Radio Shack Bankrupcy - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ishelly404
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 12:34:10 am
content: Apparently, there are rumors that Radio Shack is going to file for bankruptcy as soon as February.http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/15/radio-shack-bankruptcy-report/21799233/It's a shame, but I guess they have had this coming for a while.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 01:11:51 am
content: It is a shame. They are probably largely responsible for many of our interests' in electronics. Unfortunately their business model - like that of buying music in stores - is just incompatible with how people consume in the modern world. Their overhead costs for B&M stores are unsustainable given the thin margins of electronics and competition from places like Amazon and Walmart.Best Buy is up next.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 01:17:07 am
content: The rumors have been around for quite sometime now. Inevitable and in my view necessary.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 02:47:41 am
content: Once upon a time RS stocked a decent variety of parts, and replacement tubes ! The variety of possible semiconductors today dwarfs the ability of any but the largest suppliers to maintain stock.My first RS product was a little red plastic box, with spring loaded clips that held resistors, caps, diodes, etc. Digging around on Goog, led me to this picture ...http://my.core.com/~sparktron/KITS3.JPGThey sold untold thousands of those kits.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 03:04:30 am
content: Yup, it's a sad one. On the other hand I'm pleased they where around when I needed them. It's another ball game now.I wonder if the brand will be taken over by another company? Be kinda neat if a company already in the online market, (hobby electronics) picked it up.

author: nixfu
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 03:25:22 am
content: Sad if ask me.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 04:16:12 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on January 16, 2015, 04:08:10 amI built the wireless AM mike. The plastic they made the box out of had a really low melting point. I remember when I asked them for a blue LED and they said they didn't make them... it was about 30 years too early!

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 04:16:49 am
content: Quote from: cosmicray on January 16, 2015, 02:47:41 amI had one of those as a kid. You could wire it to flash the neons sequentially or randomly.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 05:03:18 am
content: Dive! Dive! Dive!

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 06:44:50 am
content: Last chance to get a coup,e of spo256...

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 11:47:27 am
content: QuoteThey stop'd doing that because the market went away, the customers went away. The business model simply became out-dated -> selling parts / kits to hobbyist is no longer a valid business for a company as large as radioshack.So today they are primarily a cell phone / service retailer.

author: RedOctobyr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 01:09:50 pm
content: I think it's unfortunate if they go away.I'm not an electronics hobbyist, I don't have a collection of components already sitting around. So there have been a bunch of times that I needed some resistors, a switch, etc, and just stopped at RS.They are the only easy source of components that I know of around me, we don't have Fry's or other chains that carry things like that.I can mail order parts, but that doesn't help if I want to try something today/tomorrow.Sent using Tapatalk.

author: DIPLover
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 06:44:27 pm
content: How about building yourself a small stock of common components so you don't have to DRIVE anywhere for a resistor?

author: RedOctobyr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 07:29:41 pm
content: I didn't mean to make this veer off-topic. But yes, I recently started looking at component assortment kits on eBay, etc, after discovering those exist. For a moderate cost, I could have a whole bunch of stuff available (for the price of a handful of items from RS).Of course, it's just about guaranteed that if I suddenly needed something, it wouldn't be in the stuff I'd already boughtBut it's still a good idea.

author: gregallenwarner
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 07:30:06 pm
content: Quote from: DIPLover on January 16, 2015, 06:44:27 pmThis. Don't get me wrong, the sentimentality of RS closing hits many close to the heart, but I find that since they've neglected to update their business model with the times, I'm not saddened by this news at all. I haven't been into a physical store for electronics since I was a kid. It's no longer needed when you buy all your stock ahead of time online.

author: DIPLover
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 08:38:25 pm
content: Quote from: RedOctobyr on January 16, 2015, 07:29:41 pmWell, I have no problem with veering this off-topic, as Radio-Shack has been utterly despisable (in Canada at least) for all my life and I'll be glad to see them go.But I think it's important for hobbyist to slowly build a small stock of common components, so that you can start a project whenever you feel like it. Even lacking exact values or specific ICs, having say an E12 assortment of 1/4w resistors, common capacitor values, some inductors, basic opamps, 555s, diodes, transistors, voltage regulators and some microcontrollers in your drawers should allow you to at least get started while waiting for the specific stuff.The problem is actually, WHAT to select for your "parts cache" and that is heavily dependent on what your general interests are.I like building old-school computers and digital apparatus, so I stock CPUs, memories, GALs, CPLDs, and most 74S and LS devices on top of the very basic "universal" stock.Someone deeply into RF or power projects would find my stash useless, even though my Excel inventory now list over 500 different parts!I think we should start compiling lists of the very useful ICs and components by electronic "subfield" or "specialty" so that beginners interested in a certain aspect can get a rough idea what to choose?Maybe this could be put in the wiki? What do you think?

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 08:50:19 pm
content: Quoteand after a loooooooooong wait too.Sure, you pay through your nose for limited inventory at Radioshack. But you get there in minutes for sure, not weeks maybe.For that, I am willing to pay.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 09:27:50 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on January 16, 2015, 11:47:27 amThe market is still there, Digikey, Farnell, RS components etc. but they're not aimed at the hobbyist. RS did have two separate catalogues at one stage: one for consumer electronics and the other for parts. They could've kept the parts side of the business mail order and separate from the consumer electronics side.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 09:58:50 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on January 16, 2015, 09:27:50 pmHaving certain small parts available locally is a differentiator. Drop that, and they end up looking like a smaller version of BestBuy. If the parts biz is what's dragging them down, they they are done for. The only positive thing about the consumer electronics side is that they are located in some smaller markets, where BestBuy (and the ilk) would never consider opening up.

author: electronics-whiz
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 10:14:21 pm
content: What I saw was there filing for bankruptcy protection. I liked it when I was younger, but so many online sites like electronic goldmine, mouser, MPJA. Many times are cheaper, and better selection.I think one thing killing radioshack is the people work most the stories they don't seem to tain them, if they do it's lousy. Went there once for a PS/2 to USB adapter. Employee takes me to the playstation stuff. I said this is for a computer they just look at me confused. A few times I want there there was something on clearance sometimes for some reason was just purged from the register instead of putting it back in they were like here. Stuff was maybe $3 at most, but stuff like that will eat up your margins too. That was when my parents bought me stuff when I was young. I remember still, I don't think was ethical in a few ways, but some of the radioshack stuff is marked up so much from other places it's like even if you do this a few times you'll still make a decent profit on my business. It also shows a big flaw in their setup and should be changed.They closed local store a few years back I was kind of disappointed, but now I hardly miss it. I got a decent setup now I have almost all the parts I need just from taking apart junk. The online places have some stuff you'd never even find at a radioshack, a week later you have the stuff.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 10:14:35 pm
content: Consumer electronics retailing, as an industry, is on the verge of disappearing.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 10:25:51 pm
content: I agree with DIPLover, radioshack had been consumer junk in Canada for as long as I remember. the most electronicsesque items I've ever purchased were some instantaneous switches. they really never had anything more. the store has been pointless (for electronics) forever. I did come from a town (~20k people) so maybe big city stores might've had a slightly better selection?

author: DIPLover
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 10:37:27 pm
content: I find that these days, it's either Shenzhen through eBay or Digikey.Shenzhen is great once you have tested and bookmarked a couple of "stores", but it takes a month. I order stuff every couple of days, so after a while, I get stuff in the mail all the time and it feels like christmas every day ;-)Digikey shipping in Canada is $8, $0 if you order over $200, so I usually keep an open order where I slowly add things and press submit once I reach $200 (I'm cheap like that...)I'm curious about the comments that "Digikey and others don't cather to hobbyists". In what way? Surely they don't refuse your patronage? They ship to my home just fine...We do still have a few brick-and-mortar electronics "surplus" type stores around here but they sell mostly DJ gear, alarms and PC clones these days. I only go there for transformers and project boxes, if I'm desperate.There is ONE decent store though with knowledgeable staff (talk to the OLD guy, the young guy is useless...) and a good selection of parts and test equipment, but they have specialized in the "education" market (high-schools and technical colleges mostly) and so are rather expensive. It's a long ride, but if I want something TODAY, I got there.So that's ONE store, in a metro area of 3 million people...

