Radio Shack stock trading below a dollar

htx-100

Realistic HTX-100 10-meter transceiver

It’s so sad to me to see this once great retailer continue its downward trend. I have so many fond childhood memories stopping by the local Radio Shack (there were actually three in my town) to pick up batteries and other parts.

This morning its stock price is down to $0.82 a share from a high this year of over $4.00. Both of these numbers are a far cry from Radio Shack’s high of nearly $80 a share in December of 1999.

It seems like Radio Shack really had a chance to position itself as the leader in the new “maker” movement, but instead chose to be a second-rate retailer of cell phones and (overpriced) consumer crap.

Source: Slate via Adafruit

Matt Thomas, W1MST, is the managing editor of AmateurRadio.com. Contact him at [email protected].

18 Responses to “Radio Shack stock trading below a dollar”

  • Chad:

    yep it is sad !!

    its always the place to get that one part needed if they have it.

    always hat going in looking for a part and get asked 3 times if i need a cell phone or change plans or upgrade — too pushy!!

  • Jeff K8TVV:

    Yes it is sad. I’m 17 years old and have been a ham for 3 years, and when ever I go in to radio shack and ask about getting PL259 connectors or different things like that, I get a lost confusion look from the sales clerk, its like really, I know what all these things are at my age and the clerk is something like in his 40’s and has no clue.

  • Harry K7ZOV:

    Radio Shack was a place that I spent a ton of $$$ on part and other radio stuff for year. They hired some MBA’s from some Liberal colleges who where taught theory form professors who never worked a day in their life and this is the results. I saw it with the now late Motorola Semiconductor, and the Cell group. And after working for Walmart the past 8 years I see the same pattern of people who really only care about the stock holders, who in the end get screwed. RS and so many more have forgotten that customers and their needs and desires come first. Now I buy from Mouser, Digikey and Amazon, things I used to buy for RS.

  • Fred AE2DX:

    I used to go their years ago but they went more for the toys and phones I felt not a good thing to do when your store is RADIO SHACK. Stopped going for my parts and now go on line for electronic orders. We call it radio Crap now.

  • Rob VE6XMB:

    Up here in Canada we lost our Radio Shack many years ago to “The Source” what a joke. They have been trying to compete with the “Big Boys” selling consumer junk at inflated prices. Even tried their hand at consumer computers. Too much competition.

    There is one good thing however; if they do have something you need, you get served right away in an empty store. My advice RS/The Source, don’t try to compete with the big box stores, give great service, quality products at honest prices.

    I remember when there was a semiconductor reference book that had hundreds of devices all with RS part numbers. Now all we get is one diode and one NPN transistor. Who said that nostalgia was a thing of the past 🙂

  • Matt W1MST:

    I think if I were them I would jettison the expensive mall locations and other high rent spots.

  • Goody K3NG:

    I doubt any MBA could fix Radio Shack. They basically have an untenable business model. There’s too much competition in the mobile phone and consumer electronics space and there’s not enough business in the parts and hobbyist arena to keep them afloat. The Makers are flocking to companies like Adafruit and Makershed. Radio Shack screwed up their Internet presence years ago. Radio Shack going back to what made them great 30 years ago won’t work now. Stick a fork in it…it’s done.

    I can fix the stock price, though. Reverse split, baby! 🙂

  • Mike Babb, N4PF:

    Radio Shack: you have questions; so do they.

  • Peter kg5wy:

    I don’t feel bad for this company.
    Poor management over the years has taken this once great company down.
    I grew up in Boston and worked for the original and first Radio Shack.
    Today, I can’t wait till it goes out of business.
    Good ridding’s.

  • Brian - Kj6PBX:

    Many years ago Tandy Corp, parent company of “Radio Shack”, bought the great Allied Radio store in Chicago and promptly shut it down. When Radio Shack folds, things will have gone full circle. Good riddance, Radio Shack.

  • Harry K7ZOV:

    I forgot about Allied Electronics. It was a major parts supplier to the electronic industry. They also bought Tech America and opened a division in Mesa Arizona. Open from 9-9 7 days a week. Always had people in it buying, even late Sunday evenings. Was expanding into the commercial market. The LASER company I worked at bought thousands of dollars worth of parts from them. They carried a lot of ham radio equipments as well as part…the the Radio Shack parts started showing up. Then the local stores started to complain. Then one day, we were told that RS was pulling the Plug on Tech America and everything was being closed out. 30 days later one of the best parts and toy stores I ever went to was gone. Thanks to blind and stupid RS Corp Managers… Real idiots to the extreme. I knew the manager and I know that store was making profits hand over fists. Far more then any 50 RS stores combined. How sad…

  • KJ6HFD:

    Yep I was there when it was Tandy , Tube’s for my ham radio’s, they had it all. and your right I’am 70 years of age . and the people that work there , well go back to school .

