What REALLY Happened to RadioShack? (RadioShack History)

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Күн бұрын

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@jarekstorm6331 3 күн бұрын

I worked at Radio Shack right out of high school. We had a very friendly, laid back management and staff. Radio Shack provided access to computers, stereos, electronics, and accessories for people in small towns across America. I really miss those days.

@raymondmartin6737 Күн бұрын

At the Stamford, CT Radio Shack, when I was 17 in White Plains, NY High School, I was starting to develop my interest in radio, and there in 1961, with my Father we bought a Hallicrafters SX-110 receiver for about $170 then, which by the next year I had help to obtain my Amateur Radio license, which I still do today after over 62 years, being now 80 years of age. My wife has been one also for 20 years and now is 81 years of age, and we are active in our radio club.😅

@InssiAjaton Күн бұрын

I once designed a stereo amplifier for myself. A friend of mine picked the idea before I had built my amplifier. We collected a few commitments among further friends, purchased parts for a production of a dozen units. Based on the experience gained, my friend promised to design a commercial stereo receiver/amplifier for a tv-radio manufacturer. The design was great, although on the pricy side in practical production runs. He got the idea to reach the big (American) markets and started negotiations. What I heard, the American company had wanted 10 000 free samples to stuff the shelfs of their 5000 stores. What?!?! Of course it was Tandy Radio Shack. My friend’s employer did not have resources for 10 000 free samples, so no contract was possible. My friend kept for years one of the maybe 150 unit production run in his home. I, by the way, still have my very original self built stereo, with a somewhat later added FM receiver front. Sounds still as good as ever. Although my ears are not as good 😊

@mason96575 3 күн бұрын

It’s crazy how only 40 years ago, as kids we grew up learning how radios actually worked - we literally built our own radios by hand- I say that’s crazy because these Gen Z kids today… you think they know the first thing about how ANY of their technology works, let alone how to build it from scrap? Lol

@3DJapan Күн бұрын

I built a crystal radio from a Radio Shack kit. I couldn't believe it needed no batteries!

@Robbie-sk6vc Күн бұрын

Technology has changed now to the point that you really don't need to know how something works! And it's cheap enough that if it does break/wear out, it's replaceable. Most of the time it's really not worth fixing/updating. Yes, we come from a different world! But the sad part to me is that kids today don't even care how something works! There are a few here and there, but not many! Look at our engineering programs today, mostly foreigners! Where's the American kids? Nope, not interested. Too hard to study. Throw it away when I'm done with it. Why should I care how it works? VERY different mindset from us!

@mason96575 15 сағат бұрын

@@Robbie-sk6vc well said- certainly very well said.

@dennisjoiner3717 Күн бұрын

I miss the local Radio Shack. As a Ham Radio Operator I also miss the convenience of stopping in to grab some electronic componants for a project or a repair. At one time I strongly thought about applying for a dealership in my town and opening up a store. Six months later a gal I went to high school with and her husband did. Yep, I miss radio Shack. I still have several of there Ham Radios, Meters, and Test gear. N9XFX

@josefmazzeo6628 Күн бұрын

I really miss those Radio Shack stores, and their printed catalogs too. I know some in the electronics community used to poke fun at RS calling it the Rat Shack, and the TRS-80 the "trash 80". But I used to love being able to get some part in a pinch. I used to have a couple within a short walk or drive.

@SolitaryWolf 21 сағат бұрын

You can look at all of their catalogs online. Just search for Radio Shack Catalogs

@johnathanstevens8436 Күн бұрын

Once the store was 70% cell phones, selling the same phones as the cell phone store in the next shop at the mall .. that was the end. They COULD have sold more maker kits or 3D printing but they did not.

@Robbie-sk6vc Күн бұрын

That's partly true. They did lose their way. But technology has changed now such that, building/fixing stuff is not really practical for the home hobbyist! So they probably would have failed anyway!

@lesliedeana5142 Күн бұрын

there were some other factors t hat hurt RS. Giving places like China (3rd world) rate shipping prices made it cheaper to buy overseas than local. (it cost 1.50 to ship a 100 pound toilet to US, but $30 to ship a 1 pound radio across the country). When society became 'throw away', it wasn't cost efficient to repair things - just throw the broken device away to a landfill and buy a new one cheaper. People didn't HAVE to know how things worked, just buy somethine new. Cell phones killed alot of individual item purchases as well. Built in digital camera, streaming audio & video, and other things could combine several products into ONE that you can carry with you, let alone a communication device that your didn't need a license to use such as CB Radios (at least initially) and go many miles further That's just SOME of the things off the top of my head.

