New packaging and products for RadioShack stores - a quick look!

[Ken Gracey]

Hey all,

RadioShack is dead serious about their investment in the DIY/creator/inventor/entrepreneur/hobbyist electronics business, just to confirm the discussions going on around here. Parallax and many others have been working closely with RadioShack over the past year. And, shortly they'll be surfing the great wave that you've been riding for many years already. Everything offered is priced to take home, below spousal approval level if one exists.

Don't have much time to get into the details, but shortly you will find a significant selection of Parallax products at your local RadioShack. Depending on the store, it's likely to be one of these three scenarios: everything you see is stocked; the core Propeller and BASIC Stamp items plus a few sensors are in-stock; or they're a franchise dealer where they choose what they stock [because we are selling it to 5,000 stores - one at a time - all next week in Dallas!]. Below is a quick look into what's going on around here lately.

You have made this possible, by the way, not us. We're just trying to design and manufacture the finest quality product as a result of your inspiration, feedback and encouragement.

Ken Gracey

You will see some new sensors:



Some of the favorites:



Propellers, in RadioShack!



Could it get any better? An XBee Starter Pack that uses the Parallax documentation?

[GordonMcComb]

Vast improvement!

The old packaging was prone to good old "five-finger discounting," so that should help, too.

These look made for the pegboard, though. Are they moving away from the drawers for these?

-- Gordon

PS: Nice new compass, BTW. I never got the old one to work reliably. Also like the mounting hole on it, so it's not just for breadboard play.

[wjsteele]

Very cool, Ken... now when I need something ASAP I have a bunch of places to go to get them!

Bill

[Bill Henning]

Congratulations Ken!

The new packaging looks fantastic!

Now you should chase after "thesource.ca" - the Canadian equivalent of RS, which was bought by another company... but still carries the same products... Canada only has 10% of the population of the states, however an extra 10% never hurts; and I suspect Canadians buy more geek toys per capita.

[Bobb Fwed]

Very cool! I'm looking forward to the ready availability of many of the new parts.

[davejames]

...very nice - great looks!

[Microcontrolled]

I literally just came back from the local electronics store, thinking how great it would be if they carried Propeller goods. Now, I come in, pop up Firefox, and see this thread.

GREAT JOB PARALLAX!!!!!

[Ken Gracey]

These look made for the pegboard, though. Are they moving away from the drawers for these?

-- Gordon

Yes, Gordon, they're moving to the pegboards. You'll see several square feet of Parallax products. The Ping))) and PIR are coming out of the drawers for the party, but the Memsic2125 will stay in the drawers with some other items I forget to mention: joysticks, servos, and 5-position switches.

Ken Gracey

[Ron Czapala]

Yes, Gordon, they're moving to the pegboards. You'll see several square feet of Parallax products. The Ping))) and PIR are coming out of the drawers for the party, but the Memsic2125 will stay in the drawers with some other items I forget to mention: joysticks, servos, and 5-position switches.

Ken Gracey

That is great news! If you need/want a device quickly it will be nice to grab one locally.
I'm sure the prices will be a little higher from RS but...


EDIT: What is the deal with the compass, altimeter and gyroscope modules? I don't see that in the Parallax store - are they new products that will be available here?

[rod1963]

Very, very cool. This is a positive change from the time the only electronic stuff they had was resisters, caps and assorted odds and ends stuffed away in the corner.

This will be especially good for schools with robotics teams.

[ctwardell]

With help from Parallax, Radio Shack may soon be a place where self-respecting geeks are willing to be seen!

Way to go Ken and team.

C.W.

[RonP]

Can't wait to go shopping.

[blittled]

The peg board is coming back?? Great! I have fond memories of going to my local Radio Shack at least weekly as a teenager and looking at a full wall of pegboard stuff. I still have a SPO256 chip I bought there. With all those Parallax items I'll be going more often and I may need to get a second job to support my hobby . Thanks for all your work Ken in getting Radio Shack to stock Parallax items!

[bill190]

Just curious... Did you do any research as to the colors used on the packaging?

In the past I have read that for products like Coke, Pepsi, Crest Toothpaste, etc., they will spend TONS of money researching what specific colors to use on their packages. I realize Parallax can't do that, but wondering if smaller companies take that into consideration as well?

P.S. I like the colors!

[Ken Gracey]

The peg board is coming back?? Great! I have fond memories of going to my local Radio Shack at least weekly as a teenager and looking at a full wall of pegboard stuff. I still have a SPO256 chip I bought there. With all those Parallax items I'll be going more often and I may need to get a second job to support my hobby . Thanks for all your work Ken in getting Radio Shack to stock Parallax items!

You're welcome, but it's the whole Parallax team and you that make this possible.

There's an interesting generational gap about the value of RadioShack for this kind of product. Ask anybody over 35-40 if RadioShack had anything to do with their interest in electronics and the answer is an obvious "yes". Heck, I used to go there with Chip and we'd buy speaker drivers, 8-tracks, CB radios, soldering stations, etc. while my dad was waving around his free battery card to get another D-cell for our flashlights. But, check in with somebody younger and they primarily know RadioShack as a cell phone source. RadioShack is back in the electronics game and this perception will be altered. I'm not one to be "won over" but they're in this for real.

[Ken Gracey]

Just curious... Did you do any research as to the colors used on the packaging?

In the past I have read that for products like Coke, Pepsi, Crest Toothpaste, etc., they will spend TONS of money researching what specific colors to use on their packages. I realize Parallax can't do that, but wondering if smaller companies take that into consideration as well?

Yes, "lots" of research was done. The marketing people first waved our traditional light blue colors around the office, then a few other new colors. Captured a few yawns, some compliments, and some criticism. Then they showed up with this purple/blue scheme and everybody jumped up and down. Marketing research hereby concluded. Wish I could tell you a big story, but we're squeeky clean (did you see our new hand sanitizer line?).

These packages are going everywhere, BTW: Fry's Electronics, hobby shops, and towards any other sources where you want to buy.

Ken Gracey

[davejames]

Needed some 339 quad comparators to finish a project and I didn't want to spend the hour and a half driving to/from the local surplus store...so I check Radio Shack on line and found stock at the local store just a few minutes away.

I was very surprised to see a visable increase in DIY products and kits in general and a noticable Parallax presence.

I told the kid who was manning the store how pleased I was by this change. He was happy - didn't really undestand why I was so pleased, but he saw a happy customer.

Maybe he'll pass the experience on to the store manager.

[$WMc%]

Great news

[tobdec]

Can't wait to see these on our shelf! ...that is if my manager decides to get them....

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

That retail packaging is very cool! Hat's off to Parallax's art department -- and to Ken and all the Parallax crew for making this happen! It's neat that you get the brand recognition, too, and didn't have to private label it as a RS-only product.

Where will the actual packaging be done? (Rocklin? Ft. Worth? China?) That, in itself, is going to be a lot of work for the presumed volume.

-Phil