The last time I was in RS, I was looking for a TV antenna, mast and rotor. (About a year ago.) The guy looked at me like I was from another planet. You used to be able to go in there and buy just about any part to repair electronics or build it. I realize most everything now is micro or surface mount technology but they just turned into a toy store years ago. They have nothing to offer any more.
It's begun.....one of the stores in my area has a tarp over the "Best Buy" sign. It was nice walking into that store and browsing items. As much as I try to support the local economy, I just couldn't bring myself to buy anything there, knowing that I could get it cheaper online.
The last time I was in Radio Shack, it seemed like a mobile phone store, instead of the beloved Radio Shack of old. The phone sales might be what's keeping it afloat, as I personally see no reason to shop there.
Last edited by Sardonicus; 24 Apr 2012 at 20:49.
Actually early last year Radio Shack was doing a LOT of research into what they could change to get more folks back into the stores, and one big thing was the amateur radio community and kit building, as a way to introduce young folks into the world of basic electronics. I don't think it is a bad idea the WORST thing RS did was try and be something that they were NOT and should have never been a cell phone store or even a retailer of PCs. I'd love to see RS get back to carrying more discrete components and ham radio gear and all sorts of kits. There is a market for DIY electronic kits, even though the chinese make cheap junk, I think people would pay a bit more for quality items that you can learn from by DIY, of course they should also carry all manner of ham radio preassembled gear antennas and accessories as well as shortwave radio receivers too.
While they are at it they should carry OTA TV antennas and gear.
Plus make it attractive to potential interested hires at the stores to excel at being knowledgeable about electronics and radio gear.
There are a LOT of folks like myself that would work for less if we could be engaging customers that are looking for good help with electronics.
I can't recall how many times some stupid brass tack comes up with some ludicrous plan to make a company more profitable by essentially destroying the reason it existed in the first place.
For BB again the worst aspect of the stores is lack of value and poor disinterested sales help, the company DIScourages personnel from being truly knowledgeable about the products by the way they hire. Have you ever looked at their ludicrous job applications?
I want to see BB stay in business for many reasons if they can become more customer friendly.
The one thing that Radio Shack did that killed them, IMHO, was to make a lot of their niche items, "online only". If you can't run down to your local Radio Shack to get that specific part, then you might as well look at what the other online retailers have to offer. Best Buy does the same thing. If they limit the customer's ability to buy the item in the store, then online shopping is "fair game".
yeah phone sales for the cheap virgin service may be about the only thing floating radio shack anymore.
Their 'parts' which once covered a large part of the store is now reduced to a set of drawers with nothing more complex than toggles and fuses.
This goes to show us our Future
Everything will be Credit ,Cash money will soon disapear !
Almost everything is on the Internet now and if you can already select grocery's and just pick them up soon enough everything will be eliminated
I would say in another 5 years there will be no real electronic stores to walk into maybe a fry's but i see a bleek future for any place selling tv's electronics other then walmart and Target which has the one stop shop motto going which is true
If can get everything i need instead of running from store to store then im going to do so . Thing i hate about Online ordering Is the waiting period for your stuff
^ that's already just about happened here. there are next to no computer parts shops in area anywhere. The big chains like CompUSA are gone. Obviously Circuit City is gone. Best Buy is carrying less and less. The mom & pop small shops are all gone. There used to be a time when over a weekend I'd decide to change something and would pick up some parts at the local computer store, but those days are gone. Now I have to order everything and wait for it. I miss the days of instant gratification sometimes.
Don't ever use walmart as an example of a business. They use corrupt methods, generally their stores are built with taxpayer money. They are not the great capitalist success some people seem to think. They cheated and went outside the rules and continue to do so today. They represent everything that is wrong with our economy. Government favors killed the free market a long time ago though.
Exactly That is why i mentioned them ,I was a employee a Manager if you will I already know the whole system is whack
I used them as a example because they are the only one's hanging in there and there not doing it by playing by the rules and that my friend is called a Monopoly which alot of people don't get it that Walmart has become just that !
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