In Canada, radio shack re-branded themselves as "The Source". I found this out because one day I needed some banana plugs in a hurry and, for the first time in nearly a decade, thought of radio shack. I went to a nearby mall where I knew there was a radio shack (because I walked past it fairly regularly). I went in and couldn't find anything even resembling a part.
I spoke to a very bored cashier and said, "Wasn't this store a Radio Shack before?".
"Yes!", he said "We changed the name."
"Oh. What happened to your parts section?"
"We got rid of it."
"Why did you change your name? Radio Shack must have been one of the most recognizable brands out there!"
"Well, I guess it was recognizable for the wrong reasons."
"Ooooh".
When I thought about it, the main reason I hadn't set food in a Radio Shack store for years was because the parts section had been shrinking (and becoming more neglected and disorganized) year after year. The store was gradually being taken over by either stuff you could buy cheaper elsewhere or Radio Shack exclusive junk that would break if you looked at it wrong. Instead of focusing on the stuff that at least some people need, Radio Shack focused on the stuff nobody wants.
Briefly: international Radio Shack stores were put under control of InterTan, a Tandy spinoff. When Circuit City bought InterTan, Tandy cancelled the licensing agreement to the Radio Shack name.
I spoke to a very bored cashier and said, "Wasn't this store a Radio Shack before?".
"Yes!", he said "We changed the name."
"Oh. What happened to your parts section?"
"We got rid of it."
"Why did you change your name? Radio Shack must have been one of the most recognizable brands out there!"
"Well, I guess it was recognizable for the wrong reasons."
"Ooooh".
When I thought about it, the main reason I hadn't set food in a Radio Shack store for years was because the parts section had been shrinking (and becoming more neglected and disorganized) year after year. The store was gradually being taken over by either stuff you could buy cheaper elsewhere or Radio Shack exclusive junk that would break if you looked at it wrong. Instead of focusing on the stuff that at least some people need, Radio Shack focused on the stuff nobody wants.