RadioShack and hhgregg Can't Bear the Weight, Close Retail Location Businesses

RadioShack and hhgregg Can't Bear the Weight, Close Retail Location Businesses​

(May 30, 2017) Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

We begin with a super retailer’s death that’s been years in the making – and it’s still not quite over. With 96 years of brick-and-mortar based business in the books and a once thriving retail presence exceeding 7,300 stores, RadioShack is once again waving the white flag and shuttering more stores. As of Memorial Day, 2017, RadioShack closed over 1,000 locations, leaving only 70 corporate stores and 500 dealer stores on American soil. The remaining corporate locations are scheduled to close over the next month.

RadioShack believes it still has legs, and is opting to shift its presence to the Internet, where the company will continue to operate its brand through a virtual storefront on RadioShack.com.

In an effort to raise funds (and cash-in on nostalgia), RadioShack is holding a month-long auction (www.radioshack.com/auction/) featuring prized items from the company’s history. Bidders can win one of several unused original TRS-80 Microcomputers, Realistic Transistor Radios, Tandy computer software games, original brick cell phones, gold commemorative watches, and more.

“We cannot thank you enough for your patronage and support over the years and continued support as we shift to a primarily online business,” the company said in a statement.

Next, we turn to a much shorter-lived member of the larger US electronics retail world, hhgregg. This multiregional consumer electronics chain has been on the ropes from some time, and has finally been dealt a merciful knockout punch. All of hhgregg’s stores and its website have been closed, sadly leaving thousands of workers unemployed.

Traversing to hhgregg’s former webpage takes you directly to a statement from Hilco Steambank, the company charged with auctioning off hhgregg’s intellectual property and related assets. According to the statement, hhgregg operated 220 locations across the Midwest and Southeast during 2016, with revenues reaching $1.66 billion. Its online sales business was smaller, earning $106.4 million during 2016 (up from $93.1 million made in the previous year).

The Indianapolis based business was founded by Henry Harold Gregg and wife in 1955, and grew to be the fifth largest national appliance retailer in the United States. Its growth outside of the Indianapolis area was peppered with stumbling blocks, and the company spent nearly two decades falling to its current fate.

 

[AudiocRaver]

RS has had its ups and downs. For years it was the only place to get almost anything electronic. But they cannot compete with the new ways of doing business in the web-based world.

 

[Todd Anderson]

My first real fulltime job was with Radio Shack, a corporate store in Kansas City, KS. Out of 52 stores, I was consistently in the Top Ten ranked salesmen. Even though I knew nothing of the Tandy computers (around $2500 in 1985!) I made up for that in audio sales. While the home audio side was great fun, my young self dabbled heavily at the time with the cool DIY part and bits available, my friends and I creating all kinds of 12V monstrosities in our cars. Sad to watch the slow decline of this former industry stalwart.

Still using my RS SPL Meter, when I remember to remove the 9V battery so it doesn't drain while idling.

You mention Tandy computers... the first computer I ever used was in 3rd grade and I believe it was a RadioShack model: TRS-80.

I had some very slick BASIC happening:

10 Print "Todd"
20 Goto 10
Run

Look about right?

 

[tesseract]

Ha! I do remember. That was the about the extent of my BASIC skills, too, Todd.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Apparently you and I took the name Basic and applied it to our skills... literally!

 

[Jeff S]

Bring back any memories?

Wow! haven't seen that stuff since my younger days. Great memories.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Here's another one:

That's one lucky son! ;-)

 

[Tony V.]

Remember these:

 

[Todd Anderson]

I had one!

 

[Tony V.]

I bought one of theses in the early 90s and I gave it to my brother who is still using it today.

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

Remember these:

I wanted one of those when I was a kid. But my dad kept every cap, resistor, and tube (and every screw) from old TVs and radios so there was plenty to experiment with.

 

[billrobbo]

It is not only the stock they are offloading they are also auctioning off their public IPv4 addresses as part of their ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Can’t even say how much stuff I bought from Radio Shack over the years (decades, really). Like Wayne said, if you wanted anything electronics-related, they were the place to go. I’d be sure and pick up their catalogs every year, always looked forward to the new one coming out.

However, in later years, it started irritating me that their stuff was so much more expensive than Parts Express, so I’d only go if I was in a “right now” situation.

They used to have some pretty nice stereo receivers back in the ’70s, the ubiquitous Realistic brand (I heard they were made by Pioneer, but I can’t confirm that), and other components as well, such as turntables, cassette decks, etc. I used to have a couple of their 3-head cassette decks, pretty nice stuff. I picked up a couple of used pairs of the Minimus 7 speakers a few years back, for use as surrounds in my bedroom and living room systems.

By the way, here’s a cool site where you can do a virtual thumb-through of decades of Radio Shack catalogs.

