or it spends its money on military which is a complete waste.
WHAT????????? Have you seen what China is up to lately? I guess you would not mind learning to speak the language once they control the world!!!!
One thing I noticed about RS is the fact that their online pricing is just as ridiculous as their in store pricing. That definately needs to change to stay competitive. I purchase BNC crimp on connectors for 29 cents each no matter how many I buy. RS charges $2.50 for ONE.
Of course. Maybe they need to turn their stores into STEM learning centers, or Tech Shops.
STEMShack. TechShack. ShopShack.
Nope. Tried all the variations. Sorry, I don't think it'll work...
While you're in Ft. Worth, ask if they will take you to the Traildust Steakhouse. Did that years ago. Don't wear your tie, and don't let them talk you into the "if you can eat this 50 oz steak you get it for free" deal, either. (Don't know if they still have the 50oz steak, but I'm pretty sure they'll cut off your tie if you wander in with one.)
While you're in Ft. Worth, ask if they will take you to the Traildust Steakhouse. but I'm pretty sure they'll cut off your tie if you wander in with one
Funny, There's a place in Tucson, AZ. called Trail Dust Town and the restaraunt there, Pinnacle Petes does the same thing. The place is really neat and they have gunfights on certain nights.
WHAT????????? Have you seen what China is up to lately? I guess you would not mind learning to speak the language once they control the world!!!!
One thing I noticed about RS is the fact that their online pricing is just as ridiculous as their in store pricing. That definately needs to change to stay competitive. I purchase BNC crimp on connectors for 29 cents each no matter how many I buy. RS charges $2.50 for ONE.
Forcing people to work for Smile wages until they jump out of buildings with Death to apple cardboard pictures attached to there bodies ???
One thing I noticed about RS is the fact that their online pricing is just as ridiculous as their in store pricing. That definately needs to change to stay competitive. I purchase BNC crimp on connectors for 29 cents each no matter how many I buy. RS charges $2.50 for ONE.
Forcing people to work for Smile wages until they jump out of buildings with Death to apple cardboard pictures attached to there bodies ???
There is no reason in this world why BNC connectors (and everything else) can't be manufactured/sold at a reasonable price while still taking care of the employees at both levels. It doesn't matter which country you are talking about.
You requested the RadioShack official viewpoint, so here it is, and I consider it accurate since I was at their HQ today.
You may see 4-500 stores closing, but they're also opening new stores at the rate of 5/quarter. One of the top performing categories (dollars/shelf space) of products include "technical" which consists of microcontrollers, sensors, cable, wires and breadboards (the things you might buy at RadioShack). RadioShack is currently doing an intense robotic test market in 50 stores which will be expanded if successful.
They're well aware of the kind of statements made on forums, as you have made. In fact, they've studied you up close and they know your habits, likes and dislikes very well. They know that you don't like to be pressed by the cell phone salesman, that the sales people tend to leave you alone once you've made it to the back of the store, and that you know you're on a mission to get something specific. None of this surprises you, I'm sure.
The entrance to the RadioShack HQ even has a table for Make Magazines and they're actively participating in the Maker Faire San Mateo.
All in all, the team that supports Parallax products in RadioShack is vibrant, active and positive about what they're achieving.
All in all, the team that supports Parallax products in RadioShack is vibrant, active and positive about what they're achieving.
That makes me feel better. I like Radio Shack and I love Parallax. I was starting to worry that the Parallax products would disappear from their shelves given the feel of this thread. Radio Shack's push into the DIY and technical products is apparent in our area and it pleases me to be able to head over to Radio Shack at the drop of a hat to grab a new QuickStart board or PING sensor and such. I make a point to get to know the store managers and when time allows I share my ideas and my projects with them. I have faith this is the right direction for Radio Shack and I hope they do well.
...RadioShack is currently doing an intense robotic test market in 50 stores which will be expanded if successful. ....
Any way to get their addresses and flashmob them with sales?
I'd love to see a DIY techie store near me. Come to think about it, I'd love to see practically any store near me that sold something other than deer slugs, chewing tobacco, used tires and DIY moonshine stills.
If I owned one of those stores, I'd be calling the people at Micro Center.
I always liked RadioShack. I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars there in the late 80s and early 90s, but they have lost their way.
I really hope they can find it again.
There needs to be a line on the floor which you have to cross before anyone tries to sell you a cell phone. Preferably, it would be somewhere you couldn't get to.
