RadioShack files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

a reply to: SgtHamsandwich

Radio Shack was great-back in the 1980's-back before they had any competition.

Radio Shack was the place to go back in the day. But, Lafayette Electronics was still the place to go for electronic components and tools.

My first computer was a TRS-80 with 4K or RAM. Radio Shack was a groundbreaking retailer wrt consumer computer tech.

However, over the last few years the service as RS has become horrible in some stores. On at least two occasions I had to complain to RS corporate because of utterly rude and clueless service. The last time I complained, I had to threaten to go to the BBB before I got any response from then. It still didn't help.

I talked to the local Radio Shack store manager before Christmas. He told me that they had 4 different dress code changes in the last year. RS has been grasping at straws for a long time.

Radio Shack - RIP


dex

Last time in was in a RS (a year ago) the guy working there didn't know much and didn't seem to care. I looked around for a while for what I needed then gave up.

originally posted by: stirling
Good riddance to bad rubbish....no more overpriced and low quality electronics that don't last......
Ive always considered them to be an icon of ripoff retail establishments.....

Here is a pic of a stereo that has survived a family of six (4 boys) and after about 40 years, the damn thing still works great, my brother has it and uses it.
It's a 'Realistic'

I wonder if Best Buy is next? I sure hope not, I like my job

Of course these e-commerce retailers like Amazon don't have to pay for cashiers and sales people so no wonder their doing better than these brick and mortar stores.

a reply to: DexterRiley

Radio Shack compared to Lafayette Electronics was like a toy store. I was bummed when Lafayette disappeared and I had to go to Radio Sh_ _t. I heard about this coming on for a while now. I'll have to save some cash to hit the going out of business sale and pick up some hard to find adapters and such. They suck, but they were the only game in town and now they are gone. It will be mail order from here on out I guess. I miss the old days and the DIYS Heath kit projects with wire connections and solid state. Man I'm old!

a reply to: charlyv

Yes, ecommerce got them bad, but probably the worst hit was the advent of computers and stores that serviced computer users and builders with parts and equipment. I don't think you will be seeing Fry's taking a dive anytime soon.

Radio Shack seemed to be betting on the cell phones market at one time and virtually nobody went there, not even for batteries! My local one only has the simplest of electronic parts and the last two times I went there the clerks had no idea of what electronics was all about.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

I'll have to save some cash to hit the going out of business sale

Yep. That's what I'm waiting for. They had some Arduino stuff in stock. It was way over-priced, but maybe it will be cheaper during a fire-sale.

RS was okay for quick fix components and stuff for throw away projects. You can still get PL-259's and coax from truck stops, but that's about it.

I miss the old days and the DIYS Heath kit projects with wire connections and solid state. Man I'm old!

You and me both!


I still like to tinker from time to time. I guess I'll have to rely on mail-order exclusively from now on.


dex

originally posted by: SgtHamsandwich
a reply to: FyreByrd

It's not only mom and pops, but ever increasing sizes of business that just can't survive. And we, the consuming public (we aren't people anymore - as that designation goes to BIg Business interests today) lose out on the lack of competition.

I tend to disagree a bit with this statement. I feel that because of the easy of online shopping there is more competition than ever for the consuming public. That's why these places are dying. They can't afford to charge the prices required to pay the overhead of retail stores.

Online shopping is cutting out the middle man and allowing us to purchase goods from a multitude of sources all over the world at wholesale prices.

It's a no brainer for me as a consumer when I can sit on the toilet at home and order a $2 usb cable that I need right from my phone as opposed to getting dressed, driving to where ever, using gas, to such and such store to pay $15 bucks for the same cable. That saves me $13 buck to put towards my ever increasing grocery bill.

I agree about online shopping but greatly exacerbates the flow of capital to single end point. A small business can't compete with Amazon or Ebay - or Alibaba. The online big box stores drive prices further down, and charge 'partners' many fees making profit margins very small. Small and Medium businesses don't have the traffic to survive on such small margins.

The principal is the same in both cases.

a reply to: DexterRiley

Coax, some audio adapters and a mobile CB antenna or two is on my wish list. Strangely enough, I was looking into Part 15 compliant AM broadcast transmitters online after reading this and found they are mostly in kit form, like the old Heath kits.

