RadioShack’s national cuts will not impact all local stores
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HENDERSON, Tenn. — With years of little to no profit, RadioShack stores nationwide are in jeopardy of closing. It will have an effect at stores here across West Tennessee. Scott Edwards owns the RadioShack franchise in Henderson. He said he took over the electronic store in 2007, but it has been in business for more than 20 years. “If I’m gone, it’s going to make it that much more difficult on the elderly and others that need technical help and advice,” he said. The New York Stock Exchange announced they’re delisting the electronics company. Bloomberg reported amazon.com and Sprint reconsidering purchasing some RadioShack stores and closing the rest. Edwards said he is not concerned. “That would not be an effect to me because I’m a private, independently owned franchisee,” he said. Edwards said in a worst-case scenario his store could change a little but will remain open. “Because this location is well known and been here for so many years, I don’t see the reason for closing no matter what comes into play here,” he said. Edwards said he would have to change the exterior sign on the building and possibly replace RadioShack brand products with a different option. Business owners do have challenges in the digital age such as losing customers to Internet shopping, according to Edwards. Some shoppers said they prefer shopping locally. “I buy things all the time for my office and for my home right here in Henderson,” Emily Johnson with the Henderson-Chester County Chamber of Commerce said. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News reached out to all six RadioShack stores within 50 miles of Jackson. Three of those stores reported they are independent franchises. Staff at the store in Parsons said they are closing by the end of the month, something it reportedly decided months ago. Calls to the RadioShack store in Bolivar were not returned. The stores in Dyersburg and Jackson confirm they are corporate owned and referred WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News to seek comments from corporate media relations. An email from RadioShack’s corporate office states, “We don’t have any information to share at this point regarding specific locations.” When asked if they are a franchise or corporate-owned company, staff at the RadioShack in Savannah said they could not comment.
