A retractable cord reel assembly comprises a reel rotatably supported within a frame or housing for rotation about an axis; a biasing spring engaged with the reel; and a single unitary electrically conductive cord having a distal end portion affixed to the housing, and a movable proximal end, wherein the cord is wound about the reel in a plurality of contiguous segments. The cord reel comprises separate coaxial cord-take-up and cord-storage compartments, having, in an initial cord configuration, a fixed-length segment of cord wound in a spiral around a hub in the cord-take-up compartment, and a segment comprising helical windings of the cord in the cord-storage compartment. The cord reel assembly described herein can be used in modern electronic data and power transmission applications without the significant losses of signal integrity or power, commonly associated with conventional cord reel assemblies.