Jan
My husband doesn't like shopping there. What do you think?
Why does Comp USA shut down and radio shack stays open?
Answer:
Radio Shack started as a place for hobbyists, ham radio, electronics, and eventually computers.
They moved their model to malls and more consumer goods, ie Cell Phones, TVs, BUT still cater (to some degree) to the home hobbyist. My opinion is that they are making money by the cell phone credits they get (remember they are national and sell a LOT of phones), plus a few bucks on batteries, answering machines, etc.
I, like your husband, dont like to shop there unless it is something I think that only they will carry locally, like electronic components (resistors, boards, switches) because I think they are overpriced on everything else.
CompUSA went under because they just couldnt compete with BestBuy. They had little to no technical support, a limited inventory and very expensive locations, usually in strip malls. They just didnt make any right moves in the last 10 years to keep them competitive, and neglected to make money in services like the Geek Squad does.