“Shares of electronics retailer RadioShack Corp. climbed Friday after an analyst said the company may soon test a new concept designed to emulate Apple Inc.’s popular stores,” The Associated Press reports.
“Deutsche Bank analyst Mike Baker said he believes the company’s pilot project will ‘replicate the look and feel’ of Apple stores, and may include access to some wireless brands not carried by the company, such as T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T,” AP reports.
“‘Our source indicates that (RadioShack) is building three test stores to open by October, and then will hope to have ten by year end, 150 in the next 12 months and 400 in three years, if successful,’ Baker told investors in a research note Friday,” AP reports.
Full article here.
[Attribution: Electronista. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Sir Gill Bates” for the heads up.]
Some people will never get it.
How long will it be before other companies finally learn that we don’t buy Apple products because they look nice? Sure, it’s nice, but it’s just part of the package. We buy Apple products because THEY WORK. The fact that they look good on top of it just makes it even better. As long as people continue to emulate only the look of Apple, they will never catch up.
Hmmmmm….
I wonder if the ‘z;kdblkzxcl’ and ‘RHLU;UOE67R’ posts were written by the same genius.
We were almost thrown off the track by the use of all lower-case in the first moniker and all upper-case in the second.
Perhaps the use of the semi-colon in both was the give-away?
It’s that kind of genius that results in the formation of companies such as RadioShack.
(Or Microsoft…Is that you, Mr. Ballmer?)
And yet, Apple is the best there is…
Well, certainly the best in its particular marketplace.
On another note, don’t feed the troll – it doesn’t listen to reason and it doesn’t appreciate facts.
Sure, smear lipstick on a pig and call it a prom date. YOU might believe it, but others won’t.
Radio Shack sucks so much ass it’s not funny. They went down the toilet years ago. “do stuff”? You have GOT to be kidding me!
The Genius Bar: “Yes, you plug this cord into your phone, then into the wall and you can cal people…. No. You need to have the electricity to your house on.”
Look, I don’t care what Radio Shaq does to stay in business. I don’t buy anything substantial from them in terms of price, but it is good to know that in almost every town that I work (many, actually) there is a Radio Shack nearby for my fuse, capacitor, relay, switch, low voltage needs. Much more than that, in fact.
I don’t care if the employees know how the crap works, either, just tell me if you have it in stock and where it is on the shelf.
They started off as an electronics store. Sell whatever else you need to keep that part open.
R
you don’t need electricity in your home to use a corded phone.
I’m just sayin’….
“Radio Shack”… but, didn’t they… “The Source by Circuit City”.. What?!
I love my batteries well lit when I buy them.
“Apple, the best there is.” Catchy, but hardly a glowing endorsement. Apple is losing its vision, slipping into mediocrity, and becoming more like everyone else.
RadioShack… They still exist?
I like Radio Shack.
That’s really funny… You means those stores located in strip malls across the USA.
People go to the Apple Store because they are located in cool venues and sell cool products. The only things I buy from Radio Shack are odd cables and hard to find batteries (when I don’t feel like waiting for an online purchase).
The funniest thing is that the stock price went up because of this news.
This will only push Apple to allways keep making it better.
Read “Tandy’s” link. I’d say the biggest problem facing Radio Shack is the executive search committee that hired Julian Day.
Hiring some one who has been a customer and “gets” Radio Shack before he starts the job would have been a better move than letting this bozo stumble around after he started getting a paycheck (and bailout package for after he screws it up).
I’m like most of the posters who admit they actually go to Radio Shack. I’m looking for the last minute bit of technology support gear that I can’t wait until it can come via the UPS truck next Tuesday. I do have a ham license (we are still around). The RS I go to with the most frequency (sorry) is the local ham supply house. None of the stores amateur radio inventory comes from Radio Shack. It’s a side line for the store. You won’t find an Anderson PowerPole connector in Home Depot. You might in Radio Shack.
I can see a place in the retail market for a seller of fairly priced cables (tried to buy an HDMI cable at Wal-Mart?) and a wide selection of odd bits of electronic gear (need a Bi-lingual FireWire cable?). But Apple’s retail store design has nothing to do with it. Maybe they could put a bar in each store, rather than trying to figure out how a Genius Bar might work. That would be genius.
Or maybe they could move in with Starbucks and split the rent on the stores they want to close.
Those ‘barristers’ think they are geniuses already…..
If they plan to replicate Apple stores all the way, they better hire a whole new breed of employee. The bafoons that wait on me when I go in there all look like they failed their G.E.D. test the first time or two.
Their cabling prices are simply outrageous. I drive to Fry’s any time I need a plug or wire or cable… a fraction of the price even though it’s ten miles away compared to 10 blocks away for the RS store near my house.
EPIC FAIL
Radio Shack has brand recognition and something like 7000 stores that can reach customers in small / mid / large cities. That’s a huge potential advantage. I don’t know if a boutique model like Apple’s will work for them, but if RS senior management makes a few good decisions re/ inventory and merchandising their star could rise quickly.
Ha! You can tell how board everyone is when there are TWO pages of comments on a Radio Shack story. LOL.
I’d be sad to see RS fail; I spend maybe $5-$20 a year there, but I’m glad they are around when you need the odd item in a pinch.
Radio Shack’s stock went UP on this news? Wow. That shows how screwed up the markets are.
The stock market – it’s all a numbers game, people. It only bears a tangential and coincidental relationship to reality.
@Gabriel, I think that’s most true for people who try to time the market. Those who diversify and have a long-range plan tend to have a smoother ride.
So, they are going to copy Apple stores and then stock them with Radio Shack stuff.
That’ll work!
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