My main concern is that they find a path back to profitability. Closing 400-500 lackluster stores and opening 20 a year in known good markets is a great start. For years I've felt it would be better for them to maybe cut half the stores, but double their size, with deeper stocking. The only reason the multitude of stores is helpful now is that no single location ever has all the parts I need! I end up wasting lots of time and gas going from store to store. (You may recall the project we did for them. I had to go to *three* stores to collect the pieces. That's just absurd.)
Twenty or 30 years ago they could put out a bunch of Forrest's books and people would build projects with resistors and capacitors. Microcontrollers raise that bar, but the stores don't have a clear path to customer education -- their "learn" site is more a promotional zone than anything else. The KickStarts were aimed at attacking this problem head on, and of course I'd like to think they've made a difference. If you're still there in FW, I'd be interested to hear what they're thinking regarding ongoing technical education for their customers. How is RS pointing customers to the KickStarts for products they carry? Are there any POS materials that could let customers know that help is literally a few keyclicks away?
Much as I hate to say it, the percentage of the population that has an interest in computers, electronics, and robotics is so small that it could never come close to supporting the number of stores Radio Shack has. On the other hand those who are interested are enthusiastic enough about their avocation to travel a fair distance to a store that sells what they want. An area with a large enough population (100K ?) could probably support one or two such retailers. Perhaps the hobby stores would be a better avenue to the hobby market since it already provides the RC, Robotic, and other mechanical parts.
For the professional market having suppliers like DigiKey, Mouser, or such sell the parts and modules would work.
I just never liked the fact that they try to pay their rent off of a couple of items. There are times when in a rut I will go there, but living in a technology town has its advantages, such as Supertronics. I am not sure if they carry Parallax products yet, ( I have not been there in a while) but they have pretty much everything else any hobbyist or professional electronics technician would ever need. Fry's is another place that carries a load of items, including Parallax and their prices are pretty close to Parallax on line pricing. Just don't ask any of the sales people to try and explain anything to you!!!!
Perhaps the hobby stores would be a better avenue to the hobby market since it already provides the RC, Robotic, and other mechanical parts.
Not the hobby stores I know of. These tend to be owned by people with very narrow interests -- mostly either surface or aerial RC, with the other products carried only reluctantly -- and few are experienced retailers, so the average life expectancy of a hobby store is pretty short. Tough market with the Internet, all the harder with that darned Erco who insists on buying from Chinese eBayers!
I think there are something like 5 or 6 Radio Shack stores in my immediate area. There's one hobby store, and it's mostly just RC.
the average life expectancy of a hobby store is pretty short
Although I live south of Seattle, I spent my teen years growing up in Montana. Central Hobby was the place we went then and believe it or not is still in the exact same spot today. I have to drive about 30 miles from where I live to the nearest actual "Hobby" store around here and it is one of the chain stores, RC Hobby.
Not the hobby stores I know of. These tend to be owned by people with very narrow interests -- mostly either surface or aerial RC, with the other products carried only reluctantly -- and few are experienced retailers, so the average life expectancy of a hobby store is pretty short. Tough market with the Internet, all the harder with that darned Erco who insists on buying from Chinese eBayers!
I think there are something like 5 or 6 Radio Shack stores in my immediate area. There's one hobby store, and it's mostly just RC.
-- Gordon
That narrow an interest is sad, and probably contributes to their short life. There are two stores (Sayall) in the burbs east and west of Toronto that carry a lot of electronics, electrical, communications, tools, and hobbyist equipment. There is also Active in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton that carries electronics parts, test equipment, tools, and some hobbyist parts. They have been around for a long time and seem to do very well. I think that has a lot to do with them appealing to a wide area of interests that have some overlap with each other.
For myself, I try to support my local bricks and mortar suppliers as much as possible, mainly for the feasibility stage, and order production parts from online suppliers like DigiKey and Mouser.
I'd love to see a DIY techie store near me. Come to think about it, I'd love to see practically any store near me that sold something other than deer slugs, chewing tobacco, used tires and DIY moonshine stills.
The place where Deliverance was filmed? There's something wholesome about the product offering you described above, actually. Sounds like a simple life, free of complexities 'less you're running a river in the wrong area.
In the 70's when I was in High School. There was a Radio Shack across the street from there. Love going at lunchtime to see what they had or pick up stuff I needed. We had a TV parts place downtown for the more exotic stuff.
Sold a term package and did software conversion for them in the 80's and wrote a ton of Coco software sold through a 3d party house..
