Comments on: The Shack Is Headed To Maker Faire http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire techspecs Thu, 23 May 2013 02:23:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Jeffie Shapley http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-46611 Jeffie Shapley Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:31:29 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-46611 These days people are either too lazy or not savvy enough to do any DIY projects. Even though most of the how to on those DIY projects can be found online.

]]> By: dave_is_right http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-11428 dave_is_right Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:03:34 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-11428 dave from July 10th, 2011 at 2:01 am,

i agree! what happened to the shack? there is one across the street and i never even think to walk in there anymore. this page was one of only a dozen results displayed by google when searching “18650 site:radioshack.com” bah!

]]> By: Josh http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-6429 Josh Sun, 28 Aug 2011 03:34:01 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-6429 Thanks Mike for introducing me to sparkfun.com I found a great starter digi oscilloscope for my starter home lab!

]]> By: Mike Green http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-5113 Mike Green Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:04:50 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-5113 Hi,
I pains me to go to a Radio Shack these days. I only do it when I don’t have time to get it off the net.
Rows of cell phones and teenage kids who have no idea what they are selling (besides phones) are a real hassle. Especially when they insist on helping you, then have absolutely no clue what you need. This is not griping, it is meant to be informative. I would really like to see you get back to your roots. I would like to see more Amateur Radio equipment, maybe even some RC stuff. Have you guys thought of more hobby items in general? Maybe hi-tech toys? Make Radio shack interesting again.
Good luck.
Thanks
Mike Green

]]> By: rechy http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-4269 rechy Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:37:36 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-4269 when are you getting in htc evo 4g and how much will it cost with an upgrade

]]> By: Lorenzo http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-4200 Lorenzo Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:22:35 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-4200 Technology is crazy, thanks for the awesome post.

]]> By: craig http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-4138 craig Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:09:39 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-4138 I can’t believe what I’m reading. Everyone on this thread has complained about RadioShack not carrying enough of this, and charging too much for that, and only shilling cell phones.

Here’s the thing: If RadioShack actually charged what you might consider a reasonable price for components, stocked the stores with a wider variety of components, and stopped celling cell phones, they wouldn’t be able to afford to keep the lights on.

Wireless phone contracts are RadioShack’s most profitable business. Packs of transistors aren’t — at any price.

As for the allusions made to the less-than-knowledgeable and less-than-interested staff, don’t expect this to improve any time soon. You cannot get anyone to manufacture enthusiasm on minimum wage. And without that enthusiasm, you cannot expect them to take the time to learn the products and be excited to talk to you about them. You’re basically saying you want all the employees to have masters degrees in engineering, which is patently absurd.

]]> By: dave http://blog.radioshack.com/2011/05/the-shack-is-headed-to-maker-faire/#comment-4028 dave Sun, 10 Jul 2011 07:01:10 +0000 /post/2011/05/19/The-Shack-Is-Headed-To-Maker-Faire.aspx#comment-4028 Turn the shack back into the place to go for DIY electronics hobbyists. A few decades ago I used to buy parts there, but as I began to appreciate parts selection and quality available, then with the advent of the internet, I just don’t think of the Shack as the place to go anymore.

Stock all the basic discrete parts like multiple sizes and electrical values on very low ESR, top Japanese brand capacitors. 1% precision metal film resistors. Chip components like resistors and not just in some random variety pack. High quality switches, 3W power LEDs from Cree/etc, teflon insulated wire, fiberglass and silicone heat resistant insulated appliance wire, RC toy replacement parts, a full range of Li-Ion and LiFEPO4 batteries in common sizes like 14500, 18650, etc. Decent, not toy/junk grade soloar cells, high quality mounting hardware such as standoffs, multicount screw packs in sizes people need not just random tiny things with too few in a pack.

You need to be a one stop shop for all parts needed to complete a project, keeping the DIY hobbyist from going there, and ordering 2 places online, and a trip to two different hardware stores, etc. Save people time, and gasoline, and then you can charge a bit more for quality parts but as it stands now people are spending the time and gas and finding only junk parts if you have the part at all.

I’m sure the beancounters are saying these parts aren’t your profit leaders. True! Your core shoppers were driven away, it’s going to take a dedicated effort and some advertising, twittering, blogging, maybe even a DIY community project pool to get people into the stores to see the parts selection improvements you could make.

People like to DIY build things that integrate into their lives if it’s HIGH quality. For example, put up a forum with a high end iPod headphone amplifier project, stock the parts needed to make it in store (Including a decent looking selection of project cases, it’s sort of laughable the shack never even did that) and get some website community momentum going around making gadgets that enrich our lives.

Get out on the web and look at what the bigger spenders in DIY electronics web communities are building. Stock those parts, other people are sheep and will just buy the same parts to be sure they don’t make mistakes.

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