[NJARC] Closing, A Store Near You

Sun Feb 19 15:03:21 EST 2006

If I go to RS for the small stuff, I will go there for
the other stuff I want as well provided they have it
at a price I am willing to pay, and under conditions I
can manage. I almost bought a new computer at RS last
the year before last- but they only would allow me
$500 on the RS card. So I went to Circuit City, and
got the whole thing plus a credit card line of $3k.

They HAD a good, steady customer base, which would
have kept them going for years, had they not gotten
greedy, and expanded into the crap world. Look at Pep
Boys- Used to be able to buy car parts for any car
there. Nowadays, if it is older than 5 years, it is
"Special Order" service items(oil, bulbs, etc) are
pushed way to the backs of the stores, and you have to
go through miles of garbage- illegal mini scooters,
tin can exhausts(also illegal) junk, junk, junk, to
get to the few real parts they have. And then they
often don't even have them! And they wonder why I take
my business elsewhere. I used to spend a lot of money
there. Now they're lucky if I spend $6 for a
headlight!

 Loading a store with inventory which doesn't sell,
then alienating your customers of years durations does
not equate in good profits. Demeaning their purchases
of repair items is useless: That is the reason both
Radio Shack and Pep Boys were started: to offer
customers repair parts, for specific items, at a
reasonable cost, and very accessibly. Both did very
well for many years. Then the crap started coming in,
and had to be sold, and that's when their bottom line
and profits suffered. Both used to be leaders, worthy
of loyal customers- buth are now just losers for the
most part. RS has a real niche market they can
exploit- Wal Mart will never venture into the radio
parts game: they have too much to deal with now, with
everything in their stores but legal prostitution,
driving other merchants out of business, so RS would
thrive again in a repair based orientation. Marketing
people are, for the most part(and in my opinion)in
need of othere employment, perhaps as paving stones.

RS and Pep Boys both need to get back to basics-
reduce their store size, sell what they sell best-
parts and some related items, and grow again.

Scott
(apologies to any marketing types in the group, but
c'mon!)

--- Peter Markavage <manualman at juno.com> wrote:

> Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> _______________________________________________
> "loyal customers" ??
> The ones that buy a connector, a roll of wire,
> blister pack of resistors,
> etc. once a month don't drive the bottom line
> positively. Inventory space
> to stock all this stuff, find space on the floor to
> display it, etc. all
> eat into the bottom line. Low cost, high margin
> boxes, systems, service
> contacts(generally free money), and "off the street
> traffic" (mall
> traffic)  are what drives the bottom line
> positively. Any store that
> sells electronic parts (resistors, capacitors, etc.)
> at a mall store is
> doomed to disaster in today's times.
> 
> Pete, wa2cwa
> 
> On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 11:51:22 -0500 michael s
> christiansen
> <kb2vrm at juno.com> writes:
> > Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> > _______________________________________________
> > The bottom line is everything but if you drive
> away your loyal 
> > customers
> > in the name of "the bottom line" , then what's
> left? Radio Shack- 
> > You
> > have questions.... We have blank stares.
> > On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 14:58:37 -0500 Peter Markavage
> 
> > <manualman at juno.com>
> > writes:
> > > Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Retail stores like Radio Shack need to worry
> about their bottom 
> > line 
> > > not
> > > the customer's memories of days gone by.
> > > 
> > > Pete
> > > 
> > > On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 14:41:18 -0500 Robert
> Bennett 
> > > <dino66 at optonline.net>
> > > writes:
> > > > Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> > > >
> _______________________________________________
> > > > I can remember the days of my childhood where
> stores like Radio 
> > 
> > > > Shack, and others were so magical that you
> could'nt wait to see 
> > 
> > > all 
> > > > the things in the store, check out the yearly
> catalogue, and buy 
> > 
> > > the 
> > > > pieces you needed for your next project. I
> loved the Radio Shack 
> > 
> > > > "Battery Club" card - remember them? After
> reading the article 
> > > > myself, it's really no suprise they are in
> finacial limbo. When 
> > 
> > > was 
> > > > the last time you went to Radio Shack and
> while you were looking 
> > 
> > > for 
> > > > hopefully something of substance,and a college
> kid tries to sell 
> > 
> > > you 
> > > > a cell phone? Heck, you can go to BJ's or
> Costco and get a cell 
> > 
> > > > phone now. It's just another clear example of
> a business trying 
> > to 
> > > 
> > > > keep up with an ongoing "global economy" that
> is just running 
> > out 
> > > of 
> > > > steam. I"m no financial wizard but if I owned
> stock in Radio 
> > > Shack, 
> > > > I'd be on the phone with the stockbroker, or
> online taking the 
> > > money 
> > > > and run! They should change their slogan to:
> You have questions - 
> > 
> > > We 
> > > > have empty storefronts! 
> _______________________________________________
> NJARC mailing list
> NJARC at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/njarc
> 

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