Radio Shack - the memory lingers

I wonder if Radioshack can re-organise in time? Long since gone out from European shores. And their rivals retreated to on-line sales with a couple of big warehouses. Do you still need a physical store to keep those components for the projects you'll never find time to build? The disappearance of home constructor magazines like Practical Wireless was the signal for me.

I always associated a visit to a Radio Shack in the 1980's with being asked for a zipcode so they could send me a catalogue. Or join the Radio Shack battery club.

I see that immediately following the Superbowl ad above, they're closing an estimated 500 of the 4500 company owned Radio Shack stores in the US. That's still a lot of stores for appliances I'd probably buy on line.

What most people don't realise is that there are a whole set of these commercials using 80's characters to explain today's technology. This one about 3D printing is bizarre. What's the message here? Use a 3D printer to break into other peoples' houses?



I'm wondering if Philips was involved in the campaign. Several sequences feature someone playing with iPad controlled lighting, which I guess is Philips Hue.