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According to Bloomberg Amazon is in talks to buy some of RadioShack's stores:
Amazon has considered using the RadioShack stores as showcases for the Seattle-based company’s hardware, as well as potential pickup and drop-off centers for online customers, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the deliberations are private.
RadioShack is on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, and according to other reports, it has also been in talks with wireless carrier Sprint about selling some of its stores. The deal with Amazon may not happen, but nonetheless, it shows where Amazon is headed.
To head off competition from Wal-Mart—one of the few retailers that could pose a legitimate threat to Amazon—and to expand its operation, the company has adopted a new hybrid business model, combining e-commerce with offline services.
Originally spotted at Wired, and also linked at HackerNews.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mendax on Wednesday February 04 2015, @07:47PM
I have long thought that Amazon should buy Best Buy since people have been using them as their "showrooms" for years, previewing the merchandise before buying it online. It seems Radio Shack could be used for the same purpose for smaller electronic items. Such an approach would make Amazon appear less evil than it is. Not that it would help much. Amazon as a company is nearly the epitome of corporate evil, one hair shy of oil companies of child pornography producers.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by hubie on Wednesday February 04 2015, @10:43PM
If Amazon buys Best Buy, then Amazon will feel my hatred when, after purchasing something from a register that is 10 feet from the exit door, and all I did was take said bagged purchase and immediately walk the 10 feet to the exit, I now have to have my bag searched and produce my proof of purchase to some "security" person. Fortunately it is easy to produce my receipt because I didn't even have time to put it in my pocket yet.
That, and like when I'm in a bind and I need that one stupid 6-ft USB extension cable, I can go there to get my choice of the $25 Belkin brand, or the $45 Monster brand.
I hate that store. Don't even get me started about the extended warranties because that was the last straw for me. I should say that I haven't set foot in there in over 10 years (except for the time I was out of town and I needed that fucking USB extension cable), so I hope they still don't treat people like shit (but I bet they still do).
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Marand on Thursday February 05 2015, @03:10AM
after purchasing something from a register that is 10 feet from the exit door, and all I did was take said bagged purchase and immediately walk the 10 feet to the exit, I now have to have my bag searched and produce my proof of purchase to some "security" person. Fortunately it is easy to produce my receipt because I didn't even have time to put it in my pocket yet.
That crap is what makes me hate shopping. Shopping in physical stores is already a pain in the ass; whatever I get usually costs more than buying online, the employees are often obnoxious and make the experience worse, and then I have to wait in line for a ridiculously long time because only one or two of the 20+ registers are open. All that, and it gets topped off with being treated like a criminal for leaving the store with a bag of merchandise? No, fuck you, I'll shop elsewhere next time.
(Score: 3, Informative) by mendax on Thursday February 05 2015, @05:49AM
They do.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.