iPhone Shortages Not Helping RadioShack as Consumer Sales Plummet

[k1121j]

I'd like to see RadioShack go bankrupt.

I HATE RADIOSHACK WITH A PASSION.

i agree i made the mistake of preordering an iPhone 5 from radio shack "guaranteed to be available for pickup" guess what it was not available for 3 weeks after release day when i wanted a refund they refused saying i agreed tho purchase a 50.00 gift card no refundable ( that agreement was only made available to read after they printed the CC recipt it was on the back of it ) to hold the phone even though NH law says all gift cards are exchangeable for cash long story short i protested payment with AmericanExpress to get my money back i will never again buy a thing from that company.

 

[anubis72]

I guess it's kind of ironic then that Radio Shack is the only place I could find an iPhone for Virgin Mobile. Speaking of Virgin Mobile, they've not had an iPhone in stock for the last few MONTHS and whenever I contact them to inquire, the answer is always "keep checking the site!" Really? Frustrating...

 

[rugmankc]

I agree with a lot posted here. But, why wish for a company to fail. That's job loss for many people with families. I worked for RS from the early 70's to late 80's. It was 25hrs a week or so while on active duty. Sold the first TRS 80's and BIG cell phones and many electronic components. Not a big need for those anymore, I guess. As people just replace entire circuit boards or the whole unit. People couldn't buy enough of the RC cars.

On addresses, that is how they contacted their customers with direct mail sales info. If you didn't want to give it, you just said no thanks. Bet a lot of you took advantage of the Battery Cards though. Managers during that time period earned good money. That has changed though.

You can find bad sales people anywhere. Best Buy is one of the worst imho. I agree CC was better than BB at that. If I want to look, everyone is after me. If I need help, no one approaches me. Their product knowledge is not always the best. No better than RS imo. I walked by a sales rep a couple days ago in an aisle. He turned away from me and just stared at the lower shelf till I passed. I got some ink cartridges yesterday and asked salesperson in computer area if I could checkout there, as I have a 'very" bad back and the sales lines were long. He said I could, but he was with a customer atm. He then piddled with computer for 5 more minutes before anyone showed back up. More than enough time to ring me up. I left frustrated.

Sorry for rant, but I think they do have a niche. As mentioned, some stores are the only electronics store close by. And, if you want to avoid the busy, big stores, they offer an option.

Hopefully they make the necessary correction and stay in business. In comparison, I like shopping at the ACE hardwares over the big boxes, on occasion.

Ken


EDIT: Funny, I just got an email from BB on a customer survey--was not nice--do they monitor this site--

 

[Sasparilla]

Radio Shack will be gone soon...

Check out this recent article by a former employee:

A eulogy for RadioShack, the panicked and half-dead retail empire

Wow, what an article.

I always liked having a RadioShack close by for the obscure electronic related stuff you could get there & much of that has been pushed aside these days - but after reading that article - had no idea what the environment was at those stores...its time to watch them (and their corporate practices towards their retail employees) go quickly into the night...

 

[DakotaGuy]

Eventually Walmart will be one of the only brick and mortar retailers left. It is where the majority of people either like to shop or have to shop. I have noticed many retailers have fallen to Walmart and more will in the future. The only bad thing is at some point when Walmart is one of the only options they will raise prices to maximize profit for the shareholders and we will all be stuck paying it.

 

[xfghh]

Radio Shack was doomed when they became just another consumer electronics outlet, rather than staying true to their roots as a electronic parts supplier. Yes, times have changed.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Consumer electronics is a crowded market these days. I miss the Radio Shack of old that was the best place in town to get specialized electronics for the hobbyist or the professional. I'm talking stuff that you make other stuff with. Transistors, LEDs, cables. This kind of stuff is hidden like embarrassing inventory that the folks who work there try to avoid selling.

That woked well for them up until this thing called The Internet came around and started selling the same parts at lower prices.

But yeah, during my senior project in college (last year), it was really handy that I could walk down the street and buy a part that I needed ASAP, at a slightly higher price, but have it within an hour rather than having to wait 24 hours for it to ship.

 

[paul3000]

Consumer electronics is a crowded market these days. I miss the Radio Shack of old that was the best place in town to get specialized electronics for the hobbyist or the professional. I'm talking stuff that you make other stuff with. Transistors, LEDs, cables. This kind of stuff is hidden like embarrassing inventory that the folks who work there try to avoid selling.

Don't get me started.

I would shop at the Radioshack of the old days. With the rise of the Raspberry Pi and microcontrollers wouldn't it be nice to go to someplace to talk with people and walk out with stuff you can make. Instead you just go online and buy the products for a fraction of what a store sells them for.