@johnstapler5956 3 күн бұрын

I loved Radio Shack. I used to always browse in their stores. I bought many electronic items. I miss them.

@rogertemple7193 3 күн бұрын

I friend of mine once owned a RadioShack store but he got tired of it for some reason and sold it but not to long after that it pretty much went out of business especially here in Oklahoma.🇺🇲📻🇺🇲

@sonhuynh8222 3 күн бұрын

We had one up to about 5 years ago 😞.

@dalecorne3869 2 күн бұрын

From 1980-2000 I was DJing in the private sector and Radio Shack played a large part of my life. It was my go-to place for adapters, cables and microphones. I was also the first night club DJ in the Tidewater Area (in Virginia) to incorporate a laptop into my setup. Life was great !

@Tomatohater64 3 күн бұрын

From fancy telephones to alarm clocks to radios to calculators; I bought a lot of electronics from Radio Shack during the '70s and '80s at my local mall. Very sorry to see them go permanently. They seem to have made the same mistake that Border's made.

@hudsonfrank1121 2 күн бұрын

We use to prefer radio shack or curcit city and avoided other big box retailers. I think another one of their down falls was they advertiesed to mostly the white upper middle class crowds thus heavily limiting their income potential growth. They also took for ever to get up to speed with current latest tech which I belive was another reason for thier down fall. While other stores were competing to offer better discounted deals they were known as the pricier option. By having a you're fired agressive approach to to upper managers we started supporting other alternaties after the company implemented that strategy.

@aquamarine2044 Күн бұрын

Always loved Radio Shack back in then. Before our Radio Shack went out back in 2014. It had become more of a cellure place then the Radio Shack store. I finally stopped going there.

@Starphot 3 күн бұрын

I worked for a Radio Shack regional repair center for nearly 20 years before being laid off with the rest of the shop. When I got out of the Navy in 1975, I wanted some CB gear including the radio, antenna, mast and a whole list of items. I presented the list to the store manager and he got everything on that list, as some are stocked in the back room. The Store managers were knowledgeable with their product line. When I worked for them in 1981, the same store managers would come into the shop, dropping off items for at least 18 years. Most of those managers were gone or have quit by the time we were laid off. Not mentioned was the acquisition of the Brown and White (Westinghouse) stores known as Video Concepts and McDuff stores found in the malls in the late 1980s. These were later morphed into the Incredible Universe mega-stores. This caused their stocks to split twice during the mid-1990s. It was downhill starting in 1999 when their acquisitions were being outpriced by the big box stores. Also the independent stores were called franchise stores found in small towns, often selling hardware as well from Ace and other vendors. Those franchise stores were treated batter than the company owned stores.

@jessihawkins9116 2 күн бұрын

please revise and shorten your statement

@mason96575 3 күн бұрын

Loved hanging out there in college 😂

@TechGuy-fv7dr 2 күн бұрын

The video is full of misinformation and the products are not in chronological order . Other than that it's interesting

@jessihawkins9116 2 күн бұрын

yeah your right, this guy sucks

@SolitaryWolf 21 сағат бұрын

In the early 90’s, Radio shack had the same aggressive sales policy as they later did in the late 2000’s. Every year a print out of top sales associates was made. At the bottom was the 10%. They fired anyone in that group. I worked at a mall store that could not compete with the electronics store across the hall. It was difficult to make good sales. At my store location it was a hot door for elderly to come in for hearing aid batteries. Those don’t make for high sales.

@wayne00k Күн бұрын

I have to ask... who are the new sellers of electronic parts and kits and plans to teach children the concepts and wiring skills today? As a kid, I could ride my bike to the local Shack and poke around the chips... read the package and printed on it would be another parts list... buy that list for about 4 USD and on a Saturday morning have a flashing LED light system to mount onto my hobby rocket and launch at night! Can anyone out there point the right direction? Cheers!

@jfbeam Күн бұрын

Parts? Digikey, Mouser, etc. Kits? I have no idea who's making anything like that these days.