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2015, 10:51:34 pm
content: There is virtually no alternative if you need a generic electronic component NOW.Of course their selection of components gradually dwindled, but has improved somewhat in recent years.But the one MOST IRREPLACEABLE product is their Enercell Adaptaplug range of power plugs.They have a range of somewhere around 30~40 different power connectors (mostly those "inverted phone" plugs of endless different sizes)And then they have a range of AC and DC "wall warts" of various voltage and current ratings.You can go down to a storefront with your gadget and try all the different plugs to find the one that fits properly,and then buy a wall-wart of appropriate rating, and typically the Adaptaplug for your gadget is bundled in the price.I don't know of ANY online source for this WIDE VARIETY of power plugs ANYWHERE online (except Radio Shack, of course)And even if they WERE available online, that would be of no help in identifying the ID and OD of the plug that you need.So this is one service/product from Radio Shack that is unequaled anywhere else that I am aware of.

author: Sigmoid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2015, 08:54:26 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on January 16, 2015, 11:47:27 amThat issimply not true. In Europe, the German chain Conrad is doing exactly what RS was doing back in the heyday, and is making a decent profit.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_ElectronicRadioShack simply madea bad business decisiondozens of bad business decisions, and as a result, went down. It has let down everyone, from its fans to its employees (see link below). It's sad, but the RadioShack most of you are sad to lose has been lost decades ago.http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7281129/radioshack-eulogy-stories

author: radiomog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2015, 09:16:56 pm
content: I agree with those that mentioned several bad decisions.Anyone rememberTech America?they had a big store in Denver, always lots of traffic going on in that store. When they pulled the plug, we were all surprised.I went to proto a board, needed an 74HCxxx. RS didn't have one and actually the cheapest one I could find was on ebay, delivered, FROM RS!... don't know what they're doing though.. it still hasn't arrived.I was in an actual RS store the other day (as mentioned), their selection of stuff is dwindling, need help? hahahajoke has always been....walk into a RS and the employee says "welcome to radio shack"reply is "I doubt it, but I dare ya to try"It's kinda like Sheldon at the computer store:http://youtu.be/gORmiX-5PWU?t=1m6s

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2015, 09:34:03 pm
content: Radio Shack has been rather schizophrenic for most of its history. Neither fish nor fowl. Not really a proper electronics vendor nor a decent consumer electronics shop. It seems like the management has continually been tweaking the balance between the two and never finding the right balance. Perhaps because it doesn't exist and it is a losing battle. Bankruptcy would seem to prove that it was an impossible task.Over the years they have tried all sorts of stunts, some of which I found really annoying. They went through the phase where they wouldn't sell you anything unless you revealed your name or address or phone (or some kind of identity), I believe mostly for the purposes of demographic analysis and direct-mail marketing, but I found it really annoying, nevertheless.And then there seemed to be a phase where the "clerks" seemed to hover around the front door and "pounce" on customers as they came in. They asked (presumably with good intentions) whether they could "help" you. But I was usually in search of something pretty obscure or esoteric (from their POV) and if I told them I needed an inverted phone plug or a DPDT switch or something, you could see their eyes glaze over. So I took to almost being rude to them to get them off my tail. If they asked if they could help, my typical response would be "probably not".But then, to add insult to injury, when I DID find the component I wanted to buy, when I went to the cash register, there was nobody there to take my money because they were all hanging around the door (or fawning over some girl looking for a cell phone or something). More than a few times I had to raise my voice and ask if there was anyone ready to take my money. But both of those practices seem to have been discontinued in the last few years. Perhaps because they have such thin staffing, they can't do that anymore.

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2015, 09:54:50 pm
content: Quote from: pickle9000 on January 16, 2015, 03:04:30 amQuote from: DIPLover on January 16, 2015, 08:38:25 pmFor what it's worth, Radio Shack has been gone from Canada for quite some time. Circuit City bought them out, rebranded the store as "The Source by Circruit City", then went bankrupt themselves. What remains is nothing like what Radio Shack was commonly touted as. Even when Circuit City was running the show, they were nothing more than a gizmo store, similar to Best Buy, but severely reduced in size. You're lucky if you can find capacitors or resistors in most Radio Shack stores these days. I think the last time I went into one, I was looking for replacement speaker wire. Luckily they still had a few spools sitting on a shelf.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2015, 11:56:32 pm
content: QuoteThey had to try because their initial market went away and they had to find a new way forward.It is nothing short of a miracle that Radioshack stayed in business this long.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2015, 11:59:39 pm
content: Quote from: Sigmoid on January 17, 2015, 08:54:26 pmThey are indeed a very successful company, and deliver good service.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2015, 06:07:46 am
content: Tandy (the former company) had many failed business ventures after the 90s. McDuff Electronics, Video Concepts, Computer City, Incredible Universe, all went out of business or got bought by another company.McDuff was a appliance / television store. Video Concepts was pretty cool, they were the only store I remember in the US that not only sold Amiga computers but had them where you could try them out.Computer City was Tandy's venture into selling other brands of computers, they also sold a brand called Victor that looked exactly like the Tandy x86 PCs sold at Radio Shack. They got bought up by CompUSA.Incredible Universe was a place I worked for a little while. They had lots of sections in the store that were like stores within a store. One area was exactly like a mini-Radio Shack. When it was announced they were being sold to Fry's Electronics, Jim, the manager who was second in charge of the store and a former McDuff store manager had this to say " The problem with Tandy is they only know how to run Radio Shacks, they don't know how to run stores that directly compete with other stores. They only know how to sell lots of small junk with ridiculous markup."Radio Shack was my favorite store as a kid. Not Toys-R-Us like normal kids. I used to religiously go there and get my free batteries each month. I loved the "Assorted xxxx" packages they had for $1.99 that had LEDs, capacitors, and other stuff. I had 2 Forest Mimms books, a 50-in-One electronics lab, 60-in-one electronics lab, and eventually a 200-in-One electronics lab and later a 200 Channel scanner which I used to listen to peoples analog cell phone calls on. (Before the FCC restricted that band from scanners) I remember hearing bookmakers taking bets in one particular frequency band. I just stayed in that area and heard phone call after phone call of people betting. I used to listen to the 2 meter guys talk back and forth and one time a guy gave out his phone number and I quickly rang it just for fun and heard him say on the radio "Well I guess we're not the only one's in on this conversation"Tandy had a clearance / surplus store in Fort Worth that once a month they had a big sale and outside swap meet (or car boot sale as some of you loyalists might call it) where all the local hams would sell stuff.My first 3 computers were all Tandy.When I was around 5 years old. My dad picked up an MC-10 for $20 with the 16K expansion pack that was on clearance. I learned BASIC on that computer. It had a 6803 CPU.A few years later I got a Color Computer 2 (6809E), an FD-502 floppy drive and a DMP-106 serial printer. When we got the disk drive, they said we could have any disk software we wanted for free so I stocked up on all the tan boxed Tandy programs they had like Factory, Bagasaurus, and many others. I also had the Editor-Assembler, and the Audio Spectrum analyzer, and Dungeons of Daggorath.Eventually I graduated to the Tandy 1000HX and learned MS-DOS.After that, I moved away from Tandy. Unfortunately, places like Sears and Best Buy had more computer for less money.So I guess I would have to say that Radio Shack played a large part in my life as a kid and adulthood. I'm about 90% sure if I hadn't have gotten my first computer there at age 5 I would have became an electrical engineer instead either way, Radio Shack had a lot to do with it.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2015, 06:31:05 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on January 18, 2015, 06:16:06 amWell getting bought out was usually the way that Tandy would shed itself of divisions that were losing money.The Incredible Universe store that I used to work at was a former McDuff Electronics location attached to a 500,000 Sq.Ft. warehouse.When Fry's bought that location, they cut the warehouse in half, put up a wall and sold the other half of it to someone else.I had to participate in an inventory that was done by Fry's before the sale went through and we found at one point 50 boxes or so of 387SX math Co-Processors. The Fry's guy gave them a value of 0. We found unopened Atari 2600 games (90's re-issues) that they sold to employees for $0.25 each.Incredible Universe's slogan was "If it's not in the Universe, it doesn't exist!" as they tried to carry as many brands of everything as possible. The store was so big it was like an attraction. People would go there and walk around for hours. They had a small food court, a karaoke booth were you could have your own laserdisc of you singing made, a huge stage in the middle with a jumbo-tron style TV system, a really advanced wireless system (for the early 90s) with Grid pads (later Telxon) where your items were all ordered as you walked around and would be waiting for you when you got ready to leave.One problem is people would go there and walk around for hours, enjoy the attractions and vendor displays, have lunch or a snack and leave without buying any real merchandise.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2015, 11:41:48 am
content: QuoteA poor and expensive business model.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2015, 11:20:57 pm
content: While the exact date is unknown it is almost certain that RadioShack will enter bankruptcy in the next few weeks. In October, RadioShack entered into an agreement with a group of creditors to restructure part of its debt. As part of that agreement, hedge fund Standard General replaced GE Capital as the lead lender. Attached to this loan agreement was a clause that required RadioShack to show $100m in cash and/or available credit by the15th of January 2015. They failed to meet that deadline.As a former employee of Tandy RadioShack and now CEO of Tandy Corporation (UK) I have been closely following the company and my somewhat long analysis of the company is below.As most people will already know; the Fort Worth, Texas Tandy Corporation (known as RadioShack Corporation from 2000 onward), started out as a Leather company with Dave L Tandy in 1919. His son Charles Tandy bought the then small (9 store) Radio Shack chain in 1963 and it expanded rapidly into a huge network of electronics stores. RadioShack tended to open small stores that allowed it to rapidly build a very widespread local presence. In the 1960s electronics was still relatively new, the consumer, DIY repairer and hobbyist were often one and the same. You didn't tend to own electronic equipment unless you were an early adopter who often had some understanding of how it worked. People used to go into Radio Shack with the tubes from their radio for example to get them tested and replaced. The early expansion of Tandy RadioShack coincided with that early interest in electronics, long before we had all the entertainment we could ever want piped into our homes via cable TV or the internet the primary form of entertainment was pursuing a hobby. People would spend hours on all sorts of activities, arts, crafts, and collecting things for entertainment. Electronics was once a popular hobby as you could build something exciting, perhaps a radio that would pick up stations that nobody else could get. RadioShack also managed to do well by being early in the market for both CB Radio and home computers in the 1970s & 80s.With hindsight it can be seen that a number of factors have caused the demise of RadioShack but the management failed to notice them or made the wrong choices along the way. Perhaps the first problem is that the success of RadioShack was primarily lead by Charles Tandy who was a strong character taking a very active role in the direction of the company. Charles died in November 1978 at the age of 60 and as is often the case his successors didn’t like some of the business choices made by Charles Tandy and saw an opportunity to put their own stamp on the company. In the decade following his death most of the senior executives who had been loyal to Charles and followed his vision for the company retired and new ‘fresh’ ideas began to replace the established business model.One of the first changes made was to change focus from their own in-house branded products to global brands. For many years customers would ask why and sometimes complain that their stores did not sell popular brands that they were familiar with. Management started to listen to them and gradually global brands such as Panasonic and Philips started appearing in the stores. Usually it is a good thing to listen to your customer feedback but sometimes they can lead you in the wrong direction. To be fair to the management of the time the market was changing and powerful global brands were beginning to dominate the electronics market making it increasingly difficult to compete with them. It must therefore have seemed the most sensible thing to try and take advantage of the popularity of the major brands.I believe however this was a mistake as they hadn’t taken into account that the competition in major brand goods is fierce. The sale price is dictated by the market while the cost price is set by the brand manufacturer resulting in smaller profit margins for the retailer. For every private label product sold at least 5 major brand products would need to be sold to create the same profit for the store.The trouble is during the 90s they failed to adapt with the changing market for consumer electronics. The company was increasingly in direct competition with other established consumer electronics retailers. The small format that enabled them to open so many stores proved to be a disadvantage as other retailers were beginning to establish a number of out-of-town super stores offering a huge range of choice. The typical small RadioShack store format could not possibly provide a product range to compete with superstores and would often have insufficient space to store inventory. The 1980s also saw the beginning of a fall in the number of electronics hobbyists and the rise of low cost disposable electronic equipment that people just didn’t bother repairing. This resulted in a decline in demand for electronic components further eroding the profitability of the business.RadioShack realised that they couldn’t offer a full range of products in the small format stores and decided to bet the future on mobile phones. The problem is that once again they were at the mercy of others, having to sell mobile phones made by manufacturers such as Nokia and Motorola and contracts for the incumbent operators. RadioShack had bet the farm on the mobile market, most of the electronic components were removed form stores and a number of new stores were opened; almost exclusively selling phones and accessories in expensive locations such as shopping malls. What they failed to notice was that the carriers were increasingly adopting a direct business model that effectively squeezed them out of the market. They also failed to develop an early presence on the internet. In hindsight they should have gradually closed their smaller stores and consolidated them in to out-of-town electronics supermarkets and concentrated much more on creating a competitive on-line presence.Ironically there has been a resurgence in interest in electronics in recent years but it is much different than it used to be. Today people want to hook together a couple of ready made modules and download code off the internet to get a project working. Today a microcontroller is used to flash an LED just because it is just the way it is now.At least if RadioShack does not emerge from bankruptcy and closes there will still be Tandy in the UK.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 12:40:10 am
content: Quotespot on.QuoteNothing wrong with that. The only thing I would criticize is that they bet on signing up customers (paid for churn), not on a cut of the customer revenues that they generated for the wireless carriers -> non-recurring revenues.Because of that, they had to purchase phones and use the phones to draw in customers every year.Too much work for too little money.QuoteThat market (makers) is tiny and will not be able to sustain a business like radioshack.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 02:36:41 am
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 23, 2015, 11:20:57 pmThank you. That is an excellent recap, and from my own experience spot-on.

