rat shack now just the shack?

sucks2beme

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/02/radio-shack-rebranding-to-the-shack/

The Dallas newspaper said the same thing. They want to become
a glorified cell phone outlet.

Face

Doesn't surprise me at all.

bobman1235

sucks2beme wrote: »

They want to become
a glorified cell phone outlet.

This would be different from what they already are how?

obieone

NOOOOOOOO! I don't go there often, but it IS nice when you need something here & now!

sucks2beme

They still have a couple of things left. Another year of current management,
and it's toast. It's a good thing I've still got Tanner and Altex here in Dallas,
as well as Fry's.

nadams

Bring back Tandy!

Danny Tse

nadams wrote: »

Bring back Tandy!

Bring back the Minimus 7 speakers

shack

There is only ONE TRUE shack.....

millerman 3732

Best radio shack post ever!

NotaSuv wrote: »

FORT WORTH, TX—Despite having been on the job for nine months, RadioShack CEO Julian Day said Monday that he still has "no idea" how the home electronics store manages to stay open.


CEO Julian Day
"There must be some sort of business model that enables this company to make money, but I'll be damned if I know what it is," Day said. "You wouldn't think that people still buy enough strobe lights and extension cords to support an entire nationwide chain, but I guess they must, or I wouldn't have this desk to sit behind all day."

The retail outlet boasts more than 6,000 locations in the United States, and is known best for its wall-sized displays of obscure-looking analog electronics components and its notoriously desperate, high-pressure sales staff. Nevertheless, it ranks as a Fortune 500 company, with gross revenues of over $4.5 billion and fiscal quarter earnings averaging tens of millions of dollars.

"Have you even been inside of a RadioShack recently?" Day asked. "Just walking into the place makes you feel vaguely depressed and alienated. Maybe our customers are at the mall anyway and don't feel like driving to Best Buy? I suppose that's possible, but still, it's just...weird."

After taking over as CEO, Day ordered a comprehensive, top-down review of RadioShack's administrative operations, inventory and purchasing, suppliers, demographics, and marketing strategies. He has also diligently pored over weekly budget reports, met with investors, taken numerous conference calls with regional managers about "circulars or flyers or something," and even spent hours playing with the company's "baffling" 200-In-One electronics kit. Yet so far none of these things have helped Day understand the moribund company's apparent allure.

"Even the name 'RadioShack'—can you imagine two less appealing words placed next to one another?" Day said. "What is that, some kind of World War II terminology? Are ham radio operators still around, even? Aren't we in the digital age?"

"Well, our customers are out there somewhere, and thank God they are," Day added.

One of Day's theories about RadioShack's continued solvency involves wedding DJs, emergency cord replacement, and off-brand wireless telephones. Another theory entails countless RadioShack gift cards that sit unredeemed in their recipients' wallets. Day has even conjectured that the store is "still coasting on" an enormous fortune made from remote-control toy cars in the mid-1970s.


Day admitted, however, that none of these theories seems particularly plausible.

"I once went into a RadioShack location incognito in order to gauge customer service," Day said. "It was about as inviting as a visit to the DMV. For the life of me, I couldn't see anything I wanted to buy. Finally, I figured I'd pick up some Enercell AA batteries, though truthfully they're not appreciably cheaper than the name brands."

"I know one thing," Day continued. "If Sony and JVC start including gold-tipped cable cords with their products, we're screwed."

In the cover letter to his December 2006 report to investors, "Radio Shack: Still Here In The 21st Century," Day wrote that he had no reason to believe that the coming year would not be every bit as good as years past, provided that people kept on doing things much the same way they always had.

Despite this cheerful boosterism, Day admitted that nothing has changed during his tenure and he doesn't exactly know what he can do to improve the chain.

"I'd like to capitalize on the store's strong points, but I honestly don't know what they are," Day said. "Every location is full of bizarre adapters, random chargers, and old boom boxes, and some sales guy is constantly hovering over you. It's like walking into your grandpa's basement. You always expect to see something cool, but it never delivers."