Today have the net and two Fry's stores near me. One is less than 15 miles from me. Even at the size of Fry's it cant stock all of the parts or missing basic stuff. Oh they do handle Parallax goodies like RS. Have about 5 RS in the area. Some small or large.
I know RS been trying to find there new nitch and hope they do pull it off! There are a lot of RS places still around that they are still the major big electronic store in town.
There is still an active group of coco users called the Glenside Color Computer Club that meets on the second thursday of each month. Although we're physically in Schaumburg Il anyone can join in on the meetings via skype. The URL for the group is: http://www.glensideccc.com/
We have our 22nd annual "cocofest" scheduled for this April 27th and April 28th!
Hope to see you and any others still interested in the coco there!
Sorry for the minor hijack but this is at least tangentially related to the thread. :-)
I've always thought if I ran a RS in my area, I would go full hobby. After all, I don't think anyone wakes up in the morning and says, I think I'll go to RS and get a...umm..hmmph, um... They just don't plan to go. That's why the mall stores are much more successful, they get incidental traffic. I want a phone, I go to apple or my local cellphone shop. I want a tv I go to walmart or best buy, etc. Someone said here that RS has to determine, finally, what they want to be, and I think that's right. I would make my RS an electronics hobby store and advertise the heck out of it. I would carry all the Parallax, Arduino kits and parts, and a good assortment of components like they used to carry. I'd carry bench tools and lots of electronic accessories like lighted stuff for Model Railroading. I would have a good sized RC model corner, and everything electronic DIY. That would bring in all the DIYers within 50 miles. I would have staff that know what the heck they are talking about and continuously adjust my inventory accordingly. I would have a row of demo stuff so that noobs can see what can by done with Hydra, and all the rest. I would have the latest IDEs and tutorials downloaded on CDs for free with each appropriate purchase. I would hold seminars and contests on the weekend. Man I would go all out and let her rip. The truth is this forum is proof that the DIYer community wants face to face interaction, I'd give them all I could. Make it a DIYer community center, not just a store.
I've always thought if I ran a RS in my area, I would go full hobby. After all, I don't think anyone wakes up in the morning and says, I think I'll go to RS and get a...umm..hmmph, um... They just don't plan to go. That's why the mall stores are much more successful, they get incidental traffic. I want a phone, I go to apple or my local cellphone shop. I want a tv I go to walmart or best buy, etc. Someone said here that RS has to determine, finally, what they want to be, and I think that's right. I would make my RS an electronics hobby store and advertise the heck out of it. I would carry all the Parallax, Arduino kits and parts, and a good assortment of components like they used to carry. I'd carry bench tools and lots of electronic accessories like lighted stuff for Model Railroading. I would have a good sized RC model corner, and everything electronic DIY. That would bring in all the DIYers within 50 miles. I would have staff that know what the heck they are talking about and continuously adjust my inventory accordingly. I would have a row of demo stuff so that noobs can see what can by done with Hydra, and all the rest. I would have the latest IDEs and tutorials downloaded on CDs for free with each appropriate purchase. I would hold seminars and contests on the weekend. Man I would go all out and let her rip. The truth is this forum is proof that the DIYer community wants face to face interaction, I'd give them all I could. Make it a DIYer community center, not just a store.
Welcome to the Forums!
Why would it have to be a RS store? What you described is what RS is not anymore.
I've always thought if I ran a RS in my area, I would go full hobby. After all, I don't think anyone wakes up in the morning and says, I think I'll go to RS and get a...umm..hmmph, um... They just don't plan to go. That's why the mall stores are much more successful, they get incidental traffic. I want a phone, I go to apple or my local cellphone shop. I want a tv I go to walmart or best buy, etc. Someone said here that RS has to determine, finally, what they want to be, and I think that's right. I would make my RS an electronics hobby store and advertise the heck out of it. I would carry all the Parallax, Arduino kits and parts, and a good assortment of components like they used to carry. I'd carry bench tools and lots of electronic accessories like lighted stuff for Model Railroading. I would have a good sized RC model corner, and everything electronic DIY. That would bring in all the DIYers within 50 miles. I would have staff that know what the heck they are talking about and continuously adjust my inventory accordingly. I would have a row of demo stuff so that noobs can see what can by done with Hydra, and all the rest. I would have the latest IDEs and tutorials downloaded on CDs for free with each appropriate purchase. I would hold seminars and contests on the weekend. Man I would go all out and let her rip. The truth is this forum is proof that the DIYer community wants face to face interaction, I'd give them all I could. Make it a DIYer community center, not just a store.
