Electronics retailer Radio Shack—which has been rebranding itself as “The Shack” in recent months—has announced it will be carrying the Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS in selected locations later this month, and plans a nationwide rollout in 2010. The iPhone will initially be available at Radio Shack locations in the New York City and Dallas/Ft. Worth areas.
The move comes as Radio Shack has been attempting to ramp up its profile as a purveyor of mobile phones and technology: along with “The Shack” campaign, the company has forged an alliance with T-Mobile, and carries products from AT&T and Verizon. And for all that Radio Shack still carries a bit of an image of selling breadboards, batteries, and strange adapters to musicians and A/V geeks (and chintzy remote-controlled cars to kids), Radio Shack’s 4,000+ retail locations (plus kiosks in Sam’s Club stores) is a major appeal to mobile operators and other gadget makers.
One indication of how important the iPhone might be to the company: Radio Shack’s stock shot up 14 percent with the announcement.
