RadioShack

This article is about the electronics retailer. For a radio communications room, see Radio shack.

RadioShack
FormerlyRadio Shack Corporation (1921–1962)
Tandy Corporation (1962–2000)
RadioShack Corporation (2000–2015)
General Wireless Operations Inc. (2015–2020)
IndustryE-commerce, retail
Founded1921; 103 years ago (1921)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
FoundersTheodore and Milton Deutschmann
HeadquartersFort Worth, Texas, US
Number of locations
Approximately 400 authorized dealers in the US[a]
Various international locations
Key people
Alex Mehr (CEO)[2]
ProductsConsumer electronics
ParentGeneral Wireless IP Holdings LLC (2015–2020)
Retail ECommerce Ventures (2020–2023)
Unicomer Group (2023–present)
Websiteradioshack.com

RadioShack (formerly written as Radio Shack) is an American electronics retailer, which was established in 1921 as an amateur radio mail-order business. Its original parent company, Radio Shack Corporation, was purchased by Tandy Corporation in 1962, shifting its focus from radio equipment to hobbyist electronic components. At its peak in 1999, Tandy operated over 8,000 RadioShack stores in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and under the Tandy name in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The 21st century proved to be a period of long decline. In February 2015, after years of management crises, poor worker relations, diminished revenue, and 11 consecutive quarterly losses, RadioShack was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[3][4] In May 2015, the company's assets, including the RadioShack brand name and related intellectual property, were purchased by General Wireless, a subsidiary of Standard General, for US$26.2 million.[5]

In March 2017, General Wireless and subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy, claiming that a store-within-a-store partnership with Sprint was not as profitable as expected.[6] As a result, RadioShack shuttered several company-owned stores[7][8] and announced plans to shift its business primarily online.[9]

RadioShack was acquired by Retail Ecommerce Ventures, a holding company owned by Alex Mehr and self-help influencer Tai Lopez, in November 2020.[10] RadioShack operated primarily as an e-commerce website with a network of independently owned and franchised RadioShack stores, as well as a supplier of parts for HobbyTown USA.[11] On March 2, 2023, Retail Ecommerce Ventures announced that it was mulling a possible bankruptcy filing.[12][13]

In May 2023, Unicomer Group acquired control of the worldwide RadioShack franchise.[14] Unicomer is based in El Salvador and is one of the largest franchisors of RadioShack, with stores in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It had purchased its first RadioShack franchise (in El Salvador) in January 1998.

  1. ^ "The Golden Age of Radio Shack Toys". PCMAG. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  2. ^ Gittings, John (July 25, 2022). "Stay tuned: RadioShack owner optimistic about new contract". Baraboo News Republic. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  3. ^ "PacerMonitor Document View - 1:15-bk-10197 - RadioShack Corporation Bankruptcy, Docket Item 1" (PDF). Pacermonitor.com. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference WSJFeb2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Brickley, Peg (May 13, 2015). "Standard General Wins Auction of RadioShack Brand". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "RadioShack files for bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years". Los Angeles Times. March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017 – via Associated Press.
  7. ^ "RadioShack: GOING, going ... gone". Fortworthbusiness.com. Fort Worth Business Press. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  8. ^ Woodyard, Chris (May 31, 2017). "RadioShack, closing 1,000 stores, leaves only these 70". USA Today. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  9. ^ "Last Chance For Store Closing Deals At Your Neighborhood RadioShack! Come Innovate With Us One Last Time". prnewswire.com (Press release). May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  10. ^ Al-Muslim, Aisha (November 19, 2020). "Retail Entrepreneurs Buy Twice-Bankrupt RadioShack With Plans for Online Revival". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Halkias was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Owner of RadioShack, Pier 1 in danger of bankruptcies". New York Post. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Olivares, Nelson (May 9, 2023). "Unicomer Group Acquires the Global RadioShack Brand". Unicomer Group.
  14. ^ Release, Press (May 30, 2023). "Radioshack Global brand now acquired by the Unicomer Group". St Vincent Times. Retrieved August 2, 2023.


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