SAN DIEGO - Shopping malls and retailers across the country are helping consumers to "charge it" in a different way by installing electric vehicle charging stations, the Los Angeles Times. Despite lackluster sales, car manufacturers are still churning out electric and hybrid cars.

Merchants see electric charging stations as a way to invest in the future and to advertise the retailer€™s commitment to the environment. With only just over 5,000 public chargers in the United States, retailers have moved to fill the void by offering electric car owners a place to charge while they shop.

Walgreens was one of the first retailers to install chargers at around 800 locations across the country. Kohl€™s launched a pilot program last year with charging stations at 33 department stores, while Macy€™s will offer chargers at a few stores in the San Diego area. Best Buy is testing charging stations at a dozen locations.

"We're all about convenience, and many of our stores are located around commuter routes. We realized that Walgreens was ideally situated to implement a strategy for electric chargers," said Menno Enters, director of energy and sustainability. Enters said if electric car sales start to soar, the company hopes to siphon off customers from close gasoline stations that "seek the same convenience-type customers."

Ikea has added chargers to some of its West Coast locations. "You can just stand and watch folks driving by in the parking lot. They see the space and you can kind of see that 'oh wow, that's kind of neat' look on their faces," said Joseph Roth, spokesman. "We view it as another aspect of the shopping experience."