Rat Shack dying

[chicks]

Almost a penny stock, plunged 20% today alone.

 

[coonmanx]

I blame the poorly trained sales people who don't know what type of cable you are looking for.

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Rat Snatch...no longer relevant.

 

[derekva]

I blame the poorly trained sales people who don't know what type of cable you are looking for.

But by god, they'll sell you batteries.

Too bad, I was hoping with their recent embrace of DIY and Arduino they'd eventually find their way back to the way they were in the 60s and 70s.

-D

 

[rustycat]

No big surprise. It's been circling the drain for years now. It became useless when it stopped selling stereo gear and parts and started focusing on cell phones.

 

[anytune]

But by god, they'll sell you batteries.-D

Yep, I'm waiting for the close-out sales on batteries and cable parts.

 

[guest102]

No argument here that the shack has had it's misguided head up it's catalog-less butt for quite a while. No doubts that it's mall store spaces will be taken over by some else selling womens' clothes. Imagine, all those splendidly nouveau decked out babes, all dressed up and no where to go, except to another store selling more clothes...

Not a long term sustainable commercial spiral as I see it. But I have been wrong about these things before...

 

[toxcrusadr]

Oh geez, this thread, again?

 

[dosmalo]

No big surprise. It's been circling the drain for years now. It became useless when it stopped selling stereo gear and parts and started focusing on cell phones.

I agree, last time I was in there it was all about phones.

 

[geode]

Seems like when I go there, which isn't often, to buy a quick electronic part I have to wait forever for someone to check me out. The whole damn store will be huddled around one poor SOB trying to flog cell phones and plans on them. I won't miss them

 

[Cold Brains]

I dunno trying to sell phones and accessories seems a better plan than selling $.50 capacitors to an increasingly miniscule DIY and/or dedicated stereo market. Problem is other stores already sell the phone crap cheaper.

 

[johnr66]

I dunno trying to sell phones and accessories seems a better plan than selling $.50 capacitors to an increasingly miniscule DIY and/or dedicated stereo market. Problem is other stores already sell the phone crap cheaper.

That's the problem. They want $2 for a .50 cent cap.

Still, I'll be saddened if they do fail. I needed a power connector to finish my amplifier build. Stopped in and got the connector and perf board.

 

[hjames]

I think they are selling coca products out the back -
and masquerading as Cell Phone specialists -
lord knows they aren't surviving on Audio and component sales ...

Last guy that waited on me there said his name was Heisenberg ...

 

[BOUXY]

Sad by no stretch of the imagination!

They should go back in time and produce/sell NEW Vintage Pieces once more don't you think? Hire all the DIY's on AK and have a go at it! I just love it when a Plan like this could come together

Okay,now all you "So-Called Experts" can post all your Rants & Raves why this can't happen or shouldn't but I'll still say WHY NOT?

 

[Lbgrrl]

I blame the poorly trained sales people who don't know what type of cable you are looking for.

I went in there to buy a dipole antenna for my receiver and the girl had NO idea what an FM antenna was. She showed me those set top tv antennas! Yikes.

 

[SoundOfSound]

Wonder who is dumping? :scratch2:

http://ir.radioshackcorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=84525&p=irol-ownershipsummary

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles...0001424052702304626304579505932615127164.html

 

[aopisa]

I went in there to buy a dipole antenna for my receiver and the girl had NO idea what an FM antenna was. She showed me those set top tv antennas! Yikes.

I went to buy a dipole antenna too. They wanted $8.00 for it. Got one from Amazon with free two day shipping for $3.50.

And that's the problem in nutshell. They have no market niche. Everything they sell is something that you can get in many other places for less. They lost their way a long time ago and that is something difficult to get back.

 

[SimplyStereo]

Last time I was there I went for a soldering iron and an XLR mic cable. Salesboy said they stock neither. I found the items on the shelf myself and then waited 30 minutes to check out while he was selling a phone. My last time really is the LAST time

 

[Rockyhill]

Rat Shack is essentially a "convenience store" for the DIY crowd, myself included. They fulfill the urgent need (sometimes) when you realize you need one last thing for your project.

 

[matteos]

I needed a new cassette adaptor for my car to listen to my ipod as the old one broke. I just bought one today..

The first place I went to look was radioshack, because that is exactly the sort of thing they should be selling... right? Well they had one, it was $20. So I went to Walmart and bought one for $9.

It seems like they're just not interested in competing within their own niche industry.