    73s george

  • Larry KD7KBG:

    I must disagree; as a former employee Radio Shack has always been a mediocre company at best and a nightmare at worst. Examples? OK- 1)The tried to charge me $35 about 20 years ago for a 2N2222 transistor. You do the math on that. 2)Their paranoia of formerly demanding lie detector tests as a condition of employment and their laziness at upgrading from paper receipts to a computerized point of sale system when they were selling computers and POS was very common? That should have clued you in something wasn’t right with the company- why would a tech company NOT be using the very tech they’re selling? Uh, yeah,,,,which brings us up to #3: They do not support their products- ever. I purchased a T/L1000 computer (80286 based uP, 20MegHD) but the computer would only work using RS’s software. Well guess what? The catalog of software could have been written on one sheet of toilet paper- on ONE SIDE.

    For those of you who loved RS? Well, at 01:30AM when the bar’s close down at 2 AM no chick is ugly to go to her place either. And that is EXACTLY what RS is- except the clocks now on “bar closing time” and people are waking up and seeing “Damn, she is UGLY!”

  • Jerry AF7P:

    I was a customer of Uncle Dave’s Radio Shack back in the 1950’s. (I have been licensed since 1956)

    I could always count on the quality of their products/parts until about five-ten years ago. I recently visited a local Radio Shack store and it looked like a cell phone outlet! Almost no parts, just cell phones and someone elses’ computers.

    They used to make quality computers and offer a large selection of parts.
    I agree: When it is done, stick a fork in it!

  • Bill - WA8MEA:

    Actually, Allied Electronics is alive and well! Been buying parts from them for decades. They do mostly “b to b”, or business to business sales.

    http://www.alliedelec.com/

    73, Bill – WA8MEA

  • Michael. N1VSU:

    The crystal ball future for Radio Shack is that this retailer will be the next one to go OUT. In R.I. Mostly all electronic parts store are closed and the only source is via internet I prefer to buy locally.I have been going to Radio Shack when it was Tandy and Allied I still have my little pocket size analog ohm and voltmeter The first place that I go to at shopping mall is RADIO SHACK .In the past there was another electronic store was LAFFAYETTE Radio which was another store which was my favorite.The Future of RS will be going out of business.The only store to buy parts is located in Massachusetts is You Do It Electronics Also we can’t forget on a kit store Heathkit which also went out.

  • Duane Cook NL7X:

    Maybe RS will go back to leather sales? I remember buying lots of ‘broken’ electronic items from the junk table and fixing them for my kids. As recently as 10 or 12 years ago, my grandson had about a half dozen RC trucks etc to choose from. I’m not altogether sure it’s just RS’s fault. I realize that the Tropical Interior of ALaska isn’t a Mecca for electronic parts, but a week ago I was trying to locate a couple FETs, and discovered that our last parts vender in Fairbanks had closed their parts and test equipment business to concentrate on track lighting and fancy lamps. I then inquired about obtaining some RG8 coax, another interesting run around until they finally admitted they had no idea what RG8 coax was. I think most of these problems Are educational. You should check out the new Common Core curriculum, mainly the math. It’s a bit like giving a clerk extra money so that your change will come out even. I feel a bit sad that the degeneration of technology in this country has ‘slipped?’ a bit. Cash registers that have pictures instead of numbers on the keys decorate fast food establishments, thus the inability to make proper change. I apologize Jeff, I’m not sure what happened. I hope you won’t have to negotiate your way in what is becoming a 3rd world country. As a 67 year oldster, I’m proud to see a glimmer of hope on the horizon such as yourself. Don’t let curmudgeons like me muddy the water too badly.
    73 de NL7X, Duane

  • John Hess KC2WEX:

    Radio Shack should be bought out by universal or ham radio outlet even dx engineering etc and brought up to date. “all our junk is on sale” should make enough operating capitol for the company to do it right. bring in some electronic parts and amateur radio and dump the DBA Radio shack because it is a sore tooth to the electronics industry.

Leave a Comment

Subscribe FREE to AmateurRadio.com's
Amateur Radio Newsletter
News, Opinion, Giveaways & More!

E-mail 
Join over 7,000 subscribers!
We never share your e-mail address.



Also available via RSS feed, Twitter, and Facebook.


Subscribe FREE to AmateurRadio.com's
Amateur Radio Newsletter

 
We never share your e-mail address.


Do you like to write?
Interesting project to share?
Helpful tips and ideas for other hams?

Submit an article and we will review it for publication on AmateurRadio.com!

Have a ham radio product or service?
Consider advertising on our site.

Are you a reporter covering ham radio?
Find ham radio experts for your story.

How to Set Up a Ham Radio Blog
Get started in less than 15 minutes!


  • Matt W1MST, Managing Editor




Sign up for our free
Amateur Radio Newsletter

Enter your e-mail address:

Â