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 05:04:48 am
content: Im looking forward to this. I will stock up on transformers, and project boxes.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 11:00:54 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on January 24, 2015, 12:40:10 amYou are absolutely right that the maker market is nowhere near big enough to sustain such a large cain of stores. I mentioned it because it is somewhat ironic that RadioShack is failing today when the interest in DIY electronics, something they were heavily involved in back in the day is now growing.It is easy with benefit of hindsight to see what could or should have been done. They were right to decide to specialise in a particular area if they were to keep the small format stores, but mobile phones proved to be less profitable than they had hoped. I think perhaps the biggest error was sticking with mobile as their main focus for so long even while the networks were establishing their own local presence throughout the US. When your own suppliers are competing with you there is no way you can win.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 01:22:51 pm
content: QuoteI think if you look at their financials, you will come to the conclusion that the phone market is what has sustained radioshack over the last 10 years or so -> the rest of their businesses essentially has a negative margin.So I would argue that the strategy to focus on mobile is the right one; the execution is flawed: they should have focused on how to derive more of their economics from recurring revenues vs. one off (getting paid for signing up customers).I hope people understand what's in the inventory,

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 01:50:05 pm
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 23, 2015, 11:20:57 pmI honestly thought Tandy had disappeared completely until reading that and searching. I'me very surprised to find out someone found the name worth buying.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 02:27:18 pm
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 24, 2015, 11:00:54 amMobile phones turned out to be a commodity item (from a customer perspective). You have a Radio Shack in the same strip mall with an AT&T or Verizon agent store, and down at the far end is the WalMart supercenter with their own phone kiosk. There are too many outlets, all trying to monetize the same product line.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 06:12:40 pm
content: Quote from: Vgkid on January 24, 2015, 05:04:48 amI have one about 8 miles away in the next town over. It will be interesting to see what the prices will be. I am sure that I will load up on anything useful.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 06:16:18 pm
content: A number of RadioShack stores are already having 20-50% clearance eventshttp://www.nbc12.com/story/27904652/struggling-radioshack-turns-two-stores-to-clearance-stores

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 06:36:25 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on January 24, 2015, 01:50:05 pmI thought Tandy completely disappeared from the UK.Is it just the brand which has been purchased or the whole business?

