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Radio Shacks in Mattapan, Dorchester, East Boston and Brookline to close

By adamg on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 9:35am

WCVB reports the shops on Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan Square, Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner, Liberty Plaza in East Boston and Beacon Street in Coolidge Corner are among two dozen the perpetually teetering chain is closing in Massachusetts (in other news, there were still two dozen Radio Shacks in Massachusetts).

Neighborhoods: 
Dorchester
East Boston
Mattapan
Topics: 
Business
Free tagging: 
Coolidge Corner
Fields Corner


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Comments

By PerryD on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 9:54am.

...the one on 730 Comm Ave at BU. That store advertised 60% off of everything last week, and I believe they will be at 90% off of what is left this week. Unlike most liquidation sales I've seen in the past several years, this one is selling normal store items at a flat 60% off; for example, I picked up an Apple charger for $9 that retails for $29.

By Oldster on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:36am.

I remember when that Comm Ave Radio Shack was the flagship store back in the 60s and 70s. Back then it was huge and was a destination location. Now it's a dinky little place and shadow of it's former self.

By Ron Newman on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:13am.

and, according to the linked article, "River City Zayre Plaza" in Waltham. Zayre Plaza? There hasn't been a Zayre store anywhere in 27 years.

By Steeve on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:18am.

That's a little outdated. It's actually now Caldor Plaza.

By FlyingToaster on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:26am.

And it has been for ~15 years. There was an Ames where the Zayre/Caldor had been, and it closed 14 years ago, and is now the Star Market. The old Star Market is now Ocean State JunkJob Lot.

I used to use this RadioShack for a bunch of little wiring/soldering needs, and for recharging tips for an iGo, but they stopped carrying those about 5 years ago. So it's fairly useless.

Next to go is the original Staples (Allston), I fear. They converted half the store to something called "work/space" and don't stock half of the office supplies I need. GRRRR.

By Scumquistador on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 11:27am.

not allston

By FlyingToaster on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 3:10pm.

My comment was eaten. Twice.

By FlyingToaster on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 3:11pm.

Like anyone from across the river, I haven't a clue where the line is.

But Brighton Mills is still in Allston, right? (ducks)

By Scumquistador on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 4:39pm.

i just happened to work at that staples when i was a kid so the address is burned into memory, im not much of a neighborhood snob because i'm too ignorant to be one

By Steeve on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 3:09pm.

"Nope, it's River City Plaza"

For what it's worth, I didn't think it was called that. I was making the joke.

By Scratchie on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 3:11pm.

I LOL'd.

By David Plantz on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 11:49pm.

WorkSpace in Staples locations are co working spaces run by the WorkBar group of co working spaces. I don't think the Brighton Staples is closing anytime soon, but they may be downsizing the amount of products at some stores.

By anon on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:15am.

It's an eternal mystery how Radio Shack has stayed in business this long. Nobody can figure it out. That one in East Boston was exceptionally useless. I went there to buy a connector cable once and they wanted like $17 for something I ended up getting on Amazon for $5. The people working there were offhand and unhelpful.

By Scratchie on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 3:12pm.

It's not a mystery, eternal or otherwise. It's inertia. It happens to a lot of retail stores (and other companies). They have decades of success behind them when market conditions change. They try to adapt to the change. Some fail, but they don't die instantly. It takes time.

By Steeve on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 3:17pm.

That's certainly not specific to that store, and cables are notoriously marked up, so it's no surprise you found something cheaper on Amazon. Cables and accessories basically exist to improve electronic stores' margins, just as much as they exist to connect your devices. The utility of a Radio Shack is if you need something now, rather than two days from now. People really aren't impatient enough to drive enough business, apparently.

By Matt L. on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:19am.

Radio Shack by BU, at Comm & St. Mary's Street, also closing.

By Ron Newman on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:37am.

which doesn't mean it isn't closing, but might mean that their website hasn't been updated with all of the closings yet.

By anon on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 1:26am.

The BU store has signs saying it's closing Wednesday.

By Ron Newman on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:58am.

for instance, Central Square in Cambridge, Comm Ave. at Boston University, and Mass. Ave. in Back Bay.

(source: go to https://www.radioshack.com/apps/store-locator , enter a Boston-area zip code, then select "Distance: No Limit" and "Results: 100". See which ones don't have a red "This store is closing" notice in their listings.)