 

[clickerman]

This may be a little off topic, but recently I walked into a Best Buy to buy a battery for my Samsung Note 4 phone. (My wife uses the iPhone 6+.) I had already checked the BB web site and confirmed they were in stock at the store. The person in the phone area first said batteries weren't sold for phones. (He's used to selling only iPhones.) When I showed him my phone and the battery compartment he said they don't carry batteries for the Samsung phone. I replied the web site said they were i stock. He directed me to the "customer service" area where the girl behind the counter said they don't carry batteries for phones. I showed her the web site from my phone and she looked again and found the batteries. The computer told her the battery was in the iPhone accessories rack. The first guy looked there and finally found the battery in a beat up box, which I was happy to pay for even though it cost $10 more than Amazon (which didn't have them in stock.)

This is why I shop at Amazon whenever I can and avoid Best Buy.

 

[blueroom]

Radio Shack lost the name rights here in Canada and became The Source. It's currently owned by Bell and is little more than a larger wireless phone kiosk you'd see in any mall. No matter what you're buying they want to sell you a phone or internet plan. Meh.

 

[EvilEvil]

Not if you want a 64 GB Silver for AT&T.

Edit: Or pretty much any color, carrier and capacity except for 16 GB because 16 GB is a joke and consumers have realized that.

Sorry I'm on Verizon. I had no trouble picking up a 64gb

 

[TsunamiTheClown]

...Also, this article says "They are a long time partner", I was there when they started selling Apple products, and believe me, we were specifically told to tell customer's that other phones were better before they started selling the iPhone. they were among the last retailers that currently sell iPhone and iPods to sell them, and that was only because they knew they had to....

Yeah I don't remember them selling Apple products that long but I was unsure myself.

 

[blackpond]

I miss what RadioShack used to be.

I'd love to see them return to their roots and embrace the Maker and DIY community as well as coders and enthusiasts.

Today RadioShack should be the local shop you visit to check out and buy 3D printers and various successful Kickstarter products. It should also offer/sponsor electronics and coding hack-a-thons and courses.

Oh well.

 

[jmgregory1]

It is sad to watch a business like Radio Shack fall apart, but it's clear they were unable to change with the times, reinvent themselves, as consumers no longer had any need for electronic components.

As a kid, I remember getting a 160 in 1 electronic project kit from RS - loved playing with it. Then as I grew up, I always wanted to get a set of their aluminum case bookshelf speakers - not because they necessarily sounded great, but I liked the modern look compared to the typical wood or wood-look cases being used by most companies.

Radio Shack used to be the only game in town for many electronics, speakers, etc., back before there was anything like Best Buy or Circuit City. In the small town I grew up in, the Radio Shack opened in an out-lot in front of the then new Kmart. Kmart spelled the end for the Woolworths downtown and RS soldiered on for a couple of decades before they had much competition, other than the electronics sections of Kmart and Shopko (regional mass retailer based in Wisconsin - still operating stores today).

I've been to one RS in the past 2 years in the Chicago area, as I was looking for an obscure part that I needed as I was doing some work on my car. The employees had zero idea what I was looking for or how to help. The store was effectively a cell phone store. They had some drawers with certain electronic components, but nothing like it used to be, not that I thought it would be like I remembered 40 years ago.

So can they survive as just another cell phone retailer, with a few rc toys and gadgets? If they had a bit more time, they might be able to make a name for themselves selling drones and drone parts, but that market is not developed enough to support them and they can't afford to support the drone market.

 

[nouveau-apple]

i agree i made the mistake of preordering an iPhone 5 from radio shack "guaranteed to be available for pickup" guess what it was not available for 3 weeks after release day when i wanted a refund they refused saying i agreed tho purchase a 50.00 gift card no refundable ( that agreement was only made available to read after they printed the CC recipt it was on the back of it ) to hold the phone even though NH law says all gift cards are exchangeable for cash long story short i protested payment with AmericanExpress to get my money back i will never again buy a thing from that company.

Oh that is so RadioShack.

I hate them. I had an associate literally yelling at me to buy something
for their Buyer protection plan so he could reach his metrics. And their stuff is too expensive and they generally suck.

I want them to go down

 

[itr81]

No radio shack franchisee is under the delusion that even having stock will bail them out, they are only hoping to survive to the next qtr. My friend is a franchisee and he had to lay off people left and right to keep himself semi in the green. He's been trying to sell but even corp is not buying back stores still in the green. Everyone is running for the hills with big sell offs.

With almost everyone shopping online now..I feel many stores like radioshack, bestbuy, frye and etc..are all on their death beds.

 

[arefbe]

It was an exciting place in my childhood, when it was anchored by the Tandy computer line. Truly great and unique stuff.

You got that right! I miss the Tandy 1000's!

 

[itr81]

Oh that is so RadioShack.

I hate them. I had an associate literally yelling at me to buy something
for their Buyer protection plan so he could reach his metrics. And their stuff is too expensive and they generally suck.

