I don't understand this strange obsession with Radio Shack on these forums.
Maybe I'm just in a bad Radio Shack zone.
The two near me rarely if ever have any of the great deals all of the rest of you are finding.
Their staff generally remain clueless about anything other than cellular plans and suffer the delusions as mall kiosk cellular employees as to why an AT&T employee might not want the latest and greatest plan from <insert cellular provide here>.
When I think they may have part I need/want, when I see the price, I back away and go home to order it from some place online for a lot less. Nothing they have do I need *THAT* urgently. Nothing I am working on is that urgent.
I believe they have 2 Parallax items currently, a QuickStart and a Ping. If I want either of those, I WILL order directly from Parallax.
Long ago and far away, they were a resource....now they are just another store I don't visit anymore. The only marginal concern I might have is they are an employer in the community an do provide a small number of jobs.
I don't understand this strange obsession with Radio Shack on these forums.
Maybe I'm just in a bad Radio Shack zone.
The two near me rarely if ever have any of the great deals all of the rest of you are finding.
Their staff generally remain clueless about anything other than cellular plans and suffer the delusions as mall kiosk cellular employees as to why an AT&T employee might not want the latest and greatest plan from <insert cellular provide here>.
When I think they may have part I need/want, when I see the price, I back away and go home to order it from some place online for a lot less. Nothing they have do I need *THAT* urgently. Nothing I am working on is that urgent.
I believe they have 2 Parallax items currently, a QuickStart and a Ping. If I want either of those, I WILL order directly from Parallax.
Long ago and far away, they were a resource....now they are just another store I don't visit anymore. The only marginal concern I might have is they are an employer in the community an do provide a small number of jobs.
Am I missing some "bigger picture"?
Perhaps...I view it as we are watching history in the making...the demise of the brick and mortar electronics retail sector as we have known it...with RS being the current poster child.
Best Buy just posted a small profit for the 4th quarter...and only after they started matching Amazon.
The brick and mortar retail sector is undergoing an evolutionary phase change...and it is worth watching..
I'm with Mindrobots on the whole RS thing these days! I used to love the shack during the '70s and '80s but that was a long time ago and it's been a long time since they've sold much more then toys and cell phones! I can't remember the last time I actually bought anything from them.
I don't think the success or failure of Radio Shack indicates anything about the electronics hobby market, if that's your overarching concern. They've become -- by their choice -- a consumer electronics retailer. While they do still carry some components, it's far from their main business now.
If you want to take the pulse of the hobby/educational electronics market, look to the online retailers who understand the markets they cater to: Parallax, Sparkfun, and Pololu for starters. All three seem to be doing well.
I don't think the success or failure of Radio Shack indicates anything about the electronics hobby market, if that's your overarching concern. They've become -- by their choice -- a consumer electronics retailer. While they do still carry some components, it's far from their main business now.
If you want to take the pulse of the hobby/educational electronics market, look to the online retailers who understand the markets they cater to: Parallax, Sparkfun, and Pololu for starters. All three seem to be doing well.
I view RS as just the next chapter in the overall electronics market...with the hobby/educational market being a very small subset of the overall electronics market.
In the past Circuit City WAS a major player who resisted the changes in the market.
Best Buy just squeeked by this quarter with a small profit by matching on line prices...time will tell how well that will work this fiscal year.
As to RS's future...well there are rumors of bankruptcy on the Net.
RadioShack closing up to 1,100 stores after dismal holidays
March 4 (Reuters) - Struggling retailer RadioShack Corp reported a wider quarterly loss on Tuesday and said it will close up to 1,100 U.S. stores after a huge drop in sales over the holidays, sending the stock down more than 15 percent.
Meanwhile 2km away from my front door I have Partco : http://www.partco.biz/verkkokauppa/find_us.php?language=en with their store out in the suburbs. They have everything, components, cables, tools, micro-controllers, Arduinos, Raspberry Pi's, STM32 F4 Discovery, tons of stuff. Every time I go there to pick up some odds and ends it's a 30 minute wait behind a queue of people. And they usually have two or three guys serving that know what they are talking about.
