Underrated in America: RadioShack
Filed under: Shopping, Technology
It's all too easy to make fun of RadioShack. The home electronics chain endures with whole walls devoted to different kinds of wires, cables and connectors. A 2007 spoof , "Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business," from The Onion has its chief executive saying, "I wouldn't think that people still buy enough strobe lights and extension cords to support an entire nationwide chain, but I guess they must." Well, I certainly do. I'll go there for an ethernet cable, a cheap phone, an AC adapter, even a quick birthday present for a child's party. If I need some kind of component to get my ancient VCR hooked up to my new TV, I know where to turn.
RadioShack is a bridge from old technology to the new. The stores are ubiquitous and remain an easy stop for picking up items that can solve all sorts of electronics problems faced by modern families -- a phone with three handsets, a box to convert your television to receive digital signals (that was a big recent driver of sales).No, I would not go there to buy a computer or a flat screen TV. But I shop frequently at RadioShack since I know it will have what I need and there is one pretty much everywhere I turn in New York City.
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The people who work there are eager to help -- some would say overly aggressive -- but I find they are simply fast at locating what I am looking for, and getting me to the register. I may not get the best price available, but I'm usually amazed at how little the little gizmos they sell cost.
The company may be facing hard times ahead (like all retailers in an economic slowdown). 24/7 Wall St. recently included it on its list of companies hardest hit by the credit crisis. In its earnings announcement last quarter, it warned of a slowing in sales and the stock (see RSH quote) fell to a 12-year low.
But I think RadioShack will weather the storm. A BloggingStocks writer asked in a recent post, "where does RadioShack go from here?" once digital broadcasting is mandated in 2009 and everyone has bought their converter boxes? Well, there will probably be some other device that cheapskates like myself need to make it work with all the old stuff they don't want to upgrade at the same time.
Getting customers like me to move a little faster on the upgrade cycle is clearly the plan. On October 28, it announced a new service allowing people to trade in their old digital cameras, computers, game consoles and MP3 players in exchange for a RadioShack gift card. It seems like a smart plan to me, especially ahead of the holidays.
RadioShack will never be cool or cutting edge. But for solving the average family's electronics problems, it most definitely is underrated.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2008 @ 10:38AM
Dave Ball said...
I love Radio Shack!!!
Land of the free flashlight and the Battery a month Club. Going thru the door into Radio Shack is like going into your own childhood. And your future.
RadioShack is the best place to buy a set of headphones. If you tinker, techor, tweak or reverse engineer and improve, you must have a Radio Shack or 2 in your GPS. Its Santas electronics shop
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10-30-2008 @ 12:21PM
Jay O said...
It's nice to finally see a positive article about Radioshack. As an employee for the past few years, I've notice people tend to come in expecting the worst. I enjoy helping them and changing their opinions. We really do have quite a few things you simply cannot find elsewhere. While a few employees may seem a little overbearing, the vast majority of us only want to make sure you leave the store with everything you need so additional trips will not be necessary. Thanks again for the great article.
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10-30-2008 @ 12:56PM
Carney said...
I'm a fan as well. The salesmen are sometimes well informed and sometimes clueless, but it doesn't matter since I know what I want.
Here's just one great RadioShack tip: for HDTV viewing, get one of their antennas for all your local TV channels. Most of what people like to watch is on your local broadcast networks anyway (major sports, news, sitcoms, reality, etc., and there's always PBS for nature shows, etc.) You save a ton on subscription TV that way.
And if you can't live without subscription TV, get it through RadioShack. Why? They sell Dish Network, the ONLY service that gives you a discount if you "roll your own" local TV service, which you can do with an RS antenna.
If you're in an apartment of condo on a high floor, or your house is on a hill, buy their 15-1892 antenna for $50. It looks cool on top of an armoire or TV dresser and picks up digital TV, including widescreen HDTV, just great.
If you're in a detached home and want an antenna that can feed the whole house, get their 15-2187 for $80. It looks just like a Dish or DirecTV satellite dish (so you won't look old and un-hip with those huge rake/comb looking antennas, and won't get in trouble with your homeowner's association either).
Even with installation help for the latter, with the $60 a year discount Dish Network gives you for using your own antenna for broadcast TV, it'll pay for itself, and then start putting money in your pocket.
Another tip: use their iGo products to charge up your cell, PDA, digital camera, handheld game system, etc. Once you get the wall or car adapter, you can just buy inexpensive new tips for whatever new product you buy instead of shelling out extra for new chargers. A real space saver when it comes to travel too, since you have to bring only one charger instead of lots.
They are THE place to go for batteries too. $10 for any four blister packs of alkalines. I have an RS credit card and they give me a 15% discount on top of that. But even better are their rechargeables. I have their 23-428 which can recharge any size (AAA, AA, C, D, and 9 volt), but maybe you only need their AA rechargers (23-1302 or 23-1303). Rechargeables save you a fortune and a lot of trouble too.
etc etc.
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11-01-2008 @ 5:35PM
Enrique said...
If you like Radio Shack now, you should have seen it 30 years ago when they had just about everything. It didn't have to be popular at the moment. Tandy was the source of anythign you wanted. You didn't ahve to use the catalogue, it was right there. Then it started to get expensive. I think this article was sponsored in part by Radio Shack because Radio Shack is much more expensive than so many other stores.
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11-02-2008 @ 1:09AM
confuzzled said...
Radio Shack sucks.
You cannot even get a fuse most of the time because they don't stock it or have been out for a while.
The employees don't have a clue to most of the stuff they have.
Ratt Shack is only in business to sell cell phones.
Just ask for a 5 volt regulator and you get a stupid look' um what is that.
Radio Shack will not last 5 more years.
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11-10-2008 @ 8:58AM
Chuck said...
Radio Shack has been going downhill for twenty years. In the early 80s RS was the largest computer retailer in the world and the salespeople were helpful and knew a ton about electronics. What happened? I guess they didn't treat their employees well because - not all but - most of the people who work there are pretty clueless. Now it's just a tiny store with overpriced stuff that people hate to go in because of the high pressure salesmen who push you to buy a cell phone every time you walk in. Like most people I know, I only go in RS if there is no other choice. RS may survive, but if they want to thrive, they need to change their in-store experience.
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