Recovery Summer 2014 Begins: Radio Shack to Close 1,100 Store; Staples to Close 225 Stores

[mkpunk]

Originally Posted by ctk0p7

So some cities, like Austin, are enjoying a good economy. So what is it that other cities need that Austin apparently has to enjoy the same type of growth and recovery?

Some sort of booming industry that the boom cities are currently enjoying.

[LordBalfor]

Have to admit I'm pretty surprised about this and really don't know what to make of it since it's pretty clear that Radio Shack is in a downward spiral - but after closing a Radio Shack store here in Benson just a few months back (and it being replaced by a Verizon store), just yesterday I noticed that a NEW Radio Shack store is opening up here in little old Benson. It's 3 to 4 times the size of the old one and in a much better location. It's in the Safeway strip mall that's been essentially vacant (except for Safeway, Ace, the DOL office and a couple of restaurants) for the last few years. This is the 2nd chain store to open in a vacant (or mostly vacant) strip mall here in Benson in the last 6 months. Back around November a large Tractor Supply store opened in a totally vacant strip mall a bit up Ocotillo from the Safeway strip mall. As I said - while I'm very happy to see yet another sign of significant improvement in the local economy here, I'm VERY SURPRISED to see that economic expansion to be in the form of a new (and much larger) Radio Shack store.

Ken

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by JohnnyMack

Again, the financial state of Radio Shack has little to do with the economy, I wonder how many that have posted in this thread have even been IN a Radio Shack now AND in the past, Radio Shack has been on its deathbed since the mid 90's and the only thing keeping them alive is they turned into a CellPhone store, since there is loads of competition now people are no longer stuck buying their over-priced accessories for TVs and Cellphones.

I even still have the Shortwave radio I got from there, it was my first high priced purchase with my own job earned money when I was a teen.

Exactly. As a long time electronics hobbyist that even worked at Radio Shack in the 1970s, Radio Shack's entire customer base is almost gone. The "little" Radio Shack that is in the small strip center just can't sell enough to remain in business. There is almost no one any more that buys resistors or circuit boards any more.

Radio Shack stores in malls do well - because they get foot traffic to shop gadgets. Location matters a lot.