The U.S. economic recovery "may be slower than people are hoping it will be," given the fact that former drivers of consumer spending, such as access to home equity, are largely gone, RadioShack Corp. (RSH) Chairman and Chief Executive Julian Day said Thursday.

"Although the stock market and the press appear to see a recovery, if not right around the corner, next year, it isn't clear to me personally that there are a great many forces at work that are going to necessarily have that happen," said Day, who added that he is "genetically predisposed to be prudent about the future."

Day's comments came during a Goldman Sachs investor conference, which was broadcast on the Internet. It was a rare public appearance by Day, who typically holds only one conference call a year and hasn't generally attended investor conferences since joining RadioShack three years ago.

Day said that after making sure the company is financially strong, he has now turned RadioShack's attention to strengthening and "contemporizing" the brand - emphasizing its strength in mobile phones and its ability to help consumers connect devices, services and applications.

He said it's too early to comment on the performance of RadioShack's latest branding effort - ads that feature the nickname "The Shack" and emphasize its mobile phones and other devices.

Broadly speaking, however, Day said RadioShack intends to have three areas of focus in its 4,500 company-owned and 1,500 dealer-owned stores. First is the "legacy parts and pieces business," or the kinds of connectors and gadgets that many customers immediately think of when RadioShack is named. Second is the area focused on "mobility" - wireless phones, netbooks and other devices or services that help mobile people stay connected. Third is an area focused on what Day called "end-user products," such as MP3 players, amplifiers or other products that reinforce RadioShack as a place with new, innovative products.

Asked about competition from Best Buy Co.'s (BBY) Best Buy Mobile stores, Executive Vice President of Marketing Lee Applbaum praised the company as a "smart organization." Best Buy, like RadioShack, understands that customers shopping for wireless phones and other mobile devices seek a smaller store format with "a more intimate, consultative approach" from employees, he said.

Many RadioShack customers consider its associates helpful and knowledgeable, which is a strength in that format, he said.

Under an agreement for RadioShack stores announced Tuesday, AT&T Inc.'s (T) ConnecTech will provide remote and in-home installation and support services for televisions, home theater, computers and home networks. Day said as RadioShack looked at providing more service and technical support, it made sense to partner rather than build its own service force. Building a force would have required significant capital investment, as well as "regional or local critical mass" that could generate enough business to justify the fixed costs.

Under terms of the agreement, RadioShack associates refer clients to ConnecTech, and the company retains an undisclosed portion of the fee, he said.

Shares of RadioShack closed up 7.9% Thursday after Morgan Stanley upgraded its rating on the stock to overweight from equal weight. The shares lost 1% to $17.10 in late trading.

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