This Independent RadioShack Isn’t Going Anywherebo

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  (Nicholas Eckhart)

  If you don’t happen to live near one, you may have never heard of RadioShack dealers and franchisees. They’re locally-owned stores that happen to sell merchandise from RadioShack. However, they aren’t part of the RadioShack that declared bankruptcy in February and is in the process of closing down most of its stores. The owner of one of these Shacks in Virginia wants to make sure that customers know they’re staying open.

  The curious thing, of course, is that remaining RadioShack stores are now part of a joint venture with mobile carrier Sprint. Sprint’s branding is more prominent, or will be once the stores have their new signage. If the new owners don’t win the bidding for the brand name in next month’s auction, they will no longer have the right to call the new stores RadioShack at all. For now, though, the franchise and dealer stores get to call themselves “RadioShack,” and that may be why people are getting confused.

  “I want to reassure people that regardless of what happens with RadioShack (corporation), we have no intentions of going anywhere,” explains the president of Kittronics, the local company that owns the store. The store is even going to some effort to assure customers that they’re staying open: they’ve placed ads explaining how they plan to stay open, and also out signs out front and on the sidewalk.

  Thank you for your concern!

  This store is an independently owned and operated location.

  Although we display the name Radio Shack, we will not be closing. Please contact us directly with any questions.

  The company also sells DirecTV subscriptions, Exede satellite internet access, and metal detectors, which are arguably more popular than fuses and wires, but the store will continue to sell most of the same merchandise.

  RadioShack of Warrenton continues as independent [Fauquier Now]

  
  
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by Laura Northrup

via Consumerist