Could Radio Shack Be Making A Comeback In MA?

When I first came to Great Barrington, one of my favorite places to do some shopping was at the local Radio Shack located at The Price Chopper Plaza. Years later, when the electronics giant shut down, it was very upsetting in more ways than one. It totally reminded me of the days I used to shop at this establishment during my days in the ol' hometown of NYC and when living in upstate New York.

The store was a mecca for media and electronics enthusiasts as it first opened back in 1921 as they began as a small supplier of ham radio equipment,  eventually moving into the realm of high fidelity stereo equipment where they enjoyed success during their hey-day.

It seems like the beloved 80s retailer, once on the brink of extinction, is staging a remarkable comeback under new ownership. Radio Shack, an US-based franchise of electronics retail stores, endured multiple bankruptcies. And even though the brand closed down thousands of its stores, they never completely disappeared.

Why did many stores shut down? The answer is that Radio Shack failed to adapt and stay relevant when most electronics sales shifted online, and the retailer was stuck in brick-and-mortar locations only. It seems like the company had a plethora of locations that cannibalized from each other and the end result from this action was a massive amount of financial losses. According to court documents, they recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to protect any further financial setbacks after they announced they were over one million dollars in debt.

The Tandy company owned Radio Shack for decades and now it's new owners, Unicomer Group, a multinational retailing and consumer finance group headquartered in San Salvador, El Salvador has been brainstorming on ideas on how to bring the company back to it's iconic status it once enjoyed way back when. Their online sales operation was purchased by Retail Ecommerce Ventures, a Florida-based company that had previously purchased defunct retailers. Unicomer also has United States headquarters based in Miami, Florida.

While specific details are yet to be revealed, the brand is expected to leverage its nostalgic appeal and iconic products to reconnect with its loyal customer base and attract a fresh wave of shoppers. This is probably the BEST news I have heard in a while as I am a "living in the past guy" and a part of it is coming back.

The thought of some stores reopening is welcome news for electronics enthusiasts as they will finally have the opportunity to browse in a familiar element which brought joy to their lives. It is welcome news for ALL who are looking to browse at their favorite electronics stores. I know I'll be one of the first in line with my shopping list in hand.

BOTTOM LINE: Stand by as we'll keep you posted on the latest developments.

(Some information obtained in this article courtesy of www.google.com)