The 404 1,445: Where we beat up on Bluetooth (podcast)

Steve Guttenberg's back on the show! Today he'll tell us about his disturbing dreams about Bluetooth headphones, the results of poll on the worst audio format, why you shouldn't give any money to Neil Young's Pono music player, and more!

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RadioShack plans to close over 1,000 'underperforming' stores

RadioShack's Super Bowl ad showing how cool and hip it is may've come a little too late, as the retailer has today announced its intention to close up to 1,100 "underperforming stores" across the US. The news was bundled in the company's 2013 financials, which tell a story of declining sales and continued losses. RadioShack's CEO blamed poor performance on "lower store traffic" and "intense promotional activity," among other things, but expressed faith in the retailer's changing brand identity to turn things around. On the up-side, the fancy new "Concept Stores" are allegedly going strong, and around 4,000 locations on top of the thousand-odd facing closure will continue to operate as usual. Perhaps some of those underperforming stores should've been cleared out in the 80s, after all.

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Via: The Wall Street Journal

Source: RadioShack

Tags: closure, financials, radioshack Next: XBMC looks to improve Android video playback with 'Gotham' beta .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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RadioShack To Close 1,100 Stores

Today, while reporting its 2013 fourth quarter results RadioShack announced plans to close 1,100 of its 4,000 stores in a bid to stem losses. The parts drawer and the RC toys and the various different types of solder and breadboards. RadioShack. It is quickly dying.

RadioShack reported a loss of $191.4 million during this quarter, compared with a year-earlier loss of $63.3 million. Revenue declined 20% to just $935.4 million.

“Our fourth quarter financial results were driven by a holiday season characterized by lower store traffic, intense promotional activity particularly in consumer electronics, a very soft mobility marketplace and a few operational issues,” said Joseph C. Magnacca, RadioShack CEO. “Even in this environment, we’re continuing to make progress on the five pillars of our turnaround plan: repositioning the brand, revamping the product assortment, reinvigorating the stores, operational efficiency and financial flexibility.”

The company is currently trying to rebrand its self from its former DIY self to what it calls, “Do It Together”. But RadioShack is on borrowed time.

RadioShack has long been a retailer without a soul. About 10 years ago it turned away from the then-dead DIY scene and started hawking cell phones. As a staple in the American mall, this kept the company afloat but clearly didn’t set the stage for long-term growth. The rise of Best Buy Mobile stores didn’t help this strategy either.

The current RadioShack is looking to be the portable electronics headquarters with an intense focus on products with a strong brand identity. The no-name RC toys do not have a spot under this retail plan and the parts drawer is a relic of a forgotten era.

The company’s brought on a former Walgreens executive to retool the branding and the stores. Under his helm, the stores look more modern and fresh and anything but a musty store that sells diodes and ham radios. But will RadioShack ever be the destination it once was? No.

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Who needs 100-foot scuba limits with this 1,000-foot exosuit?

Recreational divers must not go deeper than 100 feet, but this special suit, on display at the American Museum of Natural History, allows safe diving for hours.

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