Last summer, I made a visit to New Jersey. During my short trip I had a very rare sighting…a Radio Shack store! Though the store was still in business, they were no longer a Radio Shack but had left all the signage up. More on Radio Shack later on, but it got me thinking…Being the retro geek that I am, I should devote an article on my blog about chains that are on life support and may not be around a few years from now.
The K Isn’t Here to Stay
I filed the idea away in the back of my brain until last October when news hit that a Kmart in Bridgehampton, New York, one of only three remaining Kmart’s in the US, was going to close forever after 25 years in business. There had been a Westwood, NJ location, but it closed the year before after 40 years. There are still a few Kmart’s in Guam and The Virgin Islands, but as far as the USA proper is concerned, there is only one lone remaining Kmart…a very small one in Miami that was previously a garden center. Sadly, Kmart is as dead as disco.
I worked at a RI Kmart in my late teens. I worked with the guy who announced the blue light specials for our store. I shopped there. Odd as it may seem, there’s a special place in my heart for Kmart. I really wanted to get to the NY store before it closed, but it would’ve been quite a trip and I couldn’t take on the expense. So, I contacted an acquaintance who lived not far from the store and asked him to text me a few pictures of the inside and outside of the store before it closed. He probably thought I was nuts, but he sent me a few snaps anyway. I’ll post more pics on my Instagram page, link at the end.
The first Kmart opened back in 1962 in Michigan, owned by the S.S. Kresge Company, which had a national chain of five and dime stores. Eventually, Kmart became the second largest retailer next to Sears until it was surpassed by Walmart (who else?) in 1990. At its height in 1994, Kmart had almost 2,500 stores globally.
In 2004, Kmart bought Sears for a mere $11 billion with a “b”. Over the ensuing years, thousands of under-performing Kmart and Sears stores were shuttered, and they went through at least two bankruptcies. How the mighty have fallen.
Renewed Commitment
Today, Kmart and Sears are both owned by TransformCo which seems to be in a serious state of denial based on what their website says: “Kmart’s associates are facing the future with new energy and enthusiasm — and a renewed commitment to providing customers with compelling promotional values, great private brands and excellent service.” Huh? Earth to TransformCo- I think you need to update your website.
The Softer Side
This conveniently leads me to the next chain on the retail endangered species list…Sears. I grew up with a Sears store less than 10 minutes from our Pawtucket, RI apartment, as probably many did back in the day. Of course, we all remember the big Sears catalogs. I was mortified to discover that as of last July, there were only seven remaining Sears stores in the USA, not counting the one in Puerto Rico. You might also recall the ubiquitous (and infamous) Sears Auto Centers, but the last one of those closed about two and a half years ago.
This time around, I was able to get to an actual store which was inside an actual mall. It had been the first time I had been inside a Sears in a very long time. I felt as if I had gone back in time. I also felt like I was visiting a dear friend who had a terminal disease and probably wouldn’t be around in a couple of years. Based on the lack of foot traffic I witnessed, maybe it won’t even be around that long. I found a few good clothing bargains and as a result of my purchase, I got a Sears plastic bag, sure to become a collector’s item. I also helped myself to a free Sears ruler from the appliance department. See more pics on my Instagram page, link at the end.
Sears began in 1892 strictly as a mail order catalog business. In 1906, it became the first major retailer to hold an initial public offering. It opened its first store in 1925 in Chicago. By the 1980s, it had become America’s biggest retail chain. Like I said- how the mighty have fallen.
From Sears To Toys
Toys “R” Us is different story. Somehow, they came back from the dead after closing all of their stores in 2018. George Romero himself would be proud. I was surprised to learn they had been around since 1948. Personally, I was a Child World child and had never been to a Toys “R” Us in my life.
That said, I felt the need to pay Geoffrey a visit since I was only steps away from their store-within-a- store in Macy’s. WHP Global acquired Toys “R” Us in 2021 and has been opening new stores ever since including in over 400 Macy’s stores. As of September 2023, there were 1,400 Toys “R” Us stores and e-commerce sites globally, including their flagship store at the American Dream mall in New Jersey.
Rent Control
Although Redbox wasn’t a retail chain, at one point it had over 42,000 self-serve DVD rental kiosks all across the country. As streaming became more popular and video rental stores began closing, Redbox quickly filled the gap and was very convenient with many kiosks stationed in front of supermarkets, convenience stores, and drug stores which received a commission from rentals. The owners, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (great name), stopped operating in July of last year after filing for bankruptcy the month prior.
I realize it will shock most of you to know that I was never much of a DVD person, and I’ve never used a Redbox, but I wanted to hit a few kiosks around me to see whether they were still working. I went to 3 or 4 of them late last year and every one was still working. No, I didn’t rent a DVD.