I would love a store like that and I would give them a lot of business too. But, I think that many buyers would go there for the benefits and free support, then go online to save a buck. That happened to several hobby stores in my area, and they eventually had to close up. One owner told me he got sick of running a free RC racetrack on Saturday mornings, advising all of the participants, then see them drive off to buy stuff online when he had his store doors wide open for them. That might be a problem for an electronics store too.
Actually, to my belief, online trade will kill almost all offline trade, except the cases where you have to go to check personal fit or visual preferences, such as jewelry and specific clothing stores. But, on the other hand, if digikey was a huge retail store, with kilometers of shelves shining their goods, I would spent much more there than planned, when visiting for specific components. Also, recently on BBC or Euronews (not sure), there was info about online shopping in europe, and amazon germany representative was quoted, saying that europe in generall, and germany specifically, have largest returns from customers, for amazon germany it is up to 45% of total sales!
I am In a situation like ElectricAye (love those dogs). Nothing around here except a RS franchise the size of my living room. No Parallax products. But at least I can get some resistors, LEDs, switches, solder If in need.
Else it is Mail-Order. The fastest way to get Parallax products may be to jump into my SL500 and run 3 hours up to Rocklin. Fast. But not really cheap.
DIY seems to be a dying art. Around here nobody seems to be interested. May be a connection - no Moonshine here at the west coast but weed...
Comments
Turning Radio Shacks into Tech Shops... I swear if this happened I would think I'd died and gone to heaven....
Jeff
WHAT????????? Have you seen what China is up to lately? I guess you would not mind learning to speak the language once they control the world!!!!
One thing I noticed about RS is the fact that their online pricing is just as ridiculous as their in store pricing. That definately needs to change to stay competitive. I purchase BNC crimp on connectors for 29 cents each no matter how many I buy. RS charges $2.50 for ONE.
STEMShack. TechShack. ShopShack.
Nope. Tried all the variations. Sorry, I don't think it'll work...
While you're in Ft. Worth, ask if they will take you to the Traildust Steakhouse. Did that years ago. Don't wear your tie, and don't let them talk you into the "if you can eat this 50 oz steak you get it for free" deal, either. (Don't know if they still have the 50oz steak, but I'm pretty sure they'll cut off your tie if you wander in with one.)
-- Gordon
Funny, There's a place in Tucson, AZ. called Trail Dust Town and the restaraunt there, Pinnacle Petes does the same thing. The place is really neat and they have gunfights on certain nights.
Forcing people to work for Smile wages until they jump out of buildings with Death to apple cardboard pictures attached to there bodies ???
There is no reason in this world why BNC connectors (and everything else) can't be manufactured/sold at a reasonable price while still taking care of the employees at both levels. It doesn't matter which country you are talking about.
Jeff
You may see 4-500 stores closing, but they're also opening new stores at the rate of 5/quarter. One of the top performing categories (dollars/shelf space) of products include "technical" which consists of microcontrollers, sensors, cable, wires and breadboards (the things you might buy at RadioShack). RadioShack is currently doing an intense robotic test market in 50 stores which will be expanded if successful.
They're well aware of the kind of statements made on forums, as you have made. In fact, they've studied you up close and they know your habits, likes and dislikes very well. They know that you don't like to be pressed by the cell phone salesman, that the sales people tend to leave you alone once you've made it to the back of the store, and that you know you're on a mission to get something specific. None of this surprises you, I'm sure.
The entrance to the RadioShack HQ even has a table for Make Magazines and they're actively participating in the Maker Faire San Mateo.
All in all, the team that supports Parallax products in RadioShack is vibrant, active and positive about what they're achieving.
Paul
Any way to get their addresses and flashmob them with sales?
I'd love to see a DIY techie store near me. Come to think about it, I'd love to see practically any store near me that sold something other than deer slugs, chewing tobacco, used tires and DIY moonshine stills.
If I owned one of those stores, I'd be calling the people at Micro Center.
I always liked RadioShack. I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars there in the late 80s and early 90s, but they have lost their way.
I really hope they can find it again.
There needs to be a line on the floor which you have to cross before anyone tries to sell you a cell phone. Preferably, it would be somewhere you couldn't get to.
My main concern is that they find a path back to profitability. Closing 400-500 lackluster stores and opening 20 a year in known good markets is a great start. For years I've felt it would be better for them to maybe cut half the stores, but double their size, with deeper stocking. The only reason the multitude of stores is helpful now is that no single location ever has all the parts I need! I end up wasting lots of time and gas going from store to store. (You may recall the project we did for them. I had to go to *three* stores to collect the pieces. That's just absurd.)
