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Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

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Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#101

Post by kenrikm »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #61
blt wrote: post #43

Please, please, Amazon, leave 1/16 of the shelf space for electronic components! Pack them densely, don't offer customer support, and charge high prices. We need brick and mortar places to buy components. It might be worth a lot of goodwill from electronics tinkerers. Although I guess that's not a big enough group to matter, but who knows...

If you're in the Bay Area, halted.com has a store in Santa Clara that totally blew my mind. Dozens of aisles of electronics components, including racks of reels of surface-mount stuff. They also have stuff like used oscilloscopes, industrial robotics controllers, etc.

Try HSC Electronic Supply.. down in San Jose That'll really blow your mind.

Edit: I just clicked the link and realized that is the same place lol, yeah it is awesome.

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#102

Post by cenhyperion »

vhost- wrote: post #2

I wonder if this is their in for B&M stores. I can also see this as part of their plan to start shipping items before you even buy them. I click checkout and it tells me to just go pick up the item from Radio Shack on 6th and Weidler.

>I click checkout and it tells me to just go pick up the item from Radio Shack on 6th and Weidler.

I'd much prefer it showing up at my door in two days and would view this as a major UX detriment. It may not be a common feeling, but the opportunity cost of spending an hour or so running errands to various brick and mortar locations around town multiple times a week is a major reason I'm a prime member and do a huge amount of my shopping through Amazon.

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#103

Post by sschueller »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #61
blt wrote: post #43

Please, please, Amazon, leave 1/16 of the shelf space for electronic components! Pack them densely, don't offer customer support, and charge high prices. We need brick and mortar places to buy components. It might be worth a lot of goodwill from electronics tinkerers. Although I guess that's not a big enough group to matter, but who knows...

If you're in the Bay Area, halted.com has a store in Santa Clara that totally blew my mind. Dozens of aisles of electronics components, including racks of reels of surface-mount stuff. They also have stuff like used oscilloscopes, industrial robotics controllers, etc.

In Massachusetts there is: http://www.youdoitelectronics.com/

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#104

Post by leoc »

chrischen wrote: post #99
DigitalSea wrote: post #89

This could be very interesting if it proves to be true. Seeing Amazon purchase Radioshack and then miraculously return it to its former glory and exclusively sell electronic components, hobbyist kits and stop selling things like TV and phones would be a move that I would wholeheartedly support as would my inner 7 year old self who has fond memories of going to Radioshack with my dad and buying a bag of LED's and vari…

They already sell electronic components, Arduino and Arduino accessories, multimeters, drones, etc. Almost all the Radioshacks in my city (San Francisco), and in my old city (Troy, MI), stock these things. What makes you think that's the strategy it has to employ to succeed? Because it is doing that, and it's not working. Normal people don't buy those things, and certainly a network of thousands of stores stocking re…

> [...] certainly a network of thousands of stores stocking resistors isn't a viable business when the small amount of hobbyists just go online.

Maplin has been doing it in the UK (not one of the world's cozy retail markets) with apparent success. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8664813

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#105

Post by vhost- »

cenhyperion wrote: post #102
vhost- wrote: post #2

I wonder if this is their in for B&M stores. I can also see this as part of their plan to start shipping items before you even buy them. I click checkout and it tells me to just go pick up the item from Radio Shack on 6th and Weidler.

>I click checkout and it tells me to just go pick up the item from Radio Shack on 6th and Weidler. I'd much prefer it showing up at my door in two days and would view this as a major UX detriment. It may not be a common feeling, but the opportunity cost of spending an hour or so running errands to various brick and mortar locations around town multiple times a week is a major reason I'm a prime member and do a huge a…

I definitely don't disagree. I'm a prime member as well and feel the 2 day shipping is the sweet spot for time waited for my stuff.

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#106

Post by fubarred »

Bezos could refocus on DIY, hobbyists and maker culture... classes (or sponsorship thereof) would be a good direction to get the cash register filling. It's hard to compete with online, open-source, but there are some things people would pay for (and want) in-person.

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#107

Post by wl »

VonGuard wrote: post #85
CamperBob2 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're in the Bay Area, you never needed Radio Shack to begin with. Their market is (was) the rest of us, here in flyover territory.

Yeah, not everyone has access to Fry's or Weird Stuff, sadly.

And even Frys has been getting worse and worse. Fortunately, Jameco is still local, even if it is a bit of a drive.

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#108

Post by azernik »

WalterBright wrote: post #66
derefr wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know where I can buy a lot of common electronic components these days? Home Depot. Buildings are increasingly wired with various digital sensors, so electricians are increasingly in need of electronic this-and-that to couple them together. Sure, you can't build whole from-scratch circuits purely from hardware-store parts, but if you run out of resistors/pots/whatever, you can restock pretty cheaply in any town bi…

On the other hand, consider the chain store "Tacoma Screw" around here. They sell what you would expect - screws, nuts and bolts, of every description, type, grade, hardness, length, head, etc. It's a marvelous place for an engineer like me. The prices are, of course, high, but when I break a bolt or lose one for my car or other project, Tacoma Screw has an exact (or better) replacement. The hardware store sells bolt…

Or, for the online, next-day delivery version of this, McMaster-Carr. For example, here's their catalog for one type of (rather expensive) screw:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-head-cap-screws/=vrc2nx

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#109

Post by te0006 »

libria wrote: post #71
eof wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

old leases = below market rate? they are already well distributed for ten zillion amazon lockers? it doesn't seem so far fetched to me; amazon being able to pick up a bunch of cheap space in fell swoop.

Having used Amazon Lockers a lot, I don't really get it. If you don't want a package sitting on your doorstep all day, have it delivered to work. And Lockers has a maximum size limit that I hit every so often that negated that option. Having it show up at my desk is a lot more convenient. Now if I could return packages through Lockers, then I'd be game.

Here in Germany we have a nationwide network of those: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packstation like a 24/7 automated post office. Great for getting _and returning_ shipments not just from Amazon but from most any online merchant.

Re: Amazon Is in Talks to Buy RadioShack Stores, Report Says

#110

Post by Gracana »

azernik wrote: post #108
WalterBright wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, consider the chain store "Tacoma Screw" around here. They sell what you would expect - screws, nuts and bolts, of every description, type, grade, hardness, length, head, etc. It's a marvelous place for an engineer like me. The prices are, of course, high, but when I break a bolt or lose one for my car or other project, Tacoma Screw has an exact (or better) replacement. The hardware store sells bolt…

Or, for the online, next-day delivery version of this, McMaster-Carr. For example, here's their catalog for one type of (rather expensive) screw: http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-head-cap-screws/=vrc2nx

I love how much information McMaster gives you. Mechanical drawings and 3D CAD models of course, and also descriptions of how things are used, the properties of different materials, how to size stuff, etc. All the basic things you need to know to design something.
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