at a store in New York and other outlets, said Chief Executive Tuck Rickards. He said Virtual Emporium is consolidating technical and marketing operations in Cambridge, relocating from Arlington, Va. The “retail” store in Santa Monica offered 30 computers for online shopping. “It took a lot of people to run the store,” Rickards said. “It just made a lot more business sense to execute retail in a smaller concept.” The company also has formed partnerships with three other companies to offer Virtual Emporium at cafes, shops and kiosks.