From a peak of 7,300 stores nationwide, RadioShack had a huge going out of business sale over the Memorial Day weekend and has now closed all but 72 stores. Down to just seven states, the electronics retailer once declared it was within 3 miles of 95% of its customers.
Retail in this country is going through a painful transition.
If they close, where will I buy my alarm clock, Walkman, GPS, cell phone, PDA, calculator, and voice recorder???
Oh, right. My phone does all that. Sorry, RS – yo tam is up.
Gosh. Who needs young American kids learning how to wire up a circuit board in their own home?
While the fade of tinkerers and technicians are partly responsible, along with surface mount solder technology brought some of their fall, those of us that were still looking for the items that were their bread/butter were met with low wage idiots that only wanted to sell you a computer or a cell phone. Last time I was in one, they were berating a customer who cursed them(back, I might add) and left…I berated them on my way out and haven’t entered one since.
They brought this on themselves as far as I am concerned. No customer should be condescended to.
Immortal Fish. Too easy. Muslims of course.
I didn’t know these stores even existed anymore.
Electronic components for hobbies were one of their unique draws. Replaced by software, online shopping and Best Buy (or Fry’s Electronics in CA).
Radio Shock used to have its place, that changed in the 90’s when they started to get into gadgets. I still frequented the nearby stores for resistors, capacitors, switches and the like for various projects. Then they stopped carrying a decent enough selection for me to even go look. Besides, I can now wait only 3 weeks to get 500 times more resistors from China in an e-packet for half the cost.
OT
Trump just pulled us out of that stupid Paris agreement.
“‘I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris’: Trump to pull out of Paris climate agreement”
Thanks for posting Bad_Boy_Brad, you bad,
I was afraid I was caught in a break down of the time space continuum.
NOT TIRED OF WINNING!
More Winning, Brad…
I can get used to this!
Just checked Dudge, apparently no rioting has been reported yet.
As spoken by Candidate Trump,
‘I will fight for you, and I will WIN for you’.
Liberals are calling it an act of “War”.
His speech is worth listening to. I can’t believe what that agreement did to us.
Great news! I would go the Evergreen State College to get their opinion but they shut down the school because of a threat of some kind. Good things happening all over.
Here’s his speech. It’s a good illustration of what liberals have done to our country. My jaw dropped on some of what Trump revealed.
https://youtu.be/1jfzLHTbvjM
It was an excellent speech! Named names, quoted figures, painted a picture even an indoctrinated child could understand!
Just peeked out the back door, no rioting to report.
And to think they started out
selling nothing but WWII military
radios to ham & shortwave operators.
My buddy and I went in rat shack years
ago looking for a common FET {field effect transistor}
the black guy told us he did’nt have any but just
“put a rye-ziztor {resitor} in der” we laughed in the lab
for monthes….
I suppose the ext thing you’re going to tell me is that Heathkit is out of business.
I’ve been expecting RS to go under for 30+ years, and always surprised when I’d encounter one still open.
Most mis-managed Specialty Retail chain imaginable. Yes, low wage idiot kids who knew zippo about the products, and weren’t paid enough to bother. Weird spotty inventory with gaping holes in product lines. And prices 3,000% higher than the much better selection at WalMart across the street.
Not the tech obsolescence of hi-if home stereo, or even eBay China competitors.
Just textbook mismanagement.
They were so abysmal, I often wondered if the chain was just a massive front for money laundering.
Is it a coincidence that the Clinton laundry scheme has collapsed, and 5 months later suddenly RS is also closing doors for good?
Hmmmm …
Usually when flagship chains close I like to swing by and pick up one last iconic souvenir to remember them by.
But I can’t imagine anything at a RS I would want.
I guess I’ll have to look for my Battery Club card and frame it. Last time I saw it, it was laying on top of the Heathkit HB-101.
I remember back in the ’70’s. Their flyers had a column called “Flyer Side Chat” written by some VP or president. He usually succeeded in proving he did not know what he was talking about.
One time he complained about the term “hertz.” He asked “What is wrong with ‘cycles?'” I wanted to write him and tell him that hertz meant cycles per second, not cycles. There is a difference, just as “miles” does not mean “miles per hour.” “Hertz” is shorter than “cycles per second.”
Another time he talked about how stupid the FCC was for the regulation that CB radios were limited to five watts. He said “Anybody who knows anything knows that with amplitude modulation the power changes with modulation.” I wanted to point out to him the anybody who knew FCC regulations knew that power in an amplitude modulation transmitter was to be measured with no modulation.
The guy was an idiot. I doubt their management has gotten any better since then.
Ebay and Amazon have saved me a lot of money. Sorry brick and mortor
There used to be 3 RS stores within 35 mile radius. Then they all. closed a couple of years ago.
Two months ago I discovered a new one opened, by the guy who previously owned the one south of my home. Wonder if it has closed. Hope not. I hate spending $10 for shipping for a 1 amp fuse that cost $1.
In the 70’s they were great. They didn’t
change with the times. So solly…..
I guess I’m one of the few who hate seeing brick and mortar stores closing. I hate having to shop online and only do it when I absolutely have to. I like to actually look at what I’m buying not looking at a picture and I like to take it home today not waiting on it to arrive and half the damn stores anymore make you pick it up at the store in order to get free shipping. Why can’t you just stock the damn thing? Amazon is ran by a bunch of liberal pricks and if it’s the only place I can find something then I don’t need it because I refuse to give them my money.