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 08:13:47 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on January 24, 2015, 06:36:25 pmThe short answer is that it is a bit complicated due to the way the original company was structured but it is mainly the brand that was purchased from RadioShack.The somewhat longer answer is...In 1973 Tandy Corporation expanded the RadioShack store format into Belgium and the UK, using the Tandy name. The UK stores were directly owned by the American Tandy Corporation (excluding independent dealerships). In 1986 The international part of the business was separated from the American parent company and the UK subsidiary was called InterTAN UK Ltd. The local assets and liabilities such as company owned vehicles, machinery, store leases, staff, and pension liabilities were transferred to the new subsidiary company. The American parent company retained the brand and all other intellectual property rights such as copyrights. This is how large international corporations like Starbucks operate today, the international subsidiaries pay royalties to the parent company for use of the brand and other intellectual property to reduce the tax paid in those countries. Essentially InterTAN UK operated like a large franchisee of Tandy Corporation USA.Towards the end of the 1990s the Fort Worth Corporation was loosing interest in the international divisions as they were all either contributing little to the parent company or loosing money. Towards the end of 1999 an agreement was made to sell the assets of InterTAN UK to mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse who were primarily interested in obtaining the 200 or so store locations. Carphone warehouse were granted a licence to use the Tandy name during a 3 year transition period while the stores were converted to Carphone Warehouse outlets. Once the assets and staff that were being retained were transferred to the Carphone Warehouse company and all regulatory obligations met InterTAN UK Ltd was dissolved (closed). RadioShack Corporation retained the remaining assets and rights to trade as Tandy in the UK and Europe, keeping open the possibility of re-establishing a UK and/or European presence themselves or the option of granting a franchise at some future date.While for the sake of completeness it would have been ideal if the InterTan UK Ltd company could have been purchased but it wasn't possible. Other than being the same legal entity that had been trading in the UK under licence from Tandy Corporation USA since 1986 it wouldn't have really added anything to the business. By 2011 RadioShack found itself in difficulties and realised that there could be no realistic prospect of new international growth opportunities other than by recruiting a franchisee. I entered into negotiations with Radio Shack to buy the remaining European assets including the UK and European Tandy brand, the purchase was completed at the end 2012.We were offered a franchise opportunity so that we could remain directly linked with the Fort Worth corporation, but chose not to take that option. Perhaps the most obvious reason is the financial difficulties facing RadioShack meaning that being directly tied to them carries the risk of jeopardising our business if they should close. The other reason being the way RadioShack has concentrated on mobile and abandoning their own brands in favour of major brands. This didn't fit well with our idea for how we would like to develop the company in the UK. Independence means that we have the opportunity to steer the direction of Tandy away from the pitfalls of mass market consumer electronics and mobile phones and instead support hobbyists and create innovative new products that meet specific needs. While we were not obliged to take on the responsibilities of supporting legacy products we also maintain an archive of support materials helping people obtain manuals and spare parts. In fact we have found that Radio Shack have mostly abandoned their back catalogue of products and US customers who are unable to find the help they seek and are familiar with the link between Radio Shack and Tandy have come to us for assistance where we have gladly provided help where we can.We have developed relationships with many of the same manufacturers that RadioShack use both today and in the past so that we can offer identical products to those sold by Tandy and RadioShack using the same catalogue numbers. As we are working at re-establishing Tandy in the UK and Europe we have a lot to do in building up the product range. Our product range is growing in two directions simultaneously, on the one hand we have a number of new products such as useful development modules from companies such as Adafruit. On the other we are re-introducing as many products from the Tandy back catalog as we can.As you can see the answer to the question ‘what is the relationship between Tandy in the UK and the Tandy Corporation in the USA’ is a long one. Tandy Corporation Ltd is a company created as the official successor to the original UK subsidiary complete with original Tandy trademarks and other assets dating back to its formation in 1973 while being fully independent from what is now Radio Shack Corporation.I don't want to hijack this thread about the RadioShack bankruptcy but I am happy to answer any questions people might have or feedback/suggestions about what we are doing perhaps in a new thread or via private messages so as to not take this thread too far of topic.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2015, 11:01:59 pm
content: I remember a Tandy store in Belgium when I was young. Instead of electronics, they showed me what plastic is.The shop looked like a christmas or birthday thing.Later when I studied electronics, I heard older friends complain about how bad it became in the end. No parts, clueless sales people,...We bought at Cotubex and Triac, ok at the time, but they also failed 15 years ago.Strange those electronic companies refused to invent ebay or webshops themselves.Same thing now. The shops I know refuse to (sell new DIY things and get margin by being inventive), hoping to keep their margin on old parts and products.I order everything online now. The webpage is more intelligent than every shopsalesguy, It costs less and I don't have to go to those stinking cities to find a store.

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 12:16:06 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on January 24, 2015, 06:12:40 pmI have one that is 3mi away, and 2 more in a 15mi radius.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 12:25:12 am
content: I hope they unload inventory locally before they close up and don't cart it away for some centralized auction.I was in the Radio Shack in my town just a week ago and asked about any pending closure - they said they'd heard nothing. But that was before this deadline was missed.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 12:48:39 am
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 24, 2015, 08:13:47 pmThat's a bold move in an era where electronics shops are almost non-existent and Ebay is a treasure trove with any component you can think of at rock bottom prices. I think you'll have a hard time competing with Conrad from Germany and to a lesser extend Farnell (if you jump through a hoop they will sell to individuals).

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 12:53:40 am
content: QuoteI would be very surprised that1) there are sufficient US customers who long for Radioshack parts; and2) anyone in the UK can rely on that as a meaningful part of its business.

author: Evil Lurker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 12:54:48 am
content: There are very very few individuals in the USA nowadays that have any sort of working knowledge of anything electrical past "plug it up, and if it works, cool, if not throw it away and buy something new". Some are so clueless they probably should be refraining from plugging in cords to wall outlets. Because of this general lack of knowledge amongst the populace coupled with the transition of through hole to SMD assembly and Radio Shack's failure to keep up with current technology it's customer base of electronics hobbyists has dwindled over the years. To make up for it Radio Shack attempted to transition its business model over to peddling consumer devices and cell phone contracts. Unfortunately for them competition in that marketplace is quite stiff and Radio Shack found itself going into a death spiral. Radio Shack's inventory could best be described as a wide selection of cable repair fittings, a dismal selection of extremely jellybean through hole passive and semiconductor components, and a bunch of consumer devices all at ridiculously overly inflated prices.It is just a matter of time before they close their doors permanently and auction off all their inventory.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 01:02:34 am
content: Are the US Radio Shack stores all corporate owned/operated, franchised, or some combination ?

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 01:05:34 am
content: QuoteDepending on your definition of "few". I would conservatively put that number to well over 1 million, and likely in the multi-million level.The issue is desire: not many of those millions who can are willing to work on electronics, especially as a hobby.

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 01:21:56 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on January 25, 2015, 01:05:34 amFar more interest now than 20 years ago. Not that the hobby would die but interest was minimal.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 03:39:49 am
content: Quote from: cosmicray on January 25, 2015, 01:02:34 amIt's a combination. The one in my town in corporate owned. The next closest (15 miles) in the next town over is a franchise - they have some significant differences in what they stock.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 04:10:26 am
content: Quote from: mtdoc on January 25, 2015, 03:39:49 amIf this does go to a bankruptcy, then it remains to be seen it will be Chapter 11 (reorganization) or Chapter 7 (liquidation). The latter would likely take the franchisees down with it.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 10:36:43 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on January 25, 2015, 12:53:40 amIndeed the plan is not so much for US customers looking for RadioShack parts, although they are welcome the shipping costs and time would make it impractical. Although having said that the actual prices for the components are a fraction of the prices that RadioShack charge. The main area of business is in the UK and Europe, surprisingly there have been quite a few people pleased that they could now order items again that they used to use from Tandy. Clearly this small number of former Tandy customers alone is not enough to sustain a business, that is why we are producing custom kits and acting as a European distributor for Adafruit.By mentioning people from the US coming to us for help, I was referring more to things like someone who had a realistic mixing desk that we helped them identify a faulty zener diode so they could repair it. Not really something that will make us any money, just trying to be helpful.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2015, 10:42:10 am
content: Quote from: cosmicray on January 25, 2015, 04:10:26 amAt the moment it is looking like RadioShack are putting together a plan to file for Chapter 11. The main reason being that they wanted to close 1100 stores but were prevented from doing so by one of their lenders. There is a suggestion that some of the store leases will be sold to Sprint and because the chapter 11 filing would protect them from their creditors they would be able to close more stores. I believe the plan is to reduce the number of stores to 2000.

author: aaronwhite30
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 03:48:05 am
content: The only thing I think I will truly NOT miss, is the immediate leech attachment of "Can I help you" when entering RS. JEEZ! Sometimes I feel like saying "I seriously doubt you can help me" to some of these teen age twits. Dude! I wouldn't be entering your store if I didn't know what I was after. Usually it is online shopping for parts but in a pinch, I will visit RS after researching parts online.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 03:39:09 pm
content: Corporate management are to blame, having learnt these tactics from their business school.Instead of training staff to identify when someone looks like they may need assistance and selectively offering assistance they insist on a standard question that must be asked to all customers even if they are clearly marching straight to the shelf to pick up the item they want.The poor staff are on minimum wage and 'incentivised' by offering commission and SPIFFs paid, either by a manufacturer or employer, directly to a salesperson for selling a specific product.Being paid minimum wage and being told exactly how you must do everything is not exactly the best recipe for getting staff that know their stuff.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 04:13:45 pm
content: QuoteThat's simply the rule of the retail business: you want to go through the holiday seasons so you liquidate / monetize as much out of your inventory as you can. The rescue by the bondholders before the holiday is meant exactly for that.

author: jlmoon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 05:10:33 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on January 27, 2015, 04:50:35 amI agree with Wilfred on this one.. Ease up!!! I had my day working at Radio Shack as well.. until you work for them you have no clue what a person is required to do while under their employment. I was taught early not to use the term "How can or may I help you" that could be considered offending to some.. as if they were helpless. Until you have worked the electronic retail scene for a while, I would withhold judgement on those underpaid individuals just trying to survive. Give them a break!!!

