Radio Shack May Be Finished

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Radio Shack, a company that once had a store on almost every corner, is very close to being a retail history footnote.

Radio Shack Story

Originally Posted By: From Article
The company’s earnings report showed sales dropping 20 percent and its loss doubling year-over-year in the second quarter.


Originally Posted By: From Article
Wednesday, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said in a report where he lowered his price target for the stock to $0, that a bankruptcy filing was imminent.

“RadioShack’s operational decisions are now being vetted by creditors and equity investors are no longer relevant to management decisions the creditors clearly are in control of the ship and, in our view, the ship is sinking,” Pachter said.


It's too bad-at one time they had a thriving business but managed to miss the boat with online sales. Add to that mostly clueless store employees, stores that still looked like the 1970's and limited merchandise it's clear that Radio Shack is a company whose time has come and gone.
 
Years ago it used to be a place you could find hobbyist parts, electronic kits, and more. Nowadays they only have a tiny selection of items. It's really just become another cell phone store.

Remember when they came out with the TRS-80 computers? They were pretty good at the time. We had them in our high school, all networked together. Where did that innovation go?

It is already missed.
 
Yep all they seem to care about anymore is smart phone sales, My daughter just left the company for a better future .
 
Yep, I remember going in there for all sorts of neat stuff, now there's almost nothing other than cell phones.
frown.gif
 
It used to be the only place for discrete electronic parts, but now if you want that stuff you look online. Sad, but times change and it's time to move on.
 
I am absolutely SHOCKED that they hung around this long. They should have went out of business ten years before Circuit City did.

In this retail market, you either adapt or die, and this company never adapted. Cell phone sales are there bread and butter. Really!!??
 
Noone is into hobbiest audio anymore. Hi-Fi used to be BIG. now its low-fi and phones and throwaway home theatre. Best buy has the pretty much the same junk - minus the electronics parts.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
I am absolutely SHOCKED that they hung around this long. They should have went out of business ten years before Circuit City did.

In this retail market, you either adapt or die, and this company never adapted. Cell phone sales are there bread and butter. Really!!??


I feel the same way. I never liked the store back in its day. I'd buy a $1.50 item and they want your life history at the cash register. The last time I was in there was 8 years ago for a $9 can of contact cleaner. I think they hung around just to bleed the shareholders of all their money.

A very poorly managed business INHO.
 
With the advent of the internet, yes they lost out,plus guys today do not build hobby TV's, ham-radios, home made radios, and so on. I grew up in an era when all that was still done, but hey, China makes all that stuff now and men today are on their cell phones, laptops, and the man cave basement tinkers are most likely in short supply.. I have no clue where the old fashion engineers are today, oops,,,in China, sorry.
 
I have fond memories of buying bits and pieces at a RadioShack store for little projects as a a kid. Lighting models or something like rebuilding a nicad battery pack.

I got one of 99in1 electronics kits for Christmas one year. It was pretty cool, wish I still had it. Guess it was sold in a yard sale years ago or went to good will after I moved out to school. I think I still have one of the pocket computers they made somewhere.

I wish there was a tandy leather and radioshack store within a short drive of me. Oh well. Google just can't replace looking at racks of components and connectors and imagining the possibilities or the smell of the store that goes with it.
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
I have no clue where the old fashion engineers are today


Most of them are right here playing with Raspberry Pi's and Arduinos
 
I built my first radios as a kid from Radio Shack "Archer" and "Science Fair" kits. They were very challenging and educational. I don't think kids today have anything like these kits to learn basic skills and engineering.


RS_GlobePatrol.JPG
 
I used to go there to test/buy TV tubes. I'm not even that old. But, echoing what others have already said, it is a vestige of the 70's. I can buy electronic parts online or from a local wholesaler (much cheaper). Also, if you happen to have a Fry's near you it's like a Radio Shack, Best Buy, and Gamestop all rolled into one. I suspect Gamestop doesn't have much life left, either.
 
Originally Posted By: R80RS
I built my first radios as a kid from Radio Shack "Archer" and "Science Fair" kits. They were very challenging and educational. I don't think kids today have anything like these kits to learn basic skills and engineering.


RS_GlobePatrol.JPG




I have the exact radio still, at my parent, and it still works.
 
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