Radio Shack closing up to 700 stores.

[Van]

They steered away from what they used to be, a place to go and get parts and pieces to make things or repair things. You could go into a radio shack with $40 and come out with enough stuff to make your own fm radio or a metal detector, have a tv that wont turn on because the knobs broken? You could get a generic switch and some soldering wire and replace it yourself, record players drive band broken and you could replace that to. Go into any of these stores 30 years ago and you walk out with several electronics kits for your kids and a trash 80 computer for around $200 and have a merry xmas and great time with your kids.

 

[David Dietzel]

Radio Shack, years ago, used to be the place to go to get electronic parts for just about any project or repair job you had in mind. The sales staff was also fairly knowledgeable.

Now they just cary mobile phones and contracts, satellite equipment and contracts, extremely cheap quality electronic or geek toys, gawd-awefully overpriced Monster cables, and only a smattering of electronic parts. The sales staff just quit Taco Bell the week before.

Radio Shack has been managed into the ground.

Very sad to see all those people lose their jobs.

 

[Stargazer]

Yeah, I forgot to mention about their knowledge on electronics. They ARE totally clueless. You got questions but they DO NOT have answers (unless you count stupid ones or I dont know or we do not carry what you need).

 

[Darkman]

In Canada .. "Radio Shack"(s) had been renamed to "Source" quite long time ago already...

 

[Roger]

Then they want to know your name, address, and phone number for every purchase. At least the franchise store here does which I don't like. My store is better than most because it's privately owned and they've been doing it for years.
I buy radios from there from time to time. Also bought E* for a relative there as well.

 

[lostlife]

Then they want to know your name, address, and phone number for every purchase. At least the franchise store here does which I don't like. My store is better than most because it's privately owned and they've been doing it for years.
I buy radios from there from time to time. Also bought E* for a relative there as well.

they used to require the same information here too untill about 2 years ago when everyone started refusing to give it to them. also the credit card machine shows your full credit card # here. i try to pay with cash here if possible and only if there is something i really need like a resistor for my ham radio or something.

 

[pro96]

700 stores now, and most likely will go out of business thereafter. The only thing worth buying for me in the last 3 years was my APCO25 Digital Scanners.

Wonder if they will still be selling Police Scanners if they completely go FUBAR?

 

[dfergie]

We only have one and if it goes out of business its Online for electronic stuff only from now on...

 

[SimpleSimon]

As others have said RS actually died YEARS ago.

I'm lucky - we've got OEM Parts in Colo. Spgs. It's the sixth largest electronics parts store in the country - and they've got a huge amount of unique stuff, too.

 

[craig559]

It Is A Shame That So Many Of You Are Disapionted. The Store At Apache Mall In Rochester Mn Is A Treat For Me But I Have To Admit The Ipod Has Taken Over A Little To Much.

 

[KAB]

Edmondson resigned today over his remume.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11465251/

 

[KAB]

I mean resume!

 

[Mr Tony]

It Is A Shame That So Many Of You Are Disapionted. The Store At Apache Mall In Rochester Mn Is A Treat For Me But I Have To Admit The Ipod Has Taken Over A Little To Much.

Craig
I’ve been to that store many times in Apache mall. About 10 years ago they wanted to put one on the north side of Rochester but there was so much backlash about it they decided not to.

I just noticed (looked on RS site) they have one on 55th..when did they put that in?

I worked in St Paul (3 miles north of the airport in Sibley Plaza) and there was a new one they opened 2 miles from my store. Never could figure that one out (my store closed about a year later).

Honestly one of the worst ones to work in was the Mall of America. They had 2 in there for a while. Damn near needed chains to keep the stuff from being stolen.

The one near me (Shakopee) they have cycled through so many people. I go in and either they are like a horny dog to your leg (right next to you) or they avoid you altogether. I go to the one 45 minutes from my house (buddy of mine runs that).

Haven’t had the cell phone thing thrown at me yet.

