[Coco] RadioShack closing 1100 stores

[Bill Loguidice]

I wonder if that's a good model. I mean it's the kind of unique model that
they need, but I suspect all of those parts needs can be far better filled
by all of the wonderful online resources. Especially given the size of the
individual stores, they won't be able to stock much, and certainly being a
hobbyist store wouldn't produce enough volume (it's thriving, but still a
niche market) to be profitable.

Their other plan, to be a specialist electronics store is OK, i.e., only
carry the best of the best and most commonly needed (and reasonably cost
conscious) consumer products, but again, you have places like Best Buy that
are far larger and now specialize in the popular stores-within-a-store
model, as well as again, low price online retailers with vast inventories.

In retrospect, the smartphone direction would have been a reasonably sound
strategy as that's the type of inventory that smaller stores like a
RadioShack can easily accommodate, but that would have only been
sustainable if every mall wasn't littered with smartphone kiosks and every
carrier didn't have dedicated stores everywhere.

So the question becomes, what's a good direction for a (now modest) chain
of small stores in various strip malls and malls to bring masses of people
into again? Unlike the mid-90s and before, RadioShack is far from the only
game in town for most of the things they might offer, hence their need to
shift direction to smartphone in the first place. Now that that can't be
the primary focus of their business, what's the next mass market target? I
don't know if there is one.

-Bill

===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade,
Inc.<http://www.armchairarcade.com>
===================================================
Authored Books<http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1>and
Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get
in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice>
===================================================


On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 10:45 PM, Kip Koon <computerdoc at sc.rr.com> wrote:

> Hi Rogelio!
> Right on my friend!  Radio Shack needs to get back to what they did best -
> Electronic Parts and Computers of various types.  FPGA Development kits
> maybe and CPLD Kits too.  We all will of course always need electronic
> parts
> if they'd just price those things decently.  Heck I cut my electronic teeth
> on the 150 in 1 Electronics Project Kit in my youth.  I remember bugging my
> family with an audio oscillator I built with it.  I had to replace a
> general
> purpose transistor a little while later as well.  I think it was a PNP
> Transistor if memory serves.  Those were the days!
> Kip
>