Twenty or 30 years ago they could put out a bunch of Forrest's books and people would build projects with resistors and capacitors. Microcontrollers raise that bar, but the stores don't have a clear path to customer education -- their "learn" site is more a promotional zone than anything else. The KickStarts were aimed at attacking this problem head on, and of course I'd like to think they've made a difference. If you're still there in FW, I'd be interested to hear what they're thinking regarding ongoing technical education for their customers. How is RS pointing customers to the KickStarts for products they carry? Are there any POS materials that could let customers know that help is literally a few keyclicks away?
-- Gordon
For the professional market having suppliers like DigiKey, Mouser, or such sell the parts and modules would work.
I just never liked the fact that they try to pay their rent off of a couple of items. There are times when in a rut I will go there, but living in a technology town has its advantages, such as Supertronics. I am not sure if they carry Parallax products yet, ( I have not been there in a while) but they have pretty much everything else any hobbyist or professional electronics technician would ever need. Fry's is another place that carries a load of items, including Parallax and their prices are pretty close to Parallax on line pricing. Just don't ask any of the sales people to try and explain anything to you!!!!
Not the hobby stores I know of. These tend to be owned by people with very narrow interests -- mostly either surface or aerial RC, with the other products carried only reluctantly -- and few are experienced retailers, so the average life expectancy of a hobby store is pretty short. Tough market with the Internet, all the harder with that darned Erco who insists on buying from Chinese eBayers!
I think there are something like 5 or 6 Radio Shack stores in my immediate area. There's one hobby store, and it's mostly just RC.
-- Gordon
That narrow an interest is sad, and probably contributes to their short life. There are two stores (Sayall) in the burbs east and west of Toronto that carry a lot of electronics, electrical, communications, tools, and hobbyist equipment. There is also Active in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton that carries electronics parts, test equipment, tools, and some hobbyist parts. They have been around for a long time and seem to do very well. I think that has a lot to do with them appealing to a wide area of interests that have some overlap with each other.
For myself, I try to support my local bricks and mortar suppliers as much as possible, mainly for the feasibility stage, and order production parts from online suppliers like DigiKey and Mouser.
The place where Deliverance was filmed? There's something wholesome about the product offering you described above, actually. Sounds like a simple life, free of complexities 'less you're running a river in the wrong area.
Sold a term package and did software conversion for them in the 80's and wrote a ton of Coco software sold through a 3d party house..
Today have the net and two Fry's stores near me. One is less than 15 miles from me. Even at the size of Fry's it cant stock all of the parts or missing basic stuff. Oh they do handle Parallax goodies like RS. Have about 5 RS in the area. Some small or large.
I know RS been trying to find there new nitch and hope they do pull it off! There are a lot of RS places still around that they are still the major big electronic store in town.
(and anyone interested in the coco)
There is still an active group of coco users called the Glenside Color Computer Club that meets on the second thursday of each month. Although we're physically in Schaumburg Il anyone can join in on the meetings via skype. The URL for the group is: http://www.glensideccc.com/
We have our 22nd annual "cocofest" scheduled for this April 27th and April 28th!
Hope to see you and any others still interested in the coco there!
Sorry for the minor hijack but this is at least tangentially related to the thread. :-)
(...slowly...v.e.r.y s.l.o.w.l.y lowering the Moderator axe...)
Welcome to the Forums!
Why would it have to be a RS store? What you described is what RS is not anymore.
We do need a store as you described
I would love a store like that and I would give them a lot of business too. But, I think that many buyers would go there for the benefits and free support, then go online to save a buck. That happened to several hobby stores in my area, and they eventually had to close up. One owner told me he got sick of running a free RC racetrack on Saturday mornings, advising all of the participants, then see them drive off to buy stuff online when he had his store doors wide open for them. That might be a problem for an electronics store too.
@ ElectricAye
re:Maybe unmanned autonomous delivery systems? It's not too farfetched, methinks.
[h=1]Amazon says drone deliveries are the future[/h]
http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/01/technology/amazon-drone-delivery/
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1932101-foreshadowing-radioshacks-death?source=yahoo
So, no one knows what'll go on...
Else it is Mail-Order. The fastest way to get Parallax products may be to jump into my SL500 and run 3 hours up to Rocklin. Fast. But not really cheap.
DIY seems to be a dying art. Around here nobody seems to be interested. May be a connection - no Moonshine here at the west coast but weed...
Enjoy!
Mike