Added Day: "I may never know the answer. No matter how many times I punch the sales figures into this crappy Tandy desk calculator, it just doesn't add up."

audiobliss

That's hilarious!

shadowofnight

In the very early days( Pre-Internet ) they were a Toys R Us for DIY speaker builders .....I spent hours in Radio Shack for every kind of component, and they ordered whatever they didnt have on hand. The guy working the counter usually owned the place, and knew his customers on a first name basis...those days have long passed.

sucks2beme

The guys in the local Rat Shack do know me. They aren't real happy with
the latest turn of events. One of the local guys is the police scanner guru.
The other stores send people over to get their handhelds programmed.
You know the guy. Has one on his belt, and in his car, has every programming
cable ever made behind the counter. Ham radio licence plate
and big antenna on the car. There's a dying breed. He has a day job,
but works there on the weekend to afford his toys.

billbillw

I've been in a RadioShack approx 3 times in the last year. Mostly for $2-$3 items. RCA splitters, various adapters, volume pots, etc. No more than a $10 sale. I agree with the CEO...I have no idea how they stay in business.

sucks2beme

I believe that was a "fake" interview. A bit of satire. But don't you wish
it was true. My CEO is effin clueless. As was the last one. Just there
for the bonus. And they did get a bonus, even as the company went
Chapter 11. But if you ask them, they'll be glad to tell you how great
the new "plan" is. RIP Radio Shack. You'll be joining Comp USA(tried
to be a home theater store) and Circuit City(god knows what they were
trying to be).

cnh

Danny Tse wrote: »

Bring back the Minimus 7 speakers

I would say that a lot of us have a pair or so of these hanging around somewhere. They were pretty impressive little metal-cased speakers in their era just before the RISE OF THE TINY SATELLITE HT speak!

cnh

dpowell

The only thing I go in there for now is to periodically see if I can pick up a RC helicopter on clearance for my son. Frys has all of the stuff (and more) I used to go into Radio Shack for and better pricing too. Looks like they'll be contributing to the collapse of the commercial real estate market before too long. RIP.

mmadden28

sucks2beme wrote: »

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/02/radio-shack-rebranding-to-the-shack/

The Dallas newspaper said the same thing. They want to become
a glorified cell phone outlet.

I walked into RS a few months ago and thought I walked into a typical cell phone store. The entire front half was nothing but cell phones.

bobman1235

sucks2beme wrote: »

I believe that was a "fake" interview. A bit of satire.

Yeah, pretty sure it was in the Onion a while back.

NotaSuv

bobman1235 wrote: »

Yeah, pretty sure it was in the Onion a while back.

yup it was, but pretty spot on as alot of their "satire" is

mmadden28

sucks2beme wrote: »

I believe that was a "fake" interview. A bit of satire.

bobman1235 wrote: »

Yeah, pretty sure it was in the Onion a while back.

NotaSuv wrote: »

yup it was, but pretty spot on as alot of their "satire" is

Agreed--Even though I knew it was on the Onion as I was reading it awhile back, I was still convinced it was real.

shack

Regardless of what you thing about them...they are making money in an economy where lots of consumer product companies (all segments...mfg, wholesale and retail) are going under or losing money. Their stock is trading around 75-80% of it's 52 week high...not many consumer electronic businesses can say that.

However, they will really have to do a good job to stay viable for the long term. Their competetors are the Wal-Marts, Best Buy and the internet. They indicate very good ROA & ROE (return on assets and equity) which tells me company is being managed well and is doing a very good job controling expenses. Given their ablity to adapt over the years and remain a viable, profitable company...I don't think I would bet against them.

Marty913

I agree with shack that they must be doing something right, or at least enough to survive. I do think they need to decide whether they want to be a computer, cell phone, home theater, or gadget store. You can't really do all of those categories any justice in a small mall-type store. Still, I'd like to see them stick around if only for the small towns that don't have a Best Buy, Frys, etc. They're kind of like the Tru Value Hardware store of electric stuff to a lot of small towns.

I recently blew a couple amp module fuses in my Carver amp. I guarantee you won't find them at Best Buy. My local Shack had a tray full of the exact ones I needed. I doubt my purchase helped their bottom line too much but I was sure glad they were there.

JohnLocke88

Circuit City tried to become... The City.... see how well that saved their asses :rolleyes:

Danny Tse

Danny Tse wrote: »

Bring back the Minimus 7 speakers

cnh wrote: »

I would say that a lot of us have a pair or so of these hanging around somewhere. They were pretty impressive little metal-cased speakers in their era just before the RISE OF THE TINY SATELLITE HT speak!

Those were my first HT rear surround speakers and I still have them. Very power-hungry though.

Btw, for those of us who are old enough to remember the Radio Shack catalog, they're now online....

Vintage Radio Shack catalogs

Mike682

Danny Tse wrote: »

Those were my first HT rear surround speakers and I still have them. Very power-hungry though.

Btw, for those of us who are old enough to remember the Radio Shack catalog, they're now online....

Vintage Radio Shack catalogs

Great link

Just checked out some of the '80s catalogs...I remember playing games on the TRS-80 (baseball, Dungeons of Daggorath), blasting the neighbor's rack system. Its like going back in time:D