RadioShack Corp. (RSH) is quietly testing a new specialty store concept focused on wireless devices and services.

With three test outlets in the Dallas area, PointMobl bills itself as a wireless wonderland where specially trained employees called "outfitters" help shoppers select wireless phones and service plans, lightweight laptops and other mobile devices.

One industry analyst applauded what he said appears to be an effort by the Fort Worth, Texas, chain to capture more high-end sales and compete against Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY).

"It sounds like a winner to me, although in an economy like this, its just going to be tough" attracting shoppers, said Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter.

RadioShack officials declined to say much about their competitive strategies.

"It's not a RadioShack store or even an extension of a RadioShack store," said Phyllis Proffer, vice president of investor relations, in an interview Tuesday. "We brought together a team of dedicated mobile industry veterans and they defined and developed the concept based upon the trends we're seeing in Europe and other parts of the world."

"Most importantly, it really addresses the needs of the customers as it pertains to wireless mobile devices, services and accessories," she said. "People want choice."

A Best Buy spokeswoman declined to comment.

The PointMobl stores offer the same wireless carriers as RadioShack stores - T Mobile, Sprint Nextel and AT&T. Otherwise, though, RadioShack representatives wouldn't comment on whether vendors for the test stores and for RadioShack stores are the same.

PointMobl also has workers called "guides" that its Web site touts for their ability to help set up and troubleshoot new mobile devices. Best Buy has a similar sounding effort, dubbed "Walk Out Working," that uses the chain's Geek Squad services unit to help shoppers get their new devices set up and working properly before they leave the store.

The Dallas Morning News, which first reported the new stores, said the PointMobl stores are about the size of RadioShack's namesake stores, which are typically 2,500 to 3,000 square feet. But PointMobl shops show no signs of the parent chain in their signs or the upscale decor of white fixtures and clean glass.

"They have a very sleek, very edgy design," said RadioShack spokeswoman Mary De La Garza said in an interview Tuesday with Dow Jones.

One PointMobl employee described the store as "98% playground," with wireless phones, lightweight laptops, GPS systems, digital cameras and iPods set up for customers to try out and compare.

About 33% of RadioShack's sales are generated by wireless phones and plans, representing its biggest segment, followed by personal and home electronics, which generate 28% of sales. But the company's wireless sales have been sliding since 2006 and continued to be hurt last year by declines in contracts and accessories tied to Sprint Nextel's (S) business.

RadioShack, known by many for its ubiquitous stores, has successfully trimmed operating expenses in recent years but so far hasn't come up with a sure-fire way to grow market share in a consolidating consumer electronics retailing industry.

Sales of digital-TV converter boxes have given a boost to recent results and are expected to show up as a benefit in the fourth-quarter results, scheduled for release Feb. 24. As it has the last few years, the retailer will host its only analyst call of the year when it releases year-end results.

Shares of RadioShack are down 2.6% year to date, outperforming the S&P 500. On Tuesday, shares recently traded down 60 cents, or 4.9%, at $11.59.

-By Mary Ellen Lloyd, Dow Jones Newswires; 704-948-9145; maryellen.lloyd@dowjones.com