@rhymereason3449 Күн бұрын

Funny story... I was once shopping for a multi-meter at Radio Shack and the one I was interested was sold out except for the store model. I asked the clerk "Do you have the original box... I'd like to see if there are any specs on it". The clerk immediately replied "I can assure you the box is in clean condition sir!" 🤣

@chriscutress1702 2 күн бұрын

I remember Radio Shack had bulk discount pricing on components. The problem being they never seemed to have enough of any particular item to be able for one to take advantage of the discount unless you special ordered the item. Even then they often couldn't get enough components from the supplier to fulfill the discounted order.

@3DJapan Күн бұрын

There is stop a store open in New Holland, PA. They sell electronics components and other kinds of things they sold in the 80s. I don't think they do anything with cellphones.

@3DJapan Күн бұрын

One location I visited occasionally gave out a free battery with every purchase.

@graphicventures Күн бұрын

Have fond memories of an outlet here in the UAE, sad to see it gone!

@jamesgeorge1709 Күн бұрын

What killed them is they forgot about their customer base then when sales lagged they tried to change over to selling cell phones and service, hell you could get cell phones at convenience stores.

@jfbeam Күн бұрын

Or across the hall at the provider's own store, or a kiosk in the middle of the hall. It was The Dumbest(tm) thing Tandy/Radio Shack ever did.

@nicholaskalogris9985 Күн бұрын

Radio Shack lost its way in the 90’s by putting all of its emphasis on computers to the expense of its audio department that first put the store on the map. It’s late arrival to the on line shopping arena did not help matters either.

@roncyr1850 3 күн бұрын

what happened...they walked away from radio's the core draw.... and went forover priced computers and phones

@GuitarBillCurran 3 күн бұрын

Yup, haven't even watched the video yet, but when they started pushing phone plans is when they started going down fast. I remember trying to buy a few resistors and capcitors and they would give me the sales pitch every time, and/or I'd have to wait in line forever while they try to fix whatever phone problem the guy in front of me had. The staff, who's old motto was "you've got questions, we've got answers", didn't even know what a capcitor WAS, nevermind "do you have any 4.7uF@25V caps in stock?".

@jfbeam Күн бұрын

They refused to embrace the reality of the internet and return to their roots in mail order (online ordering.) And then crawled into the coffin of being a cellphone shill -- where they had zero input, zero price control, and zero relevance. For decades now no one has wanted a radio (AM/FM/CW/etc.) - XM/Sirius perhaps. In the 80's and 90's their computers were interesting and somewhat competitive, but the desktop and laptop "PC" market was quickly saturated. To me, Radio Shack's best days were Christmas every year. They'd fill the tiny little stores with reasonably cheap toys and trinkets. I had many of their RC cars, and walkie-talkies over the years. I still have the battery powered pencil sharpener!

@rhymereason3449 Күн бұрын

The one REALLY annoying thing about Radio Shack was every time you wanted to buy something there they wanted your name and address... I actually walked out a few times due to pushy clerks that wouldn't take no for an answer...

@scottdiamond7133 2 күн бұрын

Since 2009 all Canadian Radio Shack stores are now operated by Bell Canada as the Source flogging cell phones. Headphones wireless speakers.

@SamWicker-su7rp 3 күн бұрын

I miss those walkie talkies

@mason96575 3 күн бұрын

Man… talk about nostalgia!

@55Ramius 3 күн бұрын

Radio Shack got a lot of my money back in the early 80's. Mostly computer and stuff. I had the model 1 when it came out and it cost me $900. Later I got coco2 then coco3 plus a plotter, monitor , programs. My coco3 was only 16k memory but the salesman said that was more than I would ever need. lol, sure it is... I remember a tv running in the store as I tried out the coco3 . They were trying to fiqure out who shot J.R. 😁

@nighthiker8872 14 сағат бұрын

THEY HAD A GREAT CATALOG, something is not right.

@rhymereason3449 Күн бұрын

IMHO, Radio Shack lost it when they abandoned the the electronic hobbyist market and became just another marketer of consumer goods... they gave up their unique moat just to compete with dozens of other retailers. Eddie Bauer did the same thing BTW..... gave up their unique niche just to become another marketer of generic retail clothing and home furnishings....