Brian H Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Well this explains why there was a sign in my local Radio Shack stores window this morning. Saying Whole Store on sale. Everything must go. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/08/reuters-america-update-2-electronics-store-radioshack-files-for-bankruptcy-again.html Link to comment
elvisimprsntr Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Too bad. I built my first TV descrambler with parts from RS. Etched the circuit board too. Link to comment
Teken Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 This is a perfect example of a old dog that won't learn a new trick. Very much like Sears which has been teetering on shut down for the last five years! Both run by management that have no clue what is happening around them. ========================= The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular. Link to comment
elvisimprsntr Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Add JC Penny, Circuit City, Blockbuster, Kmart to that list. Link to comment
Teken Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Add JC Penny, Circuit City, Blockbuster, Kmart to that list. Well, I didn't want to be accused of being a negative Nancy! Link to comment
elvisimprsntr Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I forgot Target (in Canada), Tower Records, and Good Guys (California stereo chain) Link to comment
Teken Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 LOL . . . ☺ ========================= The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular. Link to comment
Scottmichaelj Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Add JC Penny, Circuit City, Blockbuster, Kmart to that list. I forgot Target (in Canada), Tower Records, and Good Guys (California stereo chain) Lets be honest some of these names were doomed after the release of new technologies. JCPenny is coming back to life after the Ron Johnson fiasco and may have turned a profit last quarter. KMart and Sears are the same company and their land holdings are keeping them afloat with some help maybe from the Kardashians (clothesline). Circuit city lives on as Carmax and well The Good Guys weren't so good guys towards the end. Times change. I for one will always have fond memories of Radio Shack and my 60in1 electronics kit. It taught me how to use resistors, batteries, motors, etc. I bought a police scanner and aviation radio from them. Oh plus my free battery of the month club! Link to comment
larryllix Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Not to mention Heathkit that should bring memories to a few of us. Sent from a tiny keyboard. Response may be brief. My observation is you will see Target bite the dust, in the US also, in a few years, now they have decided to follow in the Sears style of sales. Link to comment
Scottmichaelj Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Dont count Sears out yet. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/10/sears-shares-continue-their-rally.html Link to comment
Dr Pepper Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If Radio Shack had competed price wise for the parts and components they could have stayed afloat with the "maker" movement etc. in my opinion. But $18 for a cable that you can buy online for $5 shipped killed them. When the stores around me went under I dropped about $500 and bought somewhere over $3000 worth of stuff (2 scanners, 2 of their top of the line solder stations (retail was about $100 and I paid $8 each), tons and tons of arduino and other stuff. Link to comment
Scottmichaelj Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If Radio Shack had competed price wise for the parts and components they could have stayed afloat with the "maker" movement etc. in my opinion. But $18 for a cable that you can buy online for $5 shipped killed them. When the stores around me went under I dropped about $500 and bought somewhere over $3000 worth of stuff (2 scanners, 2 of their top of the line solder stations (retail was about $100 and I paid $8 each), tons and tons of arduino and other stuff. You make a great point, but there may have been too big of a time gap though. Maker is really just now taking off and maybe one could argue not nationwide either. Gotta sell a ton of product to pay for overhead and employees. For a guy to make $15 an hour gotta sell 30 cables an hour at a $0.50 profit just to pay him! Its hard for most stores to stay open at this point. Some people would say the internet kills a lot of these stores Link to comment
TrojanHorse Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 You make a great point, but there may have been too big of a time gap though. Maker is really just now taking off and maybe one could argue not nationwide either. Gotta sell a ton of product to pay for overhead and employees. For a guy to make $15 an hour gotta sell 30 cables an hour at a $0.50 profit just to pay him! Its hard for most stores to stay open at this point. Some people would say the internet kills a lot of these stores Very true. Hard for bricks and mortar to compete with Internet selection, delivery and UPS logistics, etc. I always think in this niche for cables or other parts for example, they need the traffic that needs it NOW and can pay the extra 5 or 10 for something small. But sometimes they can't even help themselves. Here in MN where Best Buy has HQ, I went to the store closest to the busiest lake in the state looking for boat speakers. They didn't have any. I would have paid extra then and there, but instead they said they could get them into the store in like 5 days. Sorry, no thank you. Cheaper and faster please. When amazon has forced most bricks and mortar to close (current trajectory) and has everyone hooked on the convenience, will they raise prices? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment
Dr Pepper Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 You make a great point, but there may have been too big of a time gap though. Maker is really just now taking off and maybe one could argue not nationwide either. Gotta sell a ton of product to pay for overhead and employees. For a guy to make $15 an hour gotta sell 30 cables an hour at a $0.50 profit just to pay him! Its hard for most stores to stay open at this point. Some people would say the internet kills a lot of these stores If Amazon can sell it for $5.99 shipped and make a profit then Rad Shack can sell for $6.99 (because you dont have to wait 2 days or more days) and make a profit. You cant have a store in every town but 30 min drive between stores would not be as over saturated as they were. They were competing with themselves in some areas. Link to comment
apostolakisl Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Very true. Hard for bricks and mortar to compete with Internet selection, delivery and UPS logistics, etc. I always think in this niche for cables or other parts for example, they need the traffic that needs it NOW and can pay the extra 5 or 10 for something small. But sometimes they can't even help themselves. Here in MN where Best Buy has HQ, I went to the store closest to the busiest lake in the state looking for boat speakers. They didn't have any. I would have paid extra then and there, but instead they said they could get them into the store in like 5 days. Sorry, no thank you. Cheaper and faster please. When amazon has forced most bricks and mortar to close (current trajectory) and has everyone hooked on the convenience, will they raise prices? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Amazon would have a tough time raising prices. Barriers to entry for internet stores are pretty low, certainly much lower than brick and mortar stores. So if Amazon starts getting too greedy, other stores will start taking their business. Even as it is currently, I probably use Amazon only about 2/3 of the time. It isn't that unusual to find it cheaper somewhere else. I always wonder if there is a problem, will the other less-known store be good with returns? So far, I have had pretty good luck. Link to comment
TrojanHorse Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Good points. With Prime of course Amazon can deliver in two days for free. After they built a logistics center here nearby (30 miles?) I'm seeing free one day delivery start to be offered. That is a barrier to entry. I don't buy everything from amazon of course, but it's much more than I did 5 or 10 years ago, including other bricks and mortar. Haven't been to a mall in years. I try to avoid them. Amazon has changed the game. RadioShack tried to play and lost twice, maybe a third time again... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment
paulbates Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 If Amazon can sell it for $5.99 shipped and make a profit then Rad Shack can sell for $6.99 (because you dont have to wait 2 days or more days) and make a profit. You cant have a store in every town but 30 min drive between stores would not be as over saturated as they were. They were competing with themselves in some areas. Amazon's prices need to be scrutinized, even for electronics. I recently needed an SSD drive.. It was not only faster to drive to Best Buy, it was a tad cheaper than the exact same item on Amazon. Paul Link to comment
TrojanHorse Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Amazon's prices need to be scrutinized, even for electronics. I recently needed an SSD drive.. It was not only faster to drive to Best Buy, it was a tad cheaper than the exact same item on Amazon. Paul Agreed. Found this earlier today for 1.35 on eBay new vs 6.50 on amazon. Now, seriously, at that price how does this get here direct from Hong Kong profitably? At best there's 100 people sharing 10 cents of profit. I guess I will need to wait until May 8 at latest expected delivery to see Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment
apostolakisl Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Agreed. Found this earlier today for 1.35 on eBay new vs 6.50 on amazon. Now, seriously, at that price how does this get here direct from Hong Kong profitably? At best there's 100 people sharing 10 cents of profit. I guess I will need to wait until May 8 at latest expected delivery to see Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I don't understand the China stuff on ebay. I can't mail it next door for that price and they are shipping it from China, plus the actual item. I suspect there is some hanky panky going on with the Chinese government subsidizing the shipping. Link to comment
larryllix Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 I don't understand the China stuff on ebay. I can't mail it next door for that price and they are shipping it from China, plus the actual item. I suspect there is some hanky panky going on with the Chinese government subsidizing the shipping. ...and it is working. China now owns most of North America. Link to comment
Dr Pepper Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 ...and it is working. China now owns most of North America. I buy a lot of stuff from China on ebay. Takes weeks or months so I just buy stuff I anticipate needing and look for the auctions starting at a penny or a dollar. I have literally gotten items for a penny (shipped) that would have cost a few dollars or more in the store. Sometimes they dont ship and sometimes its garbage but overall I am way ahead. I also buy a lot on Amazon but you really dont get any incredible deals etc. But it has its place. Link to comment
larryllix Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 I haven't had a lot of good luck with amazon. Their shipping times can be really unreliable. Sent from a tiny keyboard. Response may be brief. Link to comment
Teken Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 RE: Shipping from China is indeed subsidized by the Chinese Government for many small to large companies. What nobody has asked is how can any company send something clear across the world that is larger than a extra large flat rate box for 1/8th of the price or weighs more than five pounds and not cost $150.XX. More than eight years ago 65 plus Lifepoe battery packs arrive from China to Canada and the freight cost was only $325.XX. The exact same container was billed at $3600.XX plus! For $3600.XX just think of how many more batteries, solar panels, cables, I could have purchased! Long live Internet e-commerce . . . Link to comment
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