I want them to go down

With the adoption of sales metrics quotas expect more of this. Most all sales jobs require you to sell a certain amount of protection plans, if you do not meet the metric in say 3 months time frame its grounds for termination.

Also if you think that sucks go sit through a time share sales pitch..they will work you over for 1-2 hrs straight and all did free tickets to something or 100 bucks. lol

 

[ravenstar]

It feels like piling on, but Radio Shack has made their own bed. With apologies to all of you who have worked there, I have never had any respect for Radio Shack, and that goes back to the 70's. I found their sales force only interested in selling what they wanted, not in actually helping me find what I wanted (even when I knew exactly what I was looking for), and they have always been less than knowledgable about their products. They insulted customers by asking for practically a complete biography for even the smallest purchases, they harassed customers who merely wanted to look at the products, and they have a very limited selection of items. It is such a bad place to shop that in the rare instances I must go there to get something quickly, I never go in one alone. I always bring someone along to run interference on the sales staff so I can actually look at the product I might want to buy. How can you run a business where people hate going to your store?

If they had made their business customer focused by providing good products and quality service and a relaxed atmosphere, the sales would have followed, but they were all about bottom lines and commissions. I for one won't shed a tear for them.

Come to think of it, I don't know of one commission-based store that I do want to visit. I rarely tolerate car dealers only out of necessity. Best Buy is the next Radio Shack unless they change their approach to customers.

 

[Waxhead138]

I disagree with your commission point BECAUSE of your initial point - the intelligence piece. CC tried to replace knowledgeable, commissioned, professional, tenured (some of my people were in their 40s, 50s and even 60s+) associates with 18 year old, hourly people who only knew what the (horrific) eLearning system told them. God forbid they took it upon themselves to learn the tech, like is what happened when people were on commission and read that monthly book - what was that called?

Don't remember the name of the book, but I remember them. And I see your point...the commission based system and training helped make more intelligent sales reps. The only reason I said that was how from a marketing point it was used against them, and whether the marketing was factual or not....it seemed to help the demise. But you're right in your earlier post, upper management is most definitley to blame. Ultimately they opted to follow the competition instead of leading the way.

Oh...and on your point about tenured reps....I worked with a guy whose employee number was 3 digits...and it was not a recycled number. He'd been around since it was Dixieland Hi-Fi. And his knowledge and experience definitley shined.

 

[inhalexhale1]

RadioShacks are kind of worthless, and I see no reason to really set foot in one. They aren't a Best Buy, or a Walmart. They are overpriced, and the employees are none too bright, even suggesting batteries for a wireless router.

I think they just need to fold over while they still at least have some dignity.

As for hobby stuff, I don't even know I'd they even sell anything anymore. When I do step in one, I see phones, iPads and stuff. The cool stuff was taken out eons ago.

They do sell parts and stuff like that (assuming that's what you meant by "hobby stuff"). I built a driving simulator for a University study, and they had momentary switches and all the little parts I needed. I'll always think of Radioshack as that kind of a store. I would never go there to buy an iPhone or anything like that.

----------

Radio Shack should convert themselves to repair shops. At then they'd be useful.

That's actually a very good idea. Authorized repair centers for electronics of all types. Even amps, keyboards, etc.

 

[flyingember]

Look at Microcenter. They do well because they have everything for computers you might possibly want.
Brookstone carries stuff few other places have.

That's actually a niche they could go for, hard to find electronics.

They could be all about importing the kind of thing that people buy off ebay and wait two weeks for it to come from China.
They should focus in 2-3 areas and saturate their stores with accessories for these items.

And most importantly, serve as it's own showroom with direct fulfillment from partners. Show people the product and then have 100x other options they can order right there with in store returns of anything.

 

[maflynn]

RadioShack is a shell of their former self. They were able to jump on the CB radio craze back in the 70s/80s, then the RC cars, but since then, nothing. Why go there, when you can get better deals at BestBuy.

 

[foodog]

I used to work for Circuit City. They had their faults, but the training beat the hell out of Best Buy and most other big box electronics stores. At least you had a chance of dealing w/ someone that knew what they were talking about. Bad side was the commission based employee system. Part of their downfall, but just part. Another company that had a few decisions gone differently (looking back anyway) they could have survived awhile longer.

My wife worked there selling cell phones. She ended up being offered a managers job with Cingular because CC did have well trained employees. The thing that really pissed her off was CC didn't price match so customers would come in, get all the information about whatever they were purchasing and then leave to buy from another retailer with lower prices and poorly trained employees.

 

[mdlooker]

Okay so year after year after year, there are major supply shortages and disappointments to consumers. Perhaps there needs to be some looks at additional manufacturing facilities to keep up with the demand.

The first year you burn me..any subsequent years consumers are burning themselves with disappointment and will stop before long.