And I don't care! This store hasn't offered anything good for radio enthusiast for a long while that doesn't cost a ton more than other places and their electronics department is a joke compared to what it used to be. I mean really remember the days when they had isles of electronic components and they had a whole wall (or two) of radios, talkies, CBs, ham stuff? Ugh okay, I'm done ranting.
Anyways...
RadioShack is changing its name to "The Shack," hoping to present a fresh face to consumers as the electronics retailer directs more of its resources to selling wireless products.
The new brand is scheduled to be unveiled Aug. 6 during a three-day launch event in New York and San Francisco, the company said Monday. RadioShack also plans to get the word out through television, print and Web advertising.
"The Shack" was chosen as the new name based on the fact that many consumers were already dropping "Radio" from the company's name when referring to one of its stores. "We decided to embrace that fact and share it with the world," Lee Applebaum, chief marketing office for RadioShack, said in a statement.
RadioShack also hopes the new name will help the company change its image.
I used to joke that they should rename the place to "Ipod Shack" Hey who hasn't that store let down here? I don't feel bad for poking fun at ratshack one bit though I really do miss the old days when it was a great place to shop at that I actually had a lot of respect for.
Then they tried the bonehead experiment of going head-to-head with the same stuff you could get at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
Ooooo, it made them look good on paper... investments were up, costs were down.
Then people caught on that they could get the same thing at Wal-Mart or Best Buy for a fraction of the price.
Sales plummeted and heads rolled.
RS In Canada was sold to Circuit City, one of their biggest competitors in the US.
Conflict of interest ruling by the Supreme Court meant Circuit City had to lose the Radio Shack brand... they became "The Source by Circuit City".
CC couldn't make a go of it either. The Source bled money from day one and in may 2009, it was official - BCE (Bell Canada) now owns The Source.
Bell is notorious for alienating their retailers by breaching contracts or flat out not paying them. Bell has had countless cell/satellite/phone stores close because they refused to pay commissions, or the retailers had enough and shut it themselves.
As of July 2009, Bell has more CTRC and other industry violation convictions than all other communication companies in the country combined.
Needless to say, The Source employees are terrified, investors pulled out, their stock is worthless and trading on the TSX for The Source has been halted last I heard.
Other countries, RS has been taken over by Farnell or other electronic companies, leaving a handfull of independents.
So, the great wise brainiacs in Ft. Worth are discovering - their US-only model is completely UNSUSTAINABLE!
I spoke with the District Manager and in typical corporate arrogance, which has never changed, "....they did no wrong, just hold the course and trust those in better positions to guide your future!"
Advice even at management meetings was never, ever welcomed. They are of the old 1800's management mentality, "They order, you listen, orders go one way - from the top, down". Customer feedback and employee feedback hits the shredder before it's ever read. I have seen this myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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