Even less shelf space for models at HobbyTown?

[HomerS]

Despite filing for bankruptcy twice in just over two years, RadioShack announced  a partnership with HobbyTown, a toy and hobby retailer, which will bring the electronics retailer's branded merchandise to 60 HobbyTown franchise locations across the U.S. The new stores will be called "RadioShack Express." Over time the new RadioShack Express “store-within-a-store” concept will be rolled out to HobbyTown in over 100 of their locally owned stores. The first Express stores will open next week. 

Total Retail's Take: Good news for RadioShack and its loyal customers. It's the first big announcement from RadioShack since it emerged from its Chapter 11 reorganization in January with 400 dealer locations across the U.S. (mostly in rural locations) and a focus on its e-commerce business. This partnership with HobbyTown will give RadioShack more exposure to many of the suburban markets it had to give up when it shuttered more than 1,000 stores after filing bankruptcy the second time in 2017. What's more, the store-within-a-store concept has been a popular and successful strategy for many retailers over the years, so it will be interesting to see how it fares for RadioShack. 

Seems like the marriage of Sears and KMart version 2.0

 

[SSNJim]

That should work out well for both parties.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hmmmmm....I wonder if that means there will once again be a local outlet to purchase resistors, diodes, caps, ICs, etc. Sure would be nice. Closest actual "electronics" parts store now is 30 miles downtown, always brutal traffic during business hours.

Though I have commercial online sources, it's nice to be able to drop in and buy just ONE of something occasionally.

[Mark]

  On 7/28/2018 at 1:48 AM, HomerS said:

Seems like the marriage of Sears and KMart version 2.0

 

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Sears and K-Mart joining forces was like two drunks trying to help one another cross the street.  Sears needed to decide on being either a tool store, a clothing store, or whatever.  K-Mart lost their way trying to go "upscale", leaving Wal-Mart to take their customers.

The couple of Radio Shack stores around here (both since closed) had little, if any, actual electronics stuff the last few years.  I couldn't even get the "wire wrap" wire that I tend to use for plug wires on models.  They'd tell me they could order it.  But then again, I could do that via eBay without leaving the house.  Towards the end, they were 99% cell phones, and they got knocked out of that box by the carriers who were selling phones in addition to offering services.  One-stop shopping.  I even stopped buying my mom's hearing aid batteries there when the hearing aid store started selling them cheaper.  And they always had them in stock.