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.