Should Amazon Buy RadioShack?

[Rizla]

Duplicate post.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

LOL

Hey! I have a set of still-working 35 year old Radio Shack Nova 8 Speakers.
They literally don't make'em that way anymore.
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...tage-gear.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Vintage-Ra...item19d7c008c8

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Moving into retail spaces doesn't make a lot of sense to me since they would then have to pay staff, building costs etc all of which would eat into their profit which they would pass onto to us with higher prices for local stuff.

More importantly, they would have to pay TAX. Amazon has dodged a huge amount of taxes by being an online retailer. This tax avoidance in the tune of Billions has allowed them an advantage over other companies with bricks and mortar stores. The only way they would do this is by setting up a distinct company.

I think less retailers are stocking kindles because the market is getting glutted. I suppose amazon want to push their kindles at people to push the e-book business model, but I get the impression those people who've yet to adopt e-book won't now. What's the financial incentive for them? I wonder if amazon will get to the point where they are almost giving kindles away.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

With Amazon building warehouses like crazy all over the country, isn't it time they set up small showrooms for their Kindle line; and possibly other products?

And what better chain to snatch up than ailing RadioShack and its 4,400+ US locations. Of course Amazon won't need all of those stores, so they can keep the prime locations and sell off the rest.

RadioShack is on its way to oblivion and I like the idea of turning its stores into Amazon fronts.

And if not Amazon, what about Google?

Many Radio Shack stores are (Local area) Franchises and are not 'Company Stores'. Lots of brands operate this way. 'Ace Hardware', 'KFC', ...
The franchise owner must meet certain minimums to remain 'Branded' . Ace allows unbranded stores (they can sell Ace Product, but Not use the Ace Logo anyplace else.)
So RS selling Kindle would still be mostly up to the Local owner/dealer even if a deal was made.

Fry's sells Kindles

[JSWolf]

If Radio Shack did go out of business, there would be one less place to get electronic parts if you needed such right away. As it is, a lot of people are stuck having to order online.

I did order online when my desktop's power supply crapped out. But I was able to get it in 3 days. I had the laptop and iPad to keep me going.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

RadioShack is headed for bankruptcy. Getting them to carry Kindles won't save them. It's best to buy them out and change the name to Amazon or Google. Prime locations kept and the rest jettisoned.

Exactly.
==== Amazon Lockers for pickup
==== repositorys for small electronic parts, connectors, etc.
==== more showrooms for Amazon, new products, devices that people would like to look at before buying. A "feely touchy" place.

This wasn't a good idea when Amazon wasn't collecting state sales taxes, but since it seems to be abandoning that idea, it might now be feasible.

[wizwor]

Amazon is building warehouses. The best place to deal with customers is at the front of the warehouse. They don't need to show products -- just give people a place to pick things up and process returns.

The best place to sell a kindle is probably not a bookstore. I'd have to see some numbers. I'll bet book stores are not the best place to sell anything.

The best place to sell a Fire is on TV or the internet where you can show a lot of people how it is just like an iPad -- except for the price. This is the best place because you can impress a lot of people at once for not too much money. Second best place is a retailer where a sales person LOVES the Fire and can do amazing things with it.

I was at a Best Buy for an iPad launch. They had two set up for people to try. There was a crowd around each. People waited patiently, double tapped a familiar icon, had trouble entering data, double tapped another icon, and watched a movie. I didn't see a single person among the touchers walk away with an iPad.

I was at a BJs club last week. This woman walked around the store handing out pairs of raffle tickets. All you had to do to win a chance at a $25 gift card was watch her demo a whisk. She drew as many as had gathered around the iPad demo at BB. After a fifteen minute pitch, she sold 30 overpriced whisks. No one came to BJs to buy a whisk that day.

Selling is selling. Good selling is good selling.

Amazon already sells Kindles at Staples. Staples operates 1,871 retail stores throughout the United States and Canada. No one shops for a tablet at either place -- people just stop in to pick one up.

Wal-Mart just hired the post office to deliver its goods. Amazon ought to hire the post office to handle returns. Put return info on each box.

[forgottenbooks]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

RadioShack is headed for bankruptcy. Getting them to carry Kindles won't save them. It's best to buy them out and change the name to Amazon or Google. Prime locations kept and the rest jettisoned.

That not going to help either, its a sinking ship, that's gonna sink slowly.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by forgottenbooks

That not going to help either, its a sinking ship, that's gonna sink slowly.

The idea is to not save RS, but to turn the locations into Amazon stores.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by wizwor

Amazon is building warehouses. The best place to deal with customers is at the front of the warehouse. They don't need to show products -- just give people a place to pick things up and process returns.

Those warehouses are few and far between, and in out of the way locations around here. Not worth driving to for pickups or returns. It's easier to buy stuff from other local stores online and pick them up the next time you go shopping there. Free ship-to-store is a great incentive.

[BWinmill]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

The idea is to not save RS, but to turn the locations into Amazon stores.

If the situation is that bad for RadioShack, why would Amazon want to inherit its problems? Buying a company means inheriting the contractual obligations of that company. They would get leases to properties that aren't necessarily profitable. They would have to fulfil or terminate contracts with suppliers. They would have to deal with labour laws while letting go of employees. Things like debts don't disappear. There is also the necessity of getting rid of unneeded assets. (To give an example: I was able to get some dirt cheap electronics components a few years ago when RadioShack Canada was let go. I'm talking about pennies on the dollar. Same could be said for properties in depressed areas.) The list could probably go on.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Those warehouses are few and far between, and in out of the way locations around here. Not worth driving to for pickups or returns. It's easier to buy stuff from other local stores online and pick them up the next time you go shopping there. Free ship-to-store is a great incentive.

The logical answer to that is to partner with someone like UPS to allow pickups and returns at their locations.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

The logical answer to that is to partner with someone like UPS to allow pickups and returns at their locations.

Or merge with them. They are both in different and complementary sides ofthe logistics business.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

ApK, you don't have a Fry's Electronics near you?

I wish. The neartest one is about 700 miles away. I went to one in California once. Cool place. Maybe if RS does fold, Fry's will expand to fill the gap here on the east coast.

But as it stands, RS is pretty much my only local source for components unless, and I have several very convenient locations around me.

The independent places, like Williams Electronics, where I used buy my telcom supplies, have all gone, too.

ApK

[hidari]

So is Radio Shack part of the Illuminati-Conspiracy....Watch out.. in two years everyone will have a Radioshack-Amazon Tatto..... Mark my words.