Down town there is a big store full of electronic surplus, again components, MCUs, old TTL, all kinds of stuff.
Then we have a store totally kitted out with everything you need to build tube amps, mostly geared toward guitar amps.
Then we have a store where they are really into hifi components. Speaker building, electronic kits and the like.
I imagine followers of RS on this forum dream that RS was once like what I describe above or could be again.
Me, I'm staying here, surrounded by everything I need
It's interesting that the CNBC article claims that Kevin O'Leary thinks "that a large wireless company will scoop up what's left of its physical assets". I can't see any of them wasting their money that way. I think they will be bought by some Chinese company solely for the brand name. That's too bad for the smaller privately owned stores, the ones doing the best job.
It's interesting that the CNBC article claims that Kevin O'Leary thinks "that a large wireless company will scoop up what's left of its physical assets".
Not possible for real estate. Radio Shack owns very few of their buildings. Almost all of it is leased. Another company could take over the lease, but that's hardly worth buying.
As far as store inventory, why would one "large wireless company" want to buy the unsold merchandise of all their competitors? If the aim is liquidate, they don't get much. Used store fixtures never sell for much, and most major retailers have them custom made anyway.
The analysis in the CNBC story is a little off, metheenks.
Closing (up to) 1,100 is a bold move, and something they should have done long ago. IMO, they need to close and consolidate even more.
Not possible for real estate. Radio Shack owns very few of their buildings. Almost all of it is leased. Another company could take over the lease, but that's hardly worth buying.
As far as store inventory, why would one "large wireless company" want to buy the unsold merchandise of all their competitors? If the aim is liquidate, they don't get much. Used store fixtures never sell for much, and most major retailers have them custom made anyway.
The analysis in the CNBC story is a little off, metheenks.
Closing (up to) 1,100 is a bold move, and something they should have done long ago. IMO, they need to close and consolidate even more.
According to the good people hired by Ariana Huffington (and based on what the WSJ thinks.) the Shack will be closing the first 500 stores soon. I imagine they are planning on closing the ones who're underperforming and badly.
I can think of two that should be closed first and both are here in Queens.
Hmmm, I strongly suspect that there will be more of these sales to support Clarence....... (That's really clearance, but I recall seeing a sign that was painted with the name of George's friend on it.)
Naturally it was on Yahoo's radar, and brought me to her site.
Interestingly enough I visited one of Parallax's dealers both Sunday and today, and no one there was pressuring me to buy something I didn't need. And today the chap in that corner was really interested in what made each items special.
Walked through the RS store near the office today...sparely stocked with minimal do-it-yourself stuff on the wall at the moment...many of the do-it-yourself hooks were empty which is unusual...this store is a major one that usually has stuff other stores do not.
Hate to see it go...having the ability to get something RIGHT NOW has been helpful over the years...hopefully it will be one of the survivors.
Walked through the RS store near the office today...sparely stocked with minimal do-it-yourself stuff on the wall at the moment...many of the do-it-yourself hooks were empty which is unusual...this store is a major one that usually has stuff other stores do not.
Hate to see it go...having the ability to get something RIGHT NOW has been helpful over the years...hopefully it will be one of the survivors.
Hello!
And where are you exactly? I've seen some stores like that. When asked why are their DIY shelves and hooks empty, I was told they are busy ordering stuff to sell.
And I visited one of their remodeled ones a while ago. I was disappointed by it.
I can think of three in Manhattan, (and that's not one of them) that does need to be shuttered.
Comments
I don't understand this strange obsession with Radio Shack on these forums.
Maybe I'm just in a bad Radio Shack zone.
The two near me rarely if ever have any of the great deals all of the rest of you are finding.
Their staff generally remain clueless about anything other than cellular plans and suffer the delusions as mall kiosk cellular employees as to why an AT&T employee might not want the latest and greatest plan from <insert cellular provide here>.
When I think they may have part I need/want, when I see the price, I back away and go home to order it from some place online for a lot less. Nothing they have do I need *THAT* urgently. Nothing I am working on is that urgent.