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 06:47:10 pm
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 27, 2015, 03:39:09 pmIndeed, that is the recipe for a race to the bottom.Over here in the UK we have Maplin which does actually still sell resistors, in every store, and here in London they have some stores in extremely high rent areas, apparently making a killing on AC adapter plugs to the tourists whenever I go in there. The difference here is that if there's a guy on the door is most likely trying to stop the scallies wondering in and walking off with the stock. Occasionally, and it is a pleasurable exception, there will be someone there who knows what they're talking about, but all too often it'll be a gum chewing disinterested "computer says no" type.However for the ultimate in UK crap shopping experiences, we have Dixons aka Currys aka PC World, the UK's rubbish attempt at BestBuy, where whenever you want to find an assistant they're nowhere to be found. When by sheer fluke you can find one, you ask them about an item, and they just read from the same effing description card you've already read. It was nothing short of gob-smacked disbelief on this side of the pond Apple took on Dixon's ex-CEO John Browett as their retail guru three years ago. What was not surprising was that he lasted less than six months.I really do wonder if any of the upper echelons ever actually go into their own stores for a shopping experience rather than as a parachute in management finger pointing exercise. They might learn something if they did.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 07:34:56 pm
content: Quote from: Stonent on January 18, 2015, 06:07:46 amthe infamous 'battery club card'. oh yes!CSB: I once came across a guy's resume (CV) who listed all his clubs and honor societies at the end. included there, most probably for fun, was'member: radio shack battery club'. I often thought of adding that to my resume, just to see if the interviewer read it thru to the end; if they 'got' the joke or if they just stared at that line, ignored it and moved on

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 11:55:49 pm
content: As an ex RS employee from back in the early 90's, the thing I hated the most was the battery club. We would be inundated at the beginning of the month with all the senior citizens who had 30-40 cards each. I took almost child-like delight in taking all the cards they handed me, throwing all but 1 away and handing 1 marked card and battery back. I would always hear, "But I am getting them for my friends also!" My response-"Then your friends must come in with their card for their battery, have a nice day." I was helping out in a mall store for a week and one day the mall had a power outage-the entire mall. We got everyone out of the store and closed the gate but it was a fight to get rid of the battery club members as it was the first of the month. They were complaining about not getting the batteries when the store was so dark, we would have had trouble find the damn things anyway. We did manage to scare some up and get some flashlights working and all those people waited outside the gate in the dark until power came back up and we opened the store back up. Any of the managers I had never gave me grief about throwing the cards away as they were just as annoyed at the serial card carriers.Quote from: jlmoon on January 27, 2015, 05:10:33 pmI 2nd that. As one of those underpaid employees dealing with looky-loos, people returning electronics in 3 or 4 weeks, saying the product didn't work for them when you know that they were just renting it while on vacation and losing the commission and making sure fellow employees didn't stab you in the back if you weren't there and a big ticket customer came in to buy and took your sale and commission, it was with great relief that after a long while, I was able to find a better job that paid more and had less stress. By the way, we did have to say "Welcome to Radio Shack, how may I help you."

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 27, 2015, 11:58:50 pm
content: I don't understand how a company like RS can restructure and continue. Why would a bank continue to pump money into them. What can they do to innovate and move on? Even if they axe thousands of stores anyone could look at their year-on-year sales and see the business niche they once occupied is rapidly shrinking and if it's not already nonviable then it can't have long left, a couple years at best. Maybe a case of wanting to get as much back as possible but if it were me I would have rolled in the debt collectors by now.

author: aaronwhite30
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 12:06:41 am
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 27, 2015, 03:39:09 pmYeah, I sometimes forget that most of employees are just there for a job and are usually not very knowledgeable or electronic enthusiasts.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 12:17:20 am
content: I got a couple of bags full of stuff the other day at one of the "Closeout" stores. 50% - 70% off. Sad fact was, even at 50% off, a lot of the stuff was still too expensive.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 12:27:27 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on January 27, 2015, 11:55:49 pmyou're just brimming with customer service, aren't you?if that happened to me, I'd put a series of calls into corp and you'd be out of a job in no time.those batteries cost YOU nothing. and you represented the company in a bad way. its amazing you held a job there more than a single day, with that kind of crap attitude.look, its a 'loss leader' and its not your call to piss off customers.I hope you left the service industry. you don't belong in it.

author: JuiceKing
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 12:27:59 am
content: Quote from: Tandy on January 23, 2015, 11:20:57 pmThank you for this posting. It must be painful to see this through.Radio Shack was enormously influential on me, mostly because my local store manager was kind enough to let me spend Saturday afternoons at the store, exploring the then-new, and endlessly fascinating TRS-80. It was a unique opportunity and incredible gift at the time! So much in my life was set in motion with that generosity. The world has changed, but that will stay with me forever.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 12:55:00 am
content: QuoteI share that sentiment. I would miss them if they go away.Unfortunately, every great company inevitably dies. Some sooner than others.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 01:05:38 am
content: Quote from: JuiceKing on January 28, 2015, 12:27:59 amtrs-80 was my first computer, got one just about when they came out in 78 or 79. I was just finishing high school at the time, so it was perfect timing for me. convinced me to go the comp-sci route instead of EE. I was able to get thru the comp-sci stuff at college so much faster and easier than those in my class who did NOT have a home computer or did not grow up with one.today, though, that 'advantage' is mostly lost since pretty much everyone has a computer at home, now. but in the late 70's, that was most certainly not the case and ratshack (sorry) was very key in getting many of us setup in the field at a very early age.

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 07:53:46 am
content: Quote from: aaronwhite30 on January 27, 2015, 03:48:05 amOr you could just say "No thanks"......

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 02:12:03 pm
content: Quote from: aaronwhite30 on January 27, 2015, 03:48:05 amI just say "I'm going to the parts bins ..."That always makes them go away.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 02:13:38 pm
content: Quote from: linux-works on January 28, 2015, 12:27:27 amObviously, you never looked at the back of one of those cards. On the back, if I remember, it said 1 battery per card per month. People were only to have 1 card. Complaints probably wouldn't have gotten farther than being told not to take their precious cards from them. These people were scamming the system for crap batteries that they would never use, just store in the refrigerator until dead. These people were not shoppers. They would storm the store once a month, never to be seen until the next month. As one of those underpaid people trying to make enough commission to live, myself and my fellow employees were more interested in helping customers who actually had money to spend and would buy real batteries for their purchases. They would refuse a battery club card as they knew the batteries were crap.Loss leader? A loss leader (also leader) is a pricing strategy where a product is sold at a price below its market cost to stimulate other sales of more profitable goods or services. With this sales promotion—marketing strategy, a "leader" is used as a related term and can mean any popular article, i.e., one sold at a normal price.Those things never drove any sales. It would be foolish to even think that.Attitude? I was always very polite and helpful to all customers, even the battery scammers. I was simply following company policy. FYI, I have been in the service industry all my working life. Now, thank God, I no longer deal with the public, I work at the government agency level. You should take the advice of others who posted here. If you haven't worked at RS, you have no real clue what it was like. You should probably get back up on your high horse and ride off into the sunset. By the way, I would have been polite and helpful even to you.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 03:21:13 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on January 28, 2015, 02:13:38 pmsometimes, this stuff just writes itself... LOLanyway, did you ever think that senior citizens are living on near poverty/fixed income levels? give the poor old guys a break. so what if they ask for multiple batteries (within reason, but I'd allow a pretty big lattitude if it was me).you were young back then, and I get that; but it seems like you still think the same way and that's what is troubling.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 07:44:28 pm
content: Quote from: linux-works on January 28, 2015, 03:21:13 pmWhat is your definition of within reason? If someone came in with 2,3,4 or 5 cards, no problem. "Here are your batteries, is there anything else I can help with or show you? No, have a great day then." It's the bands of the 30-40 card holders that was the issue and it was an issue for everyone including the managers. They would take most of the cards also. I don't know if you have ever worked retail sales. If you haven't, you probably won't really understand the environment. IF you have, you should have some understanding. I have spent about 12 years of my 36 years in the service industry working in retail sales. In the choice of dealing with the public or dealing with clients, I would rather take the clients. Instead of dealing with the public who will lie in front of you to your manager to get what they want, I deal with clients that makes it easier to set expectations and build a solid working relationship. Much more professionally and personally satisfying. It is also nice not to have a manager that will throw me under the bus to make the shopper happy even when they are clearly and demonstrably wrong.I have said all I will say. I have a bad habit of speaking plainly, speaking the truth, not sugar coating my words and I am certainly not politically correct I am of the age and at a point in my life that it is unimportant what other people think or say about me. I have tried to paint a picture of the environment I worked in, but since you seem to have completely (mis)judged me and apparently nothing I can say will change your mind one iota, all I will say is have a nice day. Be happy and be blessedThe proverb of the day is, 'Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.'