By Grant Young on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:45am.

I think the Mass Ave in the Back Bay one is closed, too. Went by it on Saturday and it looked pretty much closed. They were hauling trash out of it.

They were Sprint locations primarily anyway at this point.

By BostonDog on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 10:55am.

Parts are 90 percent off, so a good value for the first time ever. The chain will be gone on April first according to the clerk.

By David Plantz on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 11:57pm.

I worked at the closing flagship store on Comm Ave from 2000-2002. We were the parts store for BU students. During the summer the store was slow as dirt. Come back to school for 2.5 weeks it was a zoo. A little RadioShack trivia for you. The original flagship store is where CVS is now and I believe to took up both storefronts. The District office was based at this store too. Sad to see it go, but RadioShack can't compete with other retails on price and the customer service sucks. The battery devision will be sold off to BestBuy or Amazon before its all over.

By LEL on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 1:09pm.

The location in Central Square is closing too, they have signs in the windows for a going-out-of-business sale. No idea why it's not listed online though.

By anon on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 1:25am.

Are you sure? Last week the Central store had signs saying everything was on deep discount, but employees were saying it definitely wasn't closing.

By Matt on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 11:54am.

That store has been completed cleaned out, doors shuttered last week sometime.

By cybah on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 12:52pm.

The Radio Shack in the Mystic Mall here in Chelsea is also slated to close. But I think it's becoming a Sprint store (like many RS locations)

I miss the *old* Radio Shack. The one from the last 10-15 or so years I could do without. Sorry I don't want to buy a cell phone, a TV, or a stereo (nor would I) from Radio Shack. Just gimme wires, connectors, caps, soldering tools, etc....

Online ordering is fine but sometimes when ya gotta have something RIGHT NOW that is an odd ball part. Radio Shack would probably carry it.

Sad that some of the better RS's are closing.. like Central Sq and a few others that retained that original 'radio shack' feeling, and didn't try to become a bestbuy light.

By anon on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 2:58pm.

Lots of little wires and connectors for the DIY set plus the original home of radio controlled cars up front! I feel they really missed the ball on the switch to digital. They should have continued to sell all the small odds and ends and they should have pioneered the deliver to store option for DIY electronic products.

By Canardly Believe it on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 4:42pm.

Now for cables and computer parts its Micro Center in Cambridge. For small components like the Shack used to have and soldering supplies its You-Do-It in Needham. YDI in Needham would remind you somewhat of the old Allied stores.

Parts-Express.Com seems to be Ok as well. There are others.

And, let us not forget the venerable DeMambro's, and the Radio Shack clone, LaFayette Radio if we go back far enough.

By anon on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 1:28am.

Every Radio Shack I went to still had a parts section in the back.

By anon on Mon, 03/27/2017 - 7:12pm.

http://www.theonion.com/article/even-ceo-cant-figure-out-how-radioshack-...

By anon on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 10:24am.

Radio Shacks have always been the most frustrating places ever. I'd go in to buy batteries or a simple connector.. First off i'd be harassed by staff while looking.. Trying to talk me into other items and such. Then when I'd buy they'd make it the most inconvenient transaction. They need my life data in there to just by batteries. I avoided it for that reason alone.

By Ron Newman on Tue, 03/28/2017 - 10:33am.

I don't think this is actually legal under MA consumer protection laws, but ..

https://www.radioshack.com/pages/in-store-purchases-return-policy

Effective March 2, 2017, all sales are final and sold “as is”.

No returns shall be accepted for any purchases made on or after March 2, 2017.

By Chris77 on Thu, 03/30/2017 - 7:30am.

Raise your hand if you remember Tweeter radio ads. And don't forget, it was better at Fretter. I'm not sure about Bradlee's, Caldor, Lechmere, Ames, Somerville Lumber...

By Ron Newman on Thu, 03/30/2017 - 10:07am.

And you forgot:

We'd Like To Make Zayre Your Store

By Ron Newman on Thu, 04/06/2017 - 8:59am.

All of the "Inventory Clearance Sale" locations have been removed from https://www.radioshack.com/apps/store-locator . The Boston University store on Comm. Ave. is also no longer listed. The locator claims that the Central Square and Back Bay stores are still open, but I haven't been by either of them to check.