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalog_directory.html

Regards,
Wayne

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Back in the early 80's I came oh so close to purchasing a Realistic system that I thought sounded great in the store... maybe $1200 or so, which was a lot of money for me back then. I was trying to figure out how to approved for financing it, but couldn't get approved... no credit to speak of. I wanted that system sooooo bad.

 

[leecreek]

Sansui made some receivers for the shack. 1974 or so. When I came back to CONUS a man in the barracks had a Sansui Eight labeled as Realistic. I had sold one on my Eight's and bought a Marantz 2270 just before I came back. The other Eight went to my parents for Christmas. I lost it due to it could not swim during Hurricane Irene. It still worked fine.

 

[theJman]

By the way, here’s a cool site where you can do a virtual thumb-through of decades of Radio Shack catalogs.

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalog_directory.html

Cool link!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Reviving an old thread here, but RadioShack is making a return with a showing at CES 2025. They are on the convention center floor with roughly 380 products to show. We're talking products like Bluetooth speakers and cables.

An El Salvadorian investor had purchased franchise rights back in the 20-teens and spread RadioShack around Central America. When things went south here in the US, they bought intellectual property assets in about 70 countries, including the United States and Canada, Europe, and China.

Statement from the company:

RadioShack is coming back in the US with an extensive product selection that ensures our customers they will find exactly what they need to carry on with day-to-day lives or transform their home and office. Our electronics range including: music and audio equipment, gaming equipment, business traveling products, dependable computer accessories and more.

At RadioShack, we pledge to enrich lives in the US with a diverse range of gadgets that redefine daily living. Our commitment to quality ensures that every product in our lineup reflects our passion for technology. We aim to deliver products that not only meet but exceed industry standards, consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation. As we grow, we are dedicated to introducing products that enhance day-to-day lives. By prioritizing excellence and innovation, we are commited to offer unbeatable value and redefine expectations.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Wow... I suppose that's good news. I always liked RS. Well... except for the time they threatened us over at HTS for using Shack in our name. Thankfully, they gave in to us and let us ride with a public statement on the site that we were not affiliated with them.

I wonder if it will be online only or if they will start opening stores again.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I guess so. What I find odd is "RadioShack" was more a brand of convenience as opposed to to a brand carrying high level products.

If I needed a fuse or solder... I'd head RadioShack. I guess I'd also use RadioShack for things like home phones and police scanners back in the 1980s (wasn't their in-house brand Realistic?). But when they shutdown here in the DC area, I was more upset about losing a place to pick up electronics supplies... not so much upset about losing access to RadioShack branded products.

 

[JStewart]

Reviving an old thread here, but RadioShack is making a return with a showing at CES 2025. They are on the convention center floor with roughly 380 products to show. We're talking products like Bluetooth speakers and cables.

An El Salvadorian investor had purchased franchise rights back in the 20-teens and spread RadioShack around Central America. When things went south here in the US, they bought intellectual property assets in about 70 countries, including the United States and Canada, Europe, and China.

Statement from the company:

RadioShack is coming back in the US with an extensive product selection that ensures our customers they will find exactly what they need to carry on with day-to-day lives or transform their home and office. Our electronics range including: music and audio equipment, gaming equipment, business traveling products, dependable computer accessories and more.

At RadioShack, we pledge to enrich lives in the US with a diverse range of gadgets that redefine daily living. Our commitment to quality ensures that every product in our lineup reflects our passion for technology. We aim to deliver products that not only meet but exceed industry standards, consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation. As we grow, we are dedicated to introducing products that enhance day-to-day lives. By prioritizing excellence and innovation, we are commited to offer unbeatable value and redefine expectations.

It doesn’t say how they plan to market? I assume on line vs retail. And does the world really need another Bluetooth speaker?

I wish them good fortune in the US, but I don’t see it.

Maybe they’ll honor my old battery cards?

 

[Todd Anderson]

I think those old battery cards have as much value as Enron stock... .

I *believe* it's an online presence.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Hmmm... how many RS SPL Meters did I buy over the years?

We promoted those things like crazy over at HomeTheaterForum and then later at HTS.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I bought 2… still have them!

 

[JStewart]

This is where I confess you would find Radio Shack store manger on my resume. Like 1977 to 1982. I punched a lot of those battery cards for folks.

 

[Todd Anderson]

That was right in the sweet-spot for RadioShack… and through the 80s.

I loved looking through the store in our local mall…. Not to mention the RadioShack ads on during NFL Sunday’s!

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Oh yeah... I don't think we ever missed gazing thru the mall stores back in the 80s.

I once tried to get a $600-$800 stereo system financed and was turned down because I didn't have enough credit. No such thing as a credit score back then, but you have to have credit references they could call. It all circles back around... didn't owe anyone then, don't owe anyone now, but whoa Nelly at the debt I've paid off over the years... a scary thought.