Hmmm... I guess change is inevitable in this world. Still, I would have thought that Radio Shack has very strong brand recognition. Making such a drastic change in the name to me smacks of desperation. Maybe they aren't in very good shape financially.

Would McDonald's change their name to a nickname? I suspect that if they officially became Mickey D's, things might go downhill rather quickly for them.

I don't know how muchlonger we'll have Radio Shack around-- at least as the extremely useful parts store they have been for many, many years.

ditto1958: Why not.. it werked for KFC?

'the shack' has sucked for a very long time now and they don't seem to be getting any better... other resellers sell the same crap for cheaper and their sales staff aren't very good either... so wot else is there?

They haven't been a useful parts store for years now. Radio shack died for me when they degenerated into a battery and electronic toy store.

Well, the shack gives people the shaft with those darn high prices. I really don't buy anything from there unless I know it's gonna be hard to find it somewhere else and I need it now, like rosen core solder.

This reminds me of the article I ready saying Pizza Hut will now be "The Hut". Seems like such a small, silly change and I don't understand how it could possibly help anything.

i used to work at RadioShack's headquarters. i can verify that they have nice clean toilets and i've taken MANY dumps there. and this my friends is more exciting than this name change. changing the names doesnt hide the fact that they have a small selection and HIGH PRICES. i used to work there but NEVER shopped at the stores. most of the time the price was still higher for me even with my employee discount! LOL They should have renamed it: FAILshack

i was thinking Radio Shanty.

The main issue with Radio Shack isn't in the name, it is in the product lines they try to sell. I remember when I could walk into a Radio Shack and find components and stuff to build little eletronic things. Even today to walk into a Radio Shack, you are directed to a dark corner of the store to find a limited number of spare/raw parts. Also their staff is very under-educated on the prodicts they do sell.

But ultimately, Radio Shack could just reinvent itself back to its roots. There is no need to compete with Best Buy and other stores that sell basically the same stuff.

sounds like a place where homeless people hang out......

What's Montague, it's nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to man

In before Shaquille O'Neal sues Tandy Corp for copyright infringement.

Eh, I have never in my life called RadioShack "The Shack", and I don't plan to start doing so Either way, I only go there once in a blue moon to get an adapter or a battery. As others have mentioned, their prices are just too high. Also, they've limited their in-store selection so much that products often have to be special-ordered, which is a pain. I expected them to go out of business 10-15 years ago.

Well it's better than eyeballs and money, but still done with the mentality of a buffoon. RadioShack is a brand name and should remain that way. Someone's trying to justify their job and that's all I'll say. Why not change Applbaum to "Apple bomb".

rat shack has nearly nothing of any value, not to mention the fact anything that you actually need, led's, resistors, or any supplies to actually construct something, are always over priced. 5 dollars for an f-ing led? bs, eat a fat one rat shack, they need to start carrying things that are of actual use or just roll over and die.

I don't understand why that place makes money.

I rarely see anyone in there, all they sell is stuff you can get for a better price elsewhere.

If they wanted a friendly nickname they could have done better than naming themselves after William P. Young's current book about a little girl getting butchered in the woods.

"This creative is not about changing our name. Rather, we're contemporizing the way we want people to think about our brand," Applbaum continued. "The Shack speaks to consumers in a fresh, new voice and distinctive creative look that reinforces RadioShack's authority in innovative products, leading brands and knowledgeable, helpful associates."

...translation? "We're changing our name...but our salaries are way too inflated to call it what it is and risk not 'impressing everyone'."

Who the heck goes to radio shack on schedule basis?
This brand needs serious help. The prices suck and they've downsized the electronic components. No wonder it's changing it's name to the
"SHACK."

the shit shack...

They should really just call themselves Outa Business Shack, thats where they are headed, and have been for some time. You used to be able to go in and buy components, small electric stuff, etc. Then they decided to be the RC car shack, which failed, then it was the Cell phone shack. I havent gone to one in ages. With far superior stores such as Frys electronics (which has its own problems, but its no turd like Radio shack), Newegg, and Amazon- there is no reson to step foot in one.

I've worked at RadioShack for 3 years now, and I buy things there on a regular basis. I would rather pay an extra $2 there, than drive 20 minutes to our nearest electronics retailer, or wait a week for shipping from an e-tailer. "The Shack" change, however, I do not like. We recently got in posters that we are to hang around the store, and our manager refuses.

How about just shortening it to "Sack", as in nuts.

Can't wait to see Lance's new uniform next year....just imagining the words "The Shack" on where they normally advertise during the Tour de France...it just not right....

Whatever they want to call themselves, they will always be known as the "disposable electronics" store

I love it when they have sales. I bought a thermaltake big typhoon there for 5 bucks, a logitech harmony remote for $50, and some other misc stuff on the cheap. I agree normally there prices are sky high, but if you go there at the right time, you can get lucky. LOL. hmmm... THE SHACK??? are you kidding me?

Overall... it doesn't matter what the name is. RS/TS... still a tiny store with high priced junk. Can get better prices at Frys, WalMart and of course Newegg. On their home page, a big giant ad for generic batteries!

I've actually had to go into walmart to buy a part, because RS didn't have it. Or another part that was $5 at Walmart is $15 at RS?

That is WHY people don't go into RS. Nothing you can't buy anywhere else for less. Unless its the only electronics shop in some small town. That IS a good business plan... small stores to service towns with populations of 3000~15,000 people when there is no Walmart for 50+ miles.

But RS in a major city... ouch.

Thinking about the 80s and such... yeah, RS is more worth going into because we didn't have places like best Buy, Walmart or the interent.

They are just copying Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut said that all new stores will now be called "The Hut"

radio shack is just a convenient place to buy a component really quick, otherwise most of their merchandise is known to be overpriced especially their components. fry's carries better stuff for less money because they get supply from vendors like real electronics stores do. I'd always opt for something from NTE over Radio Shack brand any day. Radio shack tends to buy the cheapest value components and mark them up about 100x when they put them on the shelf. It works but the quality isn't on par with components you can buy elsewhere.