I believe they have 2 Parallax items currently, a QuickStart and a Ping. If I want either of those, I WILL order directly from Parallax.
Long ago and far away, they were a resource....now they are just another store I don't visit anymore. The only marginal concern I might have is they are an employer in the community an do provide a small number of jobs.
Am I missing some "bigger picture"?
http://ir.radioshackcorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=84525&p=irol-news&nyo=0
Perhaps...I view it as we are watching history in the making...the demise of the brick and mortar electronics retail sector as we have known it...with RS being the current poster child.
Best Buy just posted a small profit for the 4th quarter...and only after they started matching Amazon.
The brick and mortar retail sector is undergoing an evolutionary phase change...and it is worth watching..
I think it's nostalgia more than anything else.
If you want to take the pulse of the hobby/educational electronics market, look to the online retailers who understand the markets they cater to: Parallax, Sparkfun, and Pololu for starters. All three seem to be doing well.
I view RS as just the next chapter in the overall electronics market...with the hobby/educational market being a very small subset of the overall electronics market.
In the past Circuit City WAS a major player who resisted the changes in the market.
Best Buy just squeeked by this quarter with a small profit by matching on line prices...time will tell how well that will work this fiscal year.
As to RS's future...well there are rumors of bankruptcy on the Net.
My first RC car came from there, the Golden Arrow. It was rock solid and lasted for years.
I just decided to look it up. I cannot believe my parents bought that for me. It was $330! Holy smokes!
Well there goes that nice memory lol... Godspeed Radio Shack!
RadioShack closing up to 1,100 stores after dismal holidays
March 4 (Reuters) - Struggling retailer RadioShack Corp reported a wider quarterly loss on Tuesday and said it will close up to 1,100 U.S. stores after a huge drop in sales over the holidays, sending the stock down more than 15 percent.
Down town there is a big store full of electronic surplus, again components, MCUs, old TTL, all kinds of stuff.
Then we have a store totally kitted out with everything you need to build tube amps, mostly geared toward guitar amps.
Then we have a store where they are really into hifi components. Speaker building, electronic kits and the like.
I imagine followers of RS on this forum dream that RS was once like what I describe above or could be again.
Me, I'm staying here, surrounded by everything I need
It's interesting that the CNBC article claims that Kevin O'Leary thinks "that a large wireless company will scoop up what's left of its physical assets". I can't see any of them wasting their money that way. I think they will be bought by some Chinese company solely for the brand name. That's too bad for the smaller privately owned stores, the ones doing the best job.
Not possible for real estate. Radio Shack owns very few of their buildings. Almost all of it is leased. Another company could take over the lease, but that's hardly worth buying.
As far as store inventory, why would one "large wireless company" want to buy the unsold merchandise of all their competitors? If the aim is liquidate, they don't get much. Used store fixtures never sell for much, and most major retailers have them custom made anyway.
The analysis in the CNBC story is a little off, metheenks.
Closing (up to) 1,100 is a bold move, and something they should have done long ago. IMO, they need to close and consolidate even more.
According to the good people hired by Ariana Huffington (and based on what the WSJ thinks.) the Shack will be closing the first 500 stores soon. I imagine they are planning on closing the ones who're underperforming and badly.
I can think of two that should be closed first and both are here in Queens.
Hmmm, I strongly suspect that there will be more of these sales to support Clarence....... (That's really clearance, but I recall seeing a sign that was painted with the name of George's friend on it.)
Naturally it was on Yahoo's radar, and brought me to her site.
Interestingly enough I visited one of Parallax's dealers both Sunday and today, and no one there was pressuring me to buy something I didn't need. And today the chap in that corner was really interested in what made each items special.
Hate to see it go...having the ability to get something RIGHT NOW has been helpful over the years...hopefully it will be one of the survivors.
Hello!
And where are you exactly? I've seen some stores like that. When asked why are their DIY shelves and hooks empty, I was told they are busy ordering stuff to sell.
And I visited one of their remodeled ones a while ago. I was disappointed by it.
I can think of three in Manhattan, (and that's not one of them) that does need to be shuttered.