Radio Shack To Close 500 Stores

[MK]

The news is out. Radio Shack will close approximately 500 stores.

Eight Retailers That Will Close the Most Stores

[gewecke]

Originally Posted by MK

The news is out. Radio Shack will close approximately 500 stores.

Eight Retailers That Will Close the Most Stores

I'm surprised radio shack has lasted this long. Now they can't even offer competitive prices on phone crap!

73,
n9zas

[mike_gain]

Good memories of browsing for hours at the Shack. Shortwave, scanners, cb/ham. It was a true men's store.

[bkantor]

I worked there part time for 10 years in some of the more "golden" years. They truly lost their direction, choosing to mass market others products with thinner margins in a market where they could not compete. They limited the products that made them unique (and had obscene profit margins!) and became like any other electronic store - and look how that worked out for Circuit City, Crazy Eddie, and the scores of other general electronic stores that went out of business. Stores that offer unique products and expertise seem to survive, but Tandy became Blandy. Too bad, loved it as a kid, had fun working there for years and truly miss going in to buy small parts, radios, etc and having an intelligent conversation with a fellow hobbyist. I guess that is the way of the world as we become an on-line market (I have to admit I buy most of my stuff on-line today), but it is nice to think back to a simpler, friendlier time when I could get excited walking into a store to see what surprises and goodies awaited.

[hamstang]

Originally Posted by MK

The news is out. Radio Shack will close approximately 500 stores.

Eight Retailers That Will Close the Most Stores

Yep, that's about 10% of their stores, it's only a "forecast" estimate, and not much more than media hype.

[doctordialtone]

Originally Posted by bkantor

I worked there part time for 10 years in some of the more "golden" years. They truly lost their direction, choosing to mass market others products with thinner margins in a market where they could not compete. They limited the products that made them unique (and had obscene profit margins!) and became like any other electronic store - and look how that worked out for Circuit City, Crazy Eddie, and the scores of other general electronic stores that went out of business. Stores that offer unique products and expertise seem to survive, but Tandy became Blandy. Too bad, loved it as a kid, had fun working there for years and truly miss going in to buy small parts, radios, etc and having an intelligent conversation with a fellow hobbyist. I guess that is the way of the world as we become an on-line market (I have to admit I buy most of my stuff on-line today), but it is nice to think back to a simpler, friendlier time when I could get excited walking into a store to see what surprises and goodies awaited.

Bkantor,

You nailed it. Granted, these are different times. There are limited demands to buy resistors and capacitors and relays like there were back then. For some reason, Radio Shack was completely off the mark and for some reason unable to re-tool to suit today’s demands. Even in their day, when it came to stereo receivers, or VCR’s, you could always recognize that it was someone else’s product with a higher price tag.

It’s funny how today’s “Superstar” is tomorrow’s has-been. Like Crazy Eddie. His “prices were so low he was practically giving it away!” Good bye Office Max, Office Depot, Circuit City, Tweeter, Etc., etc. etc.
Now in my area, a brilliant entrepreneur started up a store called “Cables & Connectors” in the 90’s. Being a former RS Manager, he knew what to sell. It’s a modern day version of what Radio Shack once was. Stocked with dare I say, every type of cable, connector, adapter.

I have never gone in there and not found what I needed, and a few things I didn’t. We’re talking 10 aisles of fun for the hobbyist. This place is virtually immune to failure, because of what they have on-hand.

Cables & Connectors, Inc

I think to myself,” Why didn’t I think of that?”

I feel bad in a way for Radio Shack, because as a kid, it was Radio Shack or Lafayette – the big two.
I don’t know how it became so mismanaged. Soon, it will go the way of Roebuck.

[RadioDaze]

The decline and fall of RS must weigh heavily on a company like GRE, and their projections about future sales volumes. Could have something to do with their decision not to pursue further scanner production. Just sayin'.

[Bob3655]

I knew this day was fast approaching! They lack proper training of sales assoicates. They are "order takers" not sales people. This news does not surprise me. Look how much money they have lost in 2012!!

[Bob3655]

Lafayette was a LEGEND, drdialtone! I worked part time for them during the holiday season when I worked for the police department from 1977-79. I remember their store in New Rochelle, NY on North Avenue like it was yesterday and the store managers name too.