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 11:15:28 pm
content: I'll give you, that 30 is way too much. (people actually did try to use 30 of them? seriously??)I can imagine people wanting a group, say 2 or 4 at a time (since things often used more than one, if not a 9v).30 takes serious stugots.just tell the guy that you'll give him 4 at a time, but he has to return with his Bingo crowd if he wants moreanyway, the battery club is no more. when (year) did it finally stop?

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 11:22:03 pm
content: I found this a very interesting read -A eulogy for RadioShack, the panicked and half-dead retail empire

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2015, 11:49:44 pm
content: Quote from: linux-works on January 28, 2015, 11:15:28 pm1993

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2015, 12:19:22 am
content: Quote from: xrunner on January 28, 2015, 11:22:03 pmI'll forward it to my kids with the note: see why you have to stay in school and give it more than your best effort!

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 29, 2015, 04:13:00 pm
content: Quote from: linux-works on January 28, 2015, 11:15:28 pmI never objected if they were looking for enough batteries to power something. I was very serious about the quantities. They would have them in hand with a rubber band holding all of them together and just take off the rubber band and hand us the stacks. A lot of the time, they would come in in groups of 3 or 4, like they were carpooling for the battery hunt. I agree, serious stugots-haven't heard that term in quite awhileI don't remember when they stopped the program. I quit RS is 1994 and I believe it stopped shortly before I left.edit-I posted without finishing the thread and saw that Tandy posted that it ended in 1993 and I left in August 1994. I am just thrilled if I can remember what happened yesterday-working on the z in Alzheimer's

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2015, 03:04:14 pm
content: Another article on the soon-to-be bankrupt R.S. -RadioShack: 94 years of hits and misses

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2015, 03:11:14 pm
content: QuoteSounds like a group of bottom feeders,

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2015, 05:07:20 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on January 30, 2015, 03:11:14 pmI don't know that I would go that far on the terminology. I understood the fixed income thing and wanting any break possible. However, there is always a group that will abuse the system if possible and a surprising number of them lived in the more affluent over 55 communities. I think what typically bothered me the most was the complete lack of shame. They would line up with beaming smiles on their faces as if to say, "Here we are to take advantage again. See you next month!" They would even interrupt you if you were talking to a customer as if their getting their free battery was the most important thing in the world.I do go into Rs occasionally for a part I need now, mostly switches, jacks, plugs and the like. I am always polite as I have been on that side of the fence. I do hope that those who lose their jobs through the bankruptcy will be rewarded by finding better employment. Incidentally, I was in one a couple of days ago to see if there actually were any bargains to be found. All the clearance items were left over RC toys from Christmas. No other markdowns besides some money off Arduino shields. Just not sure if it is worth the time to have a squizz, as Dave would say, every so often as I doubt the prices will come down enough to make me want to stock up on anything. If the store closes, it will be interesting to see what will move in there as there are enough restaurants, a dollar store and a Big Lots in that plaza already.

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2015, 06:17:57 pm
content: I will stock up on power transformers.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2015, 07:53:41 pm
content: Went back to the closeout RS today, because the guy said last week they would be getting more stuff.They didn't.Looks like it's just going to close. I only found a few trinkets worth buying at 50% off, but had a long talk with the manager of the store. He looked pretty glum. Said he had left Home Depot a few years ago for RS, but regretted that decision. We talked of the days when RS had computers they developed and such. He said kids these days didn't care about what the store had - except for cell phones. I asked him if he had any ideas for the stores to bring in more customers. He said one idea he had floated was for them to get into solar energy for consumers, like provide a package deal and have installers. The management wasn't interested in that - they want glitz and bling stuff.So I left the store and wished him good luck - it's the last time I'll go back to that one. It remains to be seen how many will be left next month, if any at all.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2015, 09:34:09 pm
content: Quote from: Vgkid on January 30, 2015, 06:17:57 pmI would not do that!just a year or 2 ago, I had a radioshack trafo catch fire on me! 24vac smallish (an amp or so) trafo. damned thing scared me to death!low cost is one thing, but dangerous is something that cannot be tolerated. not sure if a winding shorted - must have been the problem as there is not much else going on inside a power trafo..

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 12:30:39 am
content: I cannot find a release from the NYSE, but several news services are reporting that RSH will be delisted.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 02:16:21 am
content: Quote from: cosmicray on February 03, 2015, 12:30:39 amYes, and in after-hours trading the stock price is now 15 cents!

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 02:47:12 am
content: The financial news as well as the general news sources today are widely reporting that RSH is suspended from trading and delisting is in process.They are reporting that half the storefronts will be sold to Sprint, and the remainder closed.I drove by one of my local shops in a strip-mall (Tannesbourne) and it appeared that the back section of the shelves/pegs have been cleared out, but there was still lots of trinkets and gewgaws on the shelves toward the front of the shop. The single clerk was just standing there behind the cash register with a forlorn look on her face. Signs on the windows proclaimed "25% OFF" everything in the store but said nothing about "Going out of business".

author: 6sigma
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 04:29:51 am
content: Saturday, I visited with two store managers (US). They were getting mixed signals as recently as the weekend about which locations were closing. "Outlet" locations, changing hours and inventory transfers were on their minds.My interest was in buying the electronic component cabinets/drawers. For closed locations I was told those will be handled by the liquidator.Conversations turned nostalgic about what Radio Shack meant to those of us who knew the stores in the 1960's & 70's. Virtually none of the value we saw back then can be found today without listing dozens of competitors who are faster, cheaper and better. Sad to see them go, but I still wish we could get pur hands on those component cabinets.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 01:50:43 pm
content: Quote from: 6sigma on February 03, 2015, 04:29:51 amFind out who will be handling the liquidation, and make them an offer. Their entire purpose is to recover best value from the remains, in a short period of time. They do not have years to squeeze the last penny, but months (at best). They may want one buyer to take all the fixtures tho.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2015, 03:15:22 pm
content: Quote from: cosmicray on February 03, 2015, 01:50:43 pmIn the UK, almost everything that comes from a liquidated company is either bought by a phoenix company or sold off at auction. Most of the auctions sites require you to be a registered business for you to buy as that saves them a lot of liability issues.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2015, 12:00:23 pm
content: QuoteYou can criticize Radioshack many ways but it is very difficult to beat walking into a Radioshack store and picking up your parts right there, especially for the internet age.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2015, 06:40:52 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 04, 2015, 12:00:23 pmYes, absolutely. IMHO there are two things that Radio Shack clearly had a lock on....1) As DannyF said, immediate "walk-in" availability. And a pretty uniform product availability across all the storefronts.Over a decade of using online forums (Usenet, and then web-based forums like this one),it was very handy to be able to refer someone to their nearest RS storefront with an RS part number.It is a shame that their management never seemed to understand that model and tried to appeal to a "broader market" with plush animal toys, etc.2) Their range of power plug options (which fit their generic range of wall-warts) was unprecedented.IMHO, they got that part absolutely right and had a killer product.Many times I have taken in orphan gear to test the different plugs to find which one fit my gadget.That plug tester and all the available plugs is (AFAIK) something not available anywhere else.I really hope some other retail chain picks up that product line. (Like Best Buy or some other widely-available operation.)