It’s sad what Radio Shack has become. Use to be the only non Radio Shack things they had were Primestar, DSS (if you were in one of those areas that you could sell it in originally) and whatever regional cell phone provider was in your area (Airtouch, Cell2000, US Cellular, Cell One,. Etc)… Long before Verizon & Sprint

I do like the franchise stores. Couple near my lake house. They have some cool stuff (only bummer is when stuff is discontinued, it takes FOREVER for them to drop the prices)

 

[Stargazer]

I tried giving them some business tonight but they said they them it in stock but wouldnt sell them to me. Thats the 942's. I hope they all close down as far as I am concerned. They still think the 942 brings in HD and wanted to give me one for free if I signed up for service.

 

[cdoyle]

I used to really like RS to get parts for the little projects I'm working on. But now, I'm lucky to find a resistor there.

And the employees, geeze. The last time I went to the one by my house, the guy working there had his cell phone on. He was ringing someone up, and his phone rang. He had that annoying laughy taffy song as his ring tone. He wouldn't turn it off either, just let it ring at full volume.

He must have thought that was pretty cool or something. I just found it very unprofessional, and no wonder why RS's are closing down.

 

[PEP]

As others have said RS actually died YEARS ago.

I'm lucky - we've got OEM Parts in Colo. Spgs. It's the sixth largest electronics parts store in the country - and they've got a huge amount of unique stuff, too.

I am assuming you are talking about Synergy? The other Synergy is located here in Oklahoma City - and it is, hands down, the best place I have visited for any little electronics gadgets, parts, etc.... I bought my OTA antenna, RG-6 and connectors there when I put up my OTA antenna. I feel fortunate to have a place like that local to me....

Patrick

 

[Tom Bombadil]

They cheapened their speakers too. While they were never an audiophile shop, they did produce some decent models.

They used to have some decent Tandy-branded radios too, from short-wave to AM/FM to weather and walkie-talkies.

Now most of the stuff they carry is available from many other outlets. Their market research a few years ago indicated that they needed to carry well-known brands, so they cut down on their own lines and brought in Monster and RCA and Terk and many others.

It is a tough market. Just because you can find a niche in the 1970s and 1980s, doesn't mean that you can find one 20 years later. Especially in today's Wal-Mart world.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I am assuming you are talking about Synergy? The other Synergy is located here in Oklahoma City - and it is, hands down, the best place I have visited for any little electronics gadgets, parts, etc.... I bought my OTA antenna, RG-6 and connectors there when I put up my OTA antenna. I feel fortunate to have a place like that local to me....

Patrick

No, I said "OEM Parts", and I meant "OEM Parts". http://www.oemparts.com

The web site does NOT do them justice.

 

[Bob Haller]

The non mall stores carry a little more in the way of parts. I still use them for parts but they dont carry much. Several local stores just closed no sale They packed up all the merchandise for other stores..

a good friend was a manager, he didnt take the news his store was closing well and might have got bounced over 25 years with the company.

fewer people today buy components, and the exclusive deal with cingular was a big mistake.

store managers made good money, sales folks starved

 

[dishcomm]

Being an ex rat Shack employee, I’m not surprised.

Radio Shack use to have a real good franchise thing, but Corporate bought up a lot of those stores. Or they opened a corporate store down the road from the Franchise store.

Yes they do have some good stuff, but the prices are outrageous on some items. As noted above, if I want electronics, I’ll go to Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, etc.

We have 5 or 6 Rat Shacks within 10-11 miles from my house. Heck there is one a block from my house. Too bad it looks like a dump. Another one of their flaws is signing leases for WAY too long. The one near my house is in a mall that has gone downhill about 7 or 8 years ago..yet rat Shack is still there.

I can think of 4 or 5 in the vicinity of my house (within 30 miles) that are in malls that are basically dead.

Hopefully they close a couple near me and have a clearance sale (they try to get rid of a lot of stuff and ship the high markup stuff to other stores)

The only reason for Radio shack is if you need a specialized part for a repair or installation of some kind right away..there are items in the shack that no other store sells....ANd if yuo're in the middle of a project you can get it right away...Other than that, I don't see the need to pay those inflated prices