![]() In contrast Radio Shack did embrace the Web and shifted lots of their sales to eCommerce. The Deutschmann brothers likely had no clue that their desire to bring radio equipment to the public would be laying the tracks for the digital world. How? By making electronics familiar, approachable and affordable. ![]() But it paved the way for Jobs and Cook to enjoy stunning success. Radio Shack is not the Apple Store, not by a long shot. BV was unable to weather the digital tsunami and were completely lost when it came to the internet. Blockbuster relied on late fees to prop up revenue which is never a viable long term strategy. The demise of Radio Shack is not like what happened to Blockbuster Video. I’ve heard some bid a happy farewell, while others never even noticed. There’s a generation today that cannot wrap their heads around the concept of a Radio Shack, let alone consider entering one. He used a slide rule to compute equations, not a calculator, and wired a Color Bar and Dot Generator to an early color television to troubleshoot problems. I knew what a printed circuit board was when I was 8 years old. Capacitors, transistors, resistors, rectifiers, vacuum tubes his workshop was full of them. He was constantly tinkering with the insides of radios and televisions. The tech then was radio and television waves broadcast across the landscape, captured by antennas and transformed into audio and video that arguably, had more to do with shaping this countries’ culture than almost anything else. The Shack was a savvy retailer-correction, merchandiser-that figured out long ago our country was headed for a serious case of addiction to the magic of technology. It was the first of its kind and the last of its kind. It provided a place where Americans could go to see, touch and purchase electronics and home technology. This franchise was in search of a much more noble purpose. ![]() It was not a retailer that emerged because of a fashion trend or a personal hobby. It was founded in 1921 by the Deutschmann brothers and was the destination of millions of dads, and moms, who walked into their local Shack in search of everything from batteries to diagnostic equipment to an additional cell phone charger. Radio Shack has been a staple on 4,000 American streets for decades. By “it” I mean Radio Shack filing for bankruptcy. It appears as if that long dreaded day has arrived.
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