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2015, 08:58:11 pm
content: Many people think Radioshack is expensive, no longer cool for the time, has poor parts selections, doesn't carry 'sophisticated' toys, doesn't have well trained employees (though its customers don't seem to willing to pay for such well trained employees), ....All valid point.However, these people will appreciate Radioshack after it is gone. Mark my word on that.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2015, 09:06:57 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 04, 2015, 08:58:11 pmIt's been a few years since Tandy vanished from the UK. They aren't missed.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2015, 09:26:13 pm
content: I see Maplin going the same way. Year on year their sales have been about the same but their profit is falling. Their components selection has been occasionally useful, but I have a Farnell and RS tradecounter near me, which is easier than trying to find something in Maplin.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2015, 10:39:22 pm
content: Quote from: KJDS on February 04, 2015, 09:06:57 pmTandy under the ownership of RadioShack did disappear, but if you look back in this thread you will see that Tandy is back in the UK all be it under new ownershiphttp://www.tandyonline.co.uk

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 05:07:14 am
content: Quote from: Tandy on February 04, 2015, 10:39:22 pmAnd with time maybe it can come back to the US once RS is gone

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 06:48:29 am
content: My wife told me on the way home from work they announced on the radio they were closing all the stores. Since Radio Shack is headquartered in Fort Worth (about 45 minutes from where we live), it's probably a fairly accurate story.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 06:51:17 am
content: Quote from: Tandy on February 04, 2015, 10:39:22 pmYeah, still some remnants here as well:https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/home.aspx

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 07:20:53 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 04, 2015, 08:58:11 pmI will miss getting saved in a pinch by their product enclosures.

author: Slothie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 12:50:53 pm
content: Quote from: Tandy on February 04, 2015, 10:39:22 pmI agree that Maplin are making the same mistakes as Tandy did - moveing to more and more games/RC/audio and less components, but they do at least have a significant online prescence. Nice to see Tandy still alive in the UK online, I newver knew they where there. I do miss Tandy, the Tandy of the 80's that was the only place to get unusual or obscure parts from, with its "American Flavour" - back when there was a significant difference between what was available in the UK and USA.I still have my SPO256 speech synth somewhere I built on a Tandy prototyping card I bought at the same time. I also bought the text-to-speech chip but never used it - not sure what happened to that, which is a shame!Of course these days its all arduino and microcontrollers....grumble grumble....damn kids !!

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 05:43:19 pm
content: Quote

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 07:06:50 pm
content: QuoteSounds like a good time to grab some el cheapo items.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 08:40:50 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 05, 2015, 07:06:50 pmWell, even deep discounts on vastly over-priced items is hardly a bargain.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 09:34:40 pm
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on February 05, 2015, 08:40:50 pmYes, I've just looked at their website and even though most items are discounted, they're still very expensive compared to most places and given all the news about bankruptcy I doubt many people will want to take the risk of ordering something they may never get. You're better off trying your luck on ebay.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 10:12:48 pm
content: I went to my local RS store yesterday just to check things out. Relatively few things marked for clearance and none of them the electronic components, supplies, arduino, etc. Just consumer electronic stuff.The manager said he had no news about when they would close or further discounts. Said he gets more info about the bankruptcy from the newspaper and web than from RS corporate.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 10:27:41 pm
content: Hot off the news wireQuoteMuch more info in link.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2015, 11:45:36 pm
content: From reading the press release it sounds like they want to stick a small RadioShack in a larger Sprint store which was once a RadioShack for at least some of the stores. I think?

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 12:10:51 am
content: I will miss them. Things changed, faster than RS could adept, and perhaps faster than many average person can adept.An LM2596s buck board is cheaper than a box of Ritz crackers (typical grocery shelf size). For the price of a box of cereal, I can get 20 TP4096 Lithium Batt charger boards. How do you make money with prices like that.Electronics and technology changed too much. A business model like RS for electronics is simply not viable today.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 12:15:42 am
content: QuoteWith that kind of reading comprehension, no wonder you have trouble conversing with others.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 12:42:07 am
content: QuoteIs General Wireless formed by RadioShack? Because that company doesn't exist anywhere else until today, as far as I can see, with the exception of Scandinavia.Not sure if it's Sprint-in-full-RS, small-RS-in-Sprint or just Sprint taking over RS stores entirely, it's not clear.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 12:43:26 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 04, 2015, 08:58:11 pmPerhaps the actually halfway decent local electronics store near me will appreciate themafterthey're gone...

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 01:41:34 am
content: What is interesting to read is this about a franchise:One dealer said he opened a store four years ago with a $250,000 investment. It lost $100,000 over the first three years it was in business but finally broke even last year. At one point this year, he expected to make money.To me that reads: when properly managed and (probably) at a good location a Radioshack store can be profitable.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 04:45:20 am
content: Plus what no one is talking about is the Chapter 11 which means it's a reconsolidation not a liquidation. That would be a Chapter 7.So RS is not gone, just yet.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 05:04:00 am
content: Chapter 11 is typically a restructuring (of debt in many situations). It also, with court approval, may give them the ability to exit lease agreements that are draining cash. If someone wants specific storefront locations, those leases could be kept.I called the local store (city of ~3k people, franchise I suspect). They told me everything in the store was 25% off. I need some solder, so I'll check it out in the morning and see what's left.

author: Monittosan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 05:08:48 am
content: want to post some pics? So people outside of the US who have never seen a US RS can see what it looks like before its gone

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 05:13:53 am
content: Quote from: Monittosan on February 06, 2015, 05:08:48 amIt would be more interesting to get pictures from the late 80s early 90s. You are not missing much on what they look like inside in their current form.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 05:36:02 am
content: Quote from: cosmicray on February 06, 2015, 05:04:00 amI had an opportunity to try their solder, their solder is not bad. Much better than the no-core Chinese brand that came with my iron, but not as good as the 5-core one that I normally use. So, I was thinking about exactly the same - stopping by to get some solder. For less demanding circumstances like soldering the power plug, they do the job quite well.Their flux is suppose to be real rosin base flux (read it here if I recall right), but it is way to gluey.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 08:28:46 am
content: Quote from: Monittosan on February 06, 2015, 05:08:48 amSome video:http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/19/media/radioshack-super-bowl-ad/and a pictureThough that's far beyond any Radioshack that I've seen.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 08:31:51 am
content: That's the biggest RS with spare floor space I've ever seen.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 08:45:59 am
content: Quote from: miguelvp on February 06, 2015, 08:31:51 amAgreed. I have seen maybe 50 different shops up and down the west coast of the USA, and they average about half that size.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 08:53:22 am
content: If not smaller, I think I can fit 4 typical RS in there.Edit: and never enough space to get more than one person across any aisle

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 11:26:08 am
content: QuoteDidn't sound like you read the article you are trying to discuss.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 12:44:10 pm
content: Here is what I understand from the filing.RadioShack has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection so that it can do the following ...1. Sell leases of its best positioned stores to Sprint where the stores will sell exclusively sprint mobile contracts and approximately a third of the store space will be given over to this. The rest of the store will be RadioShack branded most likely primarily selling mobile accessories such as chargers and cases. It is as yet unclear if RadioShack Corporation will run these prats of the store or if Sprint will be purchasing the RadioShack trademarks or perhaps enter into a licence agreement with the RadioShack Corporation in order to be able to use the RadioShack branding in Sprint owned and managed stores.2. Close the remaining stores, chapter 11 enables them to get out of leases and prevents their lenders who were up until now preventing them from closing stores from interfering with the process.They have mentioned that they are offering a large portion of their assets for sale at 363 auction, this is usually used as a way to basically sell the company without transferring its liabilities to the new owner.My guess is this is what the plan is...Close as many stores as possible (confirmed)Sell the valuable leases to Sprint (confirmed)Retain the RadioShack Trademarks and web storeThe only remaining physical locations would be franchised (possibly including the sprint ones)Use the franchise network for collect-in-store purchases made on-lineThis way they would emerge from their chapter 11 with a massive reduction in their liabilities for retail space and would be able to be more aggressive with their on-line presence, while earning additional revenue from their franchisees. There are many companies that operate an almost exclusive franchise business. RadioShack uses their buying power to secure good prices for the franchise network and takes none of the risks of running the stores.The trouble is if history is anything to go by they are likely to make a complete mess of things and end up selling parts of the business to Sprint that will leave them vulnerable and we will ultimately see them disappear.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 02:31:26 pm
content: QuoteThey cannot sell leases in a proceeding. Their choices are either to take them, or to reject them.The article quoted earlier was pretty clear about what they intend to do.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 02:34:38 pm
content: QuoteIt is crytal clear in the article that RadioShack will not run those stores -> those stores are to be jointly owned jointly by one of Radioshack's current shareholders and Sprint.Something like this was talked about a while ago (last year), except with ATT as the partner.What it shows you is something I repeated earlier: Radioshack's most valuable asset is its wireless business. Those hobbyist related stuff is a money loser for Radioshack.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 06:30:02 pm
content: After spending about 90 minutes at the local RS store this morning, this is my understanding of how this is playing out.Some stores are closing, some store are not. Those in the latter category are probably the ones heading to Sprint. The stores closing are probably the underperforming stores.As of yesterday, everything in this store was 25% off. As of today, everything is 30%-60% off. Which is which is highly subjective, and only known when the SKU is scanned at a register. There is no clearly defined shelf marking. The store manager was of the impression that markdown level was related to recent sales activity. Those items that sold better got less markdown.There was no Apple product left at this store. It had been transferred to a store in the larger city, 40 miles away, a few weeks back, and was being sold there at full price.In 2 weeks, this store will close. What product is remaining will sent to a store in a larger city. I plan on visiting again in 7-10 days, to see what is left, and if the markdown levels had advanced.The store was reasonably busy this morning (bargain hunters somewhat) and the store manager remarked that the first 2 hours generated more sales than entire days had recently. I told him "you need to gou out of business more often".I pulled a couple of items off the shelf (small solar panels) that actually had no markdown. He thought these were something that had not sold in a very long time, and probably had dropped off inventory. I noted many items were hanging on shelf pegs which had different SKU tickets. Up until last night, this store was supposed to be a clearance store, and receive stuff from other stores to be sold at clearance. That changed yesterday. There was an AT&T Wireless rep in the store, checking out the atmosphere, and what was selling & not selling.I spent about $55, and got a $50 savings (according to the receipt).I did ask about the disposition of the parts bins. He didn't know but would ask his regional manager if they could sell those.More as I think about it.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 08:47:11 pm
content: For their hobbyist offerings, they tried to compete with the internet on variety (massive inventory + parts numbers) and prices (dah!).What they failed to comprehend is that they are offering a valuable service and need to be compensated for such services: I wouldn't blink an eye if they charged 10x more for their resistors, or capacitors, or solder irons, etc., because if you need it right there, those guys are the only ones in town.High prices wouldn't have materially changed their sales, but would have significantly enhanced their margin. After all, what's the point of making a sale if you lose money on it?

