[jones1618]

Calling Steve Wozniak and AdaFruit: Why don't you get together and buy the other half of RadioShack stores and turn them into Maker spaces?

They could continue to sell cables, batteries and universal remotes to consumers to help pay the bills while creating a place to learn and buy supplies for tinkerers, robot clubs, hobbyists etc.

[yesiamyourdad]

I'm sure there's a business model that could work at some level, but RS is in such a big hole that they probably have to kill it and start over anyway.

One of the earlier HN articles mentioned how RS had an electronics repair biz at one point (maybe they still do). That seems like a good starting point, then cater to hard core hobbyists which would be the core of whatever clientele RS still has. It's just not a big enough business for a public company.

Personally I think it's a good idea. 50% of Radio Shack locations will be up for rent soon, so all you budding entrepreneurs out there, go find some seed money and open your hobbyist/enthusiast/maker supply store. Do electronics repair, repairing phone glass, all that kind of thing, then try to reconnect with the core market of people who love electronics. Make it like the neighborhood bike shop that all the cyclists come to to hang out at. That's how Radio Shack started out.

[joshstrange]

Agreed, it's not like RS has any value other than it's store space. I'd probably ditch whatever procurement process they had for getting their tech anyways as I'm sure it's highly inefficient, lacking in product people want, and rife with corruption. Also the people that work at RS are next to worthless (IMHO in terms of helping build towards the vision jones1818 outlines, not worthless as people) for doing anything but trying to sell you a phone. There are of course exceptions to this but I agree with yesiamyourdad that you'd be better off starting from square one.

[mgkimsal]

How about just turning their store in to iPhone/iPad/iPod repair outlets? Replacing screens and selling bling would probably bring them more business than most of the RS stores I've seen in the last few years have.

[vonmoltke]

Around here in DFW, at least, those places are a dime a dozen.

[mgkimsal]

same here, except they're generally busy. on a per sq ft basis, they might even be more profitable than RS.

[vonmoltke]

The ones I have seen are definitely low-overhead. They also seem to be pretty transient and skeevy, though that may be more a reflection of the typical owner than the nature of the business.