[redneckcellphone]

Doesn't hro sell scanners and ham radios? Hmmm...they seems to be doing fine selling those things. Maybe radio shack should take a lesson from them


Sent from my iPhone yes iPhone using Tapatalk app thingy

[MikeOxlong]

Originally Posted by redneckcellphone

Doesn't hro sell scanners and ham radios? Hmmm...they seems to be doing fine selling those things. Maybe radio shack should take a lesson from them

Sounds like they are by reducing the number of stores they have.

Ham radio and scanner sales would not support the level of stores that Radio Shack has. HRO is a mom and pop operation compared to Radio Shack.

[trsundstrom]

Wirelessly posted (Moto Droid Bionic: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.0.4; en-us; DROID BIONIC Build/6.7.2-223_DBN_M4-23) AppleWebKit/534.30 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/534.30)

$RSH and $BBY are both suffering from the low-ball pricing on $AMZN et al on the 'net. Dunno how $AMZN can continue without making a profit. Another loss this last quarter.

I much prefer the brick-and-mortar stores. Ah, Lafayette Radio and the radio rows of Cortland St and Arch St... gone forever except in memories

[elk2370bruce]

Originally Posted by redneckcellphone

Doesn't hro sell scanners and ham radios? Hmmm...they seems to be doing fine selling those things. Maybe radio shack should take a lesson from them


Sent from my iPhone yes iPhone using Tapatalk app thingy

HRO and AES employ people who actually know about the products that they sell and the companies stand behind their product sales. RS, long ago, began to save bucks by putting inexperienced and non-hobby people in their stores and began their downfall. Toys, TV's, and other commercial items (along with cell phones) have replaced scanners, receivers, and amateur radio equipment. II'd like to see which stores are closing and see what decent items (connectors etc) will be reduced to a reasonable price for the quality of the items.

[carmelof]

I remember when they had lots of stores in australia use to be good & they got taken over by Dick Smith Electronics they use to be good selling ameteur radios.scanners,antennas,kits now they changed too all there saleman got no idea about anything and they sell cheap electronics..

Regards Lino..

[phillydjdan]

I was in a Radio Shack about 2 months ago looking for something, and all 4 registers had customers getting cellphones activated. I left after waiting about 5 minutes. Then, I was looking for an amplified speaker for my scanner last weekend. After visiting 3 stores I finally found ONE. Two of those stores are within a mile of each other, and one is about half the size of a normal Radio Shack. I asked the one guy where the CB and ham section was, and he said "That's all online now". I said "They should change the name on the sign to Cellphone Shack, because that's all you guys are good for, and not even that good at THAT!" lol

[mike_gain]

I walked in and was greeted by a sales person and was asked if I needed help. Sure, I'm looking for some Deoxit. The saleman looked confused. I explaned to him what it was for. He said they had nothing like that. So I said I would just look around for a bit. He followed me around the store like a mob thug. I looked down onto a rack which was full of, you guessed it Deoxit. I said heres the stuff you said you didn't have and left him speechless as I walked to the sales counter.

[n9mxq]

I wouldn't miss the Belvidere store.. The oriental lady that manages it thinks she knows it all, until I walked in and told her I needed a 10 picofarad cap (or some such) and all I got was a dumb look and the statement: "I'll have to look that up in the computer"

While she did, I walked over and got what I needed..

[doctordialtone]

Originally Posted by Bob3655

Lafayette was a LEGEND!

Bob,

Very true! My first receiver was a Crystal radio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . My very first receiver for public safety was a Lafayette. It looked like a typical Transistor Radio and tuned from 30MHz to 50MHz. Since CT State Police was on 4 different frequencies at the time, 42.04. 42.36. 42.48 and 42.52, I was Golden. The tiny radio gave me hours of joy, until I bought a Bearcat TMR8L/H.

8 crystal controlled channels of fun!

[pjtnascar]

Two stores in my area have closed since November.

[gewecke]

I can't wait for the two in my area to close, as they're run by know-nothing kids with no background in sales or electronics.

73,
n9zas