RadioShack was once as ubiquitous as the neighborhood hardware store. Hobbyists cherished it as the place to pick up hard-to-find capacitors and wires. Generations bonded there while working on radio kits and other home electronics projects.

But like so many other companies caught in the riptide of innovation, the times caught up with RadioShack. There was a series of missed opportunities to remain relevant, and finally the Fort Worth, Texas, chain filed for bankruptcy protection last week.

RadioShack was the leading seller of citizens band radios – CBs – during the height of that craze in the 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company waded into the budding computer revolution with greater initial success than Apple or IBM.

These firsts drew worldwide attention and also showed that Fort Worth was more than oil, gas and cattle – it had a toehold in the technology revolution. But RadioShack never produced the all-important second act. Its forays were short-lived successes, and the chain has struggled ever since to define its purpose, a stumbling block for many a failed company.

RadioShack never mastered retailing’s biggest challenges – staying relevant and providing goods and services that aren’t available online.

The bankruptcy court will determine what happens next. RadioShack had an impressive 94-year run. We’re sad to see it end.

Copy the Story Link