That kind of thing is exclusively online anyway and far cheaper than RS could offer. I guess they have dug their own grave over the years, now they are ready to get covered up and buried. Adios amigo, RIP.

originally posted by: FyreByrd


I agree about online shopping but greatly exacerbates the flow of capital to single end point. A small business can't compete with Amazon or Ebay - or Alibaba. The online big box stores drive prices further down, and charge 'partners' many fees making profit margins very small. Small and Medium businesses don't have the traffic to survive on such small margins.

The principal is the same in both cases.

Everyone is getting their crap from China anyway, when you order a watch on ebay for $8.99, the merchant is also getting the watch cheap and then making a profit.
While hurting the bricks and mortar store's economy for that item, you are actually helping your own personal economy, you can spend that money you saved that you otherwise could have put in someone else's pocket and have a nice lunch at Burger King, where ironically all the money flows within the country, or at least North America, and not overseas.

I have never ordered a Whopper online, I like them fresh at the BK brick and mortar store.

rADIOShack

They've been teetering on the edge of this for almost a decade now, so this is no shock. On the bright side, in the right markets, this will create more business for the mom & pop hobby stores that sell RC parts, circuitry kits, and the like.

Honestly, I can't recall the last time I actually bought something at RS...

They should have gone back to their roots and become a store that sold radio PARTS.

I remember going into a Radio Shack 20 years ago and they had all kinds of wires, switches, transistors and circuit boards. The last time I went into a Radio Shack about a year ago it was all alarm clocks and cell phone accessories.

If they would have gone back to selling electronic components for garage tinkerers and people that build custom computers, they may have fared better.

Radioshack

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
They should have gone back to their roots and become a store that sold radio PARTS.

I remember going into a Radio Shack 20 years ago and they had all kinds of wires, switches, transistors and circuit boards. The last time I went into a Radio Shack about a year ago it was all alarm clocks and cell phone accessories.

If they would have gone back to selling electronic components for garage tinkerers and people that build custom computers, they may have fared better.

Nope they would have gone under even faster. Very....very few people actually do this hobby it is not easy and instant. Radio shack should have moved online only and closed all the stores.


We are at a turning point the future is online shopping. Delivery services and online warehouse will rule this new world. I do 90% of my buying online now. Food and clothes will remain all the rest will fail.

a reply to: SgtHamsandwich

Best buy is the same way IMO. I go to Best Buy to look at the things I want to buy off of Amazon for cheaper

Yeah I think so were most of the people.

For a while BB wouldn’t match Amazon prices and they would charge 15% restocking fee. I think they finally realized that customers had other options and they started to match Amazon prices and got rid of the 15% restocking fee.

I didn't find out about this for over a year later because I stopped shopping with them for those two reasons. The first time I went back as a customer by chance the store employee looked at me strange like why wouldn't we match Amazon prices and of course we don't have restocking fees.


Radio shack was always a last resort for me because of their prices. It would be cool to see amazon use those spaces they are planning to buy to: demo products that aren't online friendly to purchase and use it for item returns. I doubt the latter one will happen as I'm sure they count on lower returns because of the inconvenience to re package and mail back.

I just took a look at their website and no mention of bankruptcy. In fact it's all good. I was hoping to get an idea of when the going out of business sale would begin, but no word on their financial troubles. Nada, nothing, it makes me wonder why they wouldn't say something on their website.

ETA: The article actually mentions this. I guess it would help to read the articles in the OP, LOL.

One thing that looks certain, however, is the closure of 1,784 stores, as outlined in bankruptcy documents (and noticed by Business Insider). The closures will come in three waves, with the first completed by February 17th, and the latest at the end of March.

Bankrupt doesn't mean gone though. Here is a link from the article with specifics on which stores are going to close.

List of Stores Link



Well, what do you know, my local store isn't on the chopping block. I'm disappointed, no sale for me I guess.

Looks like my local store will be sticking around. Time to head there in search of project box for a new reef tank led build, if they even still sell them...

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

My local store is definitely on the list. Not surprised at all though.