Skip to main content

Sprint shacks up with RadioShack in last ditch effort to save 1,435 store locations

Despite the somewhat antiquated name, RadioShack has been an icon in the world of electronics retailers, having operated for nearly a century. Sadly, earlier this year the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced it would sell roughly half its stores and close the rest.

The deal saw 1,743 stores sold to Standard General, who entered into a partnership with Sprint, allowing the carrier to move into 1,435 of the locations. As of today, Sprint has officially moved in to all 1,435 of the targeted stores, Twice reports.

Recommended Videos

RadioShack may live on in name, but it is all but a shell of its former self. So far, only about a quarter of the stores have been officially branded as Sprint stores on the outside, but the full transition is expected to be complete by the end of the year. On the rebranded stores, it’s clear that Sprint is the lead brand, with the RadioShack branding present but less prominent. Sprint occupies 600 square feet of the co-branded stores, and operates as the sole wireless carrier.

Sprint is responsible for building and staffing its in-store locations, but while this may seem like a good deal for RadioShack, it’s a much better one for Sprint. The company says that this deal alone allowed it to double its retail presence nationwide in one move.

While RadioShack was initially known for general electronics — hence the name — in recent years, the company saw most of its profit from smartphone sales, though it was also focused heavily on Dish Network sales. This transition will now see the stores focusing almost exclusively on mobile devices.

It seems that Sprint needs all the help it can get in the meantime. Long the number two wireless carrier in the U.S., the company recently lost that title to T-Mobile, who is continuing to gain market share. A larger retail presense may help the company regain its former standing.

As for RadioShack, this is essentially the company’s last chance at staying alive as a brand, but it isn’t yet clear if it will be enough, or if the name will be quietly disappear into the night, leaving the stores as simply Sprint retail locations.

Kris Wouk
Former Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
How to create a new team in Microsoft Teams
Example of Teams chat.

Few communication applications are as versatile as Microsoft Teams. Along with allowing you to send quick messages to teammates or launch a video chat, the software is fully integrated with Office 365 so you can optimize its performance. If you know how to use Microsoft Teams, you'll know that one of its most useful features is the ability to create a new team.

Knowing how to make a new team and how to properly organize teams makes it easy for a company to enhance productivity and streamline communication. When used effectively, Microsoft Teams is useful for both in-office and remote workers, ensuring everyone stays on the same page regardless of location.

Read more
How much is Microsoft Office?

The Microsoft Office app on PC.

Microsoft Office, or Microsoft 365 as it's known today, is the full suite of Microsoft work-related applications. It includes iconic programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as more modern additions like Teams and OneDrive. You can use a number of these for free in their web versions, or you can pay a monthly subscription to use their downloaded, local versions.

There is no single price for Microsoft 365, as it's only available on the software as a service (SAAS) model, but the monthly cost differs depending on whether you're a home user or business user, and whether you're looking to subscribe for just yourself, or an entire team.

Read more