Radio Shack May Be Finished
- Thread starter Pop_Rivit
- Start date
- Status
Originally Posted By: datech
It seems kind of amazing that in this day and age of electronic everything a store that specializes in electronics could go bust.
They specialize in electronics, but in the wrong electronics... If not in reality, it's still people's perception. It's in their store name still. Who listens to...gasp...radios anymore?
I'll be sad when Radio Shack goes away...they're my local source for things like little relays, computer heat sink paste, and the like. But I'll be the first to admit that one trip to the Shell down the road costs me more than I spend each year in a Radio Shack store.
It seems kind of amazing that in this day and age of electronic everything a store that specializes in electronics could go bust.
They specialize in electronics, but in the wrong electronics... If not in reality, it's still people's perception. It's in their store name still. Who listens to...gasp...radios anymore?
I'll be sad when Radio Shack goes away...they're my local source for things like little relays, computer heat sink paste, and the like. But I'll be the first to admit that one trip to the Shell down the road costs me more than I spend each year in a Radio Shack store.
Originally Posted By: datech
It seems kind of amazing that in this day and age of electronic everything a store that specializes in electronics could go bust.
Places like Wal-Mart and Target had more bulk buying power, and that gave them the power to charge less than Radio Shack.
I agree that Radio Shack suffered due to a decline in hobbyists. Just look at all the camera stores that closed because of low cost digital cameras, and better cell phone cameras. Very few people shoot photos in manual mode, and need special flashes, lenses, and lighting.
It seems kind of amazing that in this day and age of electronic everything a store that specializes in electronics could go bust.
Places like Wal-Mart and Target had more bulk buying power, and that gave them the power to charge less than Radio Shack.
I agree that Radio Shack suffered due to a decline in hobbyists. Just look at all the camera stores that closed because of low cost digital cameras, and better cell phone cameras. Very few people shoot photos in manual mode, and need special flashes, lenses, and lighting.
When I first entered a Radio Shack in the mid 90s, I was already questioning what the heck were they doing. I was surprised that they lasted 20 more years and even outlasted Good Guys and Circuit City.
Let's be honest here, when even Frys are not doing well because of the lost of sales to online and the switch from self assembled PC to assembled computers / laptops , I don't think there is much that Radio Shack can do to stay alive.
I used to buy a watch battery here and there, maybe once every 2 years. This too has changed because 1) I no longer wear watch because of phone, and 2) There's amazon and ebay for batteries that are 5x cheaper even after free shipping.
And no, Apple store is not a fair comparison, because Apple store can still help the overall sales if consumers buy from online or another retailer. It is a company showroom, not just a store. The same cannot be said about a general retailer like Radio Shack.
They could probably make it if they took up the Game Stop business model and focus on USED video game with trade in and make the bulk of their money on shelf space rental (publishers have to put their names out there regardless of where the actual sales come from).
Let's be honest here, when even Frys are not doing well because of the lost of sales to online and the switch from self assembled PC to assembled computers / laptops , I don't think there is much that Radio Shack can do to stay alive.
I used to buy a watch battery here and there, maybe once every 2 years. This too has changed because 1) I no longer wear watch because of phone, and 2) There's amazon and ebay for batteries that are 5x cheaper even after free shipping.
And no, Apple store is not a fair comparison, because Apple store can still help the overall sales if consumers buy from online or another retailer. It is a company showroom, not just a store. The same cannot be said about a general retailer like Radio Shack.
They could probably make it if they took up the Game Stop business model and focus on USED video game with trade in and make the bulk of their money on shelf space rental (publishers have to put their names out there regardless of where the actual sales come from).
- Status
