New packaging and products for RadioShack stores - a quick look!
Ken Gracey
Posts: 7,401
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?
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?
800 x 600 - 133K
800 x 600 - 135K
800 x 600 - 110K
800 x 600 - 128K
Comments
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.
Bill
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.
GREAT JOB PARALLAX!!!!!
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?
This will be especially good for schools with robotics teams.
Way to go Ken and team.
C.W.
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!
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.
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
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.
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
That is a good sign. The drawers work fine for a lot of parts but it is better to have your sensors, etc on a peg board. I recall seeing a couple of the PIR sensors at one Radio Shack that looked like they were caught in the draw when it closed and damaged the lens...
Just make sure you send some stock to the Radio Shack on Mack Ave in Grosse Pointe Woods. That is close enough for me to walk to if I need to get something quick!
Great news.
Robert
OBC
I suffer from the same embarrassing condition...
Welcome to the Forums X5aint!
-Matt
Excellent news!
Can't wait for product to show up at my local Radio Shack.
Jay
What is a "Gyrocope?" Tell us that was a "beta" package.
Radio Shack suffers from having sales associates that are not "up to speed" on this stuff. We here on the Forums know how cool this stuff is.
I have (3) Radio Shacks near me. I'm going to introduce myself to the guys/gals that work there and show them what can be done (and how to do it!) with this stuff.
I'll get them up to speed on the *coolness* of what we all play with everyday.
The majority of you Forumistas are great teachers here on the Forums - now, let's teach the Radio Shacks - one by one!
In short: Teach the Stores how to have fun, so they can much more effectively communicate to their customers what we experience all the time, so they can have fun too.
If many of you do the same in your neighborhoods - the number of newcomers would grow exponentially!
It's a Win for all parties.
Who's with me?
Hoorah!
-Matt
It seems to me every time I go into a Radio Shack at least in my area anyway, that the sales associates are processing some kind of cell phone payment. One cell phone payment after another. They have become a Cell Phone Payment Processing Center. If you could get their attention between payments you might be able to show them a thing or two. Just my observations.
Ron