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 08:57:20 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on February 06, 2015, 08:47:11 pmI agree with you that one should be prepared to pay a considerable premium to buy it strait off the shelf, rather having to wait for delivery and have friendly staff to provide advice but Tandy were never any good at that. They often wouldn't carry what I wanted and the staff were completely clueless.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 09:33:13 pm
content: Stopped by the local Shack today again to see if anything had changed. They said RS released a list last night of the first round of corporate stores to be closed and they weren't on it. Still no store-wide discounts.I took some pics to show what a more typical RS looks like. I only took pics of the electronics and parts bin stock and not the consumer electronics and phone junk. Interestingly they had just started stocking and put up a display with the cute but overpriced "littlebits" stuff.

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 09:39:11 pm
content: Quote from: mtdoc on February 06, 2015, 09:33:13 pmList of store closures is available athttp://radioshackcorporation.com/restructuring/store-info.php

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 09:58:41 pm
content: Quote from: Tandy on February 06, 2015, 09:39:11 pmWhy are the stores on that list divided up into Initial Tranche, Second Tranche and Third Tranche ?

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 10:13:54 pm
content: QuoteLimited resources from the liquidator, inventory consolidation and free publicity, among others.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 10:35:26 pm
content: Part of the problem is that the market that Make, etc. appeals to is generally: internet savvy, probably on a low income or budget, and usually not time dependent.An individual like that probably isn't going to go out and buy an Arduino for 50% more when they could order one online unless they absolutely need it.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2015, 10:58:59 pm
content: Quote from: cosmicray on February 06, 2015, 09:58:41 pmQuoteThere are 17 stores here in Oregon on the list:Initial Tranche Stores(these are all major shopping malls except the first one)Halsey St, PortlandLancaster Mall, SalemWashington Square, TigardClackamas Town Square, PortlandSecond Tranche StoresCreekside, River Road, Keizer (Salem)Santa Clara Square, EugeneMartinazzi Square, Tualatin10th St, HillsboroRiverside Rd, Medford (mall)Bear Creek Plaza, MedfordGarden valley, Roseburg (mall)Third Tranche StoresHeritage Mall, Albany (mall)South Gateway, MedfordSE 82nd, Happy ValleySE 82nd, PortlandTanasbourne Village, HillsboroRiver Center, Eugene (mall)So, two of the three stores closest to me are on this list.The store that is within walking distance (~1 mile) of my house is NOT on this list.I suspect that the mall locations are more desirable to turn in to YACPS (yet another cell phone store)

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2015, 12:17:05 am
content: anyone have any OLD pics of radio shack stores? pre-digital would be preferred, as I'd love to see what it used to look like in the 70's or 80's (I first started going there in the early 70's, myself).

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 07, 2015, 03:20:04 am
content: The store in Daytona Beach is in the second Tranche but the hole in the wall store in New Smyrna Beach isn't even on the lists.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2015, 03:41:12 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on February 07, 2015, 03:20:04 amIt may be that is a franchise store, not a corporate store. The RS employee I talked to today said the list was only for corporate stores.I wonder what this bankruptcy will mean for the franchise stores?

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2015, 04:07:55 am
content: Interesting, my local store isnt on the list and already closed!

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2015, 05:26:47 am
content: Quote from: linux-works on February 07, 2015, 12:17:05 amThis is a very accurate depiction of the mid to late 80s:

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2015, 05:28:23 am
content: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/And your new favorite site for the next few hours.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2015, 01:27:48 am
content: Went today to one that is closing, everything was on clearance 30% to 60% off. They added on top of the 60% off a 25% extra.PIR sensor regularly $9.99 -> $3.00QFP 32-100 pins reg: $2.97 -> $.89Desoldering iron reg: $14.99 -> $6.744-way crimp tool reg: $9.99 -> $4.49Emergency USB reg: $5.97 -> $2.25The last one is pretty much a 2 AA battery to 5V 500mA step up converter by enercell that looks handy to power dev boards.Sure not high ticket items and the desoldering iron is only a 45W one and the spec says the tip will reach 390 C (734 F) so I thought it will be handy to have for under $7.I think I'm going tomorrow to get what is in the electronics parts trays 4 cabinets full of parts, LEDs, resistors, caps, steper motors, fuses, etc..

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2015, 03:10:58 am
content: I went to 2 in the bay area and neither seem to be closing. none had any discounts at all. one place looked identical to how it looked months ago. the other had major sections roped off but nothing at all listed as a mark-down. maybe the bay area stores are generally doing ok? the nearest one to be closing is palo alto (a rich area, high rent, that is). odd that RS is doing 'well' in the bay area, with so many other, much better places to buy parts and stuff.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 08, 2015, 04:33:53 pm
content: Quote from: mtdoc on February 07, 2015, 03:41:12 amDidn't think of that. I can see it as it is a small store in a small plaza. I haven't talked to any employees yet on the basis of it might be a bit of a sore subject. I will have to visit the company store in Daytona to see if they are discounting anything I would want.

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2015, 04:46:00 pm
content: The store here is a small store in a small plaza. City pop about 2500, surrounding rural area maybe 15k-20k. This is a corporate store, and it is closing. The reason it was there at all was the WalMart at the other end of the development. WalMart draws significant traffic, but not enough to keep the RS from closing. The WalMart has incrementally edged into some of the product lines that RS stocked.

author: Derick Freese
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2015, 06:56:47 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on February 07, 2015, 03:20:04 amFor some reason, I thought you lived in Orlando.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2015, 12:22:48 pm
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on February 08, 2015, 04:33:53 pmSame for me in my area. There are two, and I don't even know if they're corporate or franchises. Not seeing any deals in the one closest to me though.PM sent.

author: Monittosan
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2015, 12:52:04 pm
content: Those RS stores still look better than a local Dick Smith which I have herd is going to be increasing there electronics items slightly.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 10, 2015, 01:50:16 pm
content: Quote from: Derick Freese on February 10, 2015, 06:56:47 amI actually live in Edgewater which is next to New Smyrna Beach. Daytona is a hop, skip and a jump from here.

author: riconette
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2015, 09:34:06 pm
content: digging that thread up.it seems radio shack will sell customer data they promised never to give away.http://boingboing.net/2015/03/25/bankrupt-radio-shack-will-sell.html

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2015, 09:40:54 pm
content: More precisely, the estate of RadioShack will sell customer data.RadioShack itself never violated that promise.

author: hammy
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 25, 2015, 10:13:47 pm
content: Put them all in a sack and flog it: you'll always hit the right one!QuoteIt is all about money!