[NJARC] Closing, A Store Near You

[Peter Markavage]

As a former product and marketing person in the corporate world, I make
no apologies for my brethren in this field. It is sometimes difficult,
and sometimes even impossible, to equally balance return customer loyalty
to the bottom line.

Many of the on-line small parts jobbers seem to holding their own very
well in this niche market.
Pete, wa2cwa

On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 12:03:21 -0800 (PST) Scott Roberts
<ng19delta at yahoo.com> writes:
> Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> _______________________________________________
> 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!