Lunch Time
At this point I was pretty hungry, so the next stop on my blast from the past tour was Friendly’s. The first Friendly’s restaurant opened in 1935 in Springfield, MA. That first location only sold ice cream, but the second restaurant in 1940, also in MA, served food as well. The company changed hands several times through the decades, at one point being owned by Hershey. It’s been owned by Amici Partners Group since 2021.
With only 100 Friendly restaurants left, all in the eastern USA, down from 850 in 1996, I made it a point to get to one and enjoy a hot meal, and of course, one of their famous Fribble ice cream drinks. As with Sears, it had been forever since I had been in a Friendly’s. It was like reuniting with an old friend and it felt good, not to mention how it tasted.
The Golden Cow
A similar but much lesser-known and considerably smaller restaurant chain was Newport Creamery. Having grown up in RI, I can tell you everyone knew this chain and I think just about everyone from RI had been to one. The company officially opened its first location in 1940 in Middletown, RI and all of its restaurants were based in RI, MA, and CT. It now operates just 10 locations, 8 of which are in RI, with the other 2 in MA. The Jan Companies have owned Newport Creamery since 2001 after the previous owners filed for bankruptcy.
Awful Big, Awful Good
When I was in RI almost two years ago, I stopped at a Newport Creamery for some lunch. Newport Creamery’s answer to Friendly’s Fribble was the Awful Awful. I opted for a small hot fudge sundae after my meal because I didn’t think I could finish an Awful Awful. Awful Awful’s are still made the way they were since day one…ice milk, flavored syrup, and ice cream. Newport Creamery used to have a promotion giving any patron a free Awful Awful if they could drink three in a row (“drink three and the fourth is free!”). My father actually did that once and is happy to recount the story on demand, although I think the quantity grows with each retelling. By the way, despite its name, the drink was always delicious, never awful, except perhaps for your waist line.
Back To The Shack
Circling back around to where I first started, Radio Shack is back. I emailed the company last year about its rejuvenation and received this response: “We are glad to inform you that we will soon be opening new locations in the US. Radio Shack closed operations in the US, and that is why at the moment there are no physical stores. We are coming back but at the time we will be available only as an online store. We appreciate you sticking with us and look forward to assist you as we continue to further expand.” Radio Shack retail stores have indeed started opening, though nothing close to me (yet) to check out, but I have looked over their website.
Disappointingly, the products look to be mostly low-end Chinese electronics wearing a Radio Shack badge. The Shack had a presence at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month and they’re making a serious go at a comeback.
Radio Shack technically started in 1919 in Texas as a leather shoe parts supplier before it began selling radio parts in its first store on Brattle Street in Boston in 1921. At its peak, The Shack had over 8,000 stores worldwide. Radio Shack filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and again in 2017. Although almost all of their stores disappeared in the USA, they were still going strong in Latin America and the Caribbean under Unicomer Group’s ownership. Unicomer acquired the global franchise in 2023. If my math is correct, there are now about 70 Radio Shacks spread across the USA.
What’s In Your Wallet?
For about 30 years starting in the 1960s, Radio Shack had a “Battery of the Month Club.” The card entitled the bearer to one free Radio Shack (“Enercell”) battery per month. I’m a little embarrassed to admit I was a card-carrying member but I rarely used it and I have no idea what happened to it.
I signed up for The Shack’s email list last year and it still surprises me whenever I find an email from Radio Shack in my in box. I have to remind myself that The Shack is back. I’m waiting for the day when they start mailing out catalogs again.
I hope you enjoyed walking down memory lane with me. If you enjoy my articles, please consider helping to support my RecommendedStations.com blog and YouTube vlog via BuyMeACoffe or PayPal.
Radio Shack Catalogs since 1939 (thanks to Recommended Stations Patreon member John P. from MA)
Trivia (from Wikipedia): Radio Shack’s TRS-80 came out in 1977 and was one of the the first mass produced home computers. “By 1979, the TRS-80 had the largest selection of software in the microcomputer market. Until 1982, the TRS-80 was the bestselling PC line, outselling the AppleII by a factor of five according to one analysis.”
Trivia (from Wikipedia): “By 1894, the Sears catalog had grown to 322 pages, including many new items, such as sewing machines, bicycles, sporting goods, and automobiles. By 1895, the company was producing a 532-page catalog. Sales were over $400,000 ($12 million in 2021 dollars) in 1893 and over $750,000 ($20 million in 2021 dollars) two years later. By 1896, dolls, stoves, and groceries were added to the catalog.”
Trivia (from Wikipedia): “In December 2013, eight days before Christmas, Toys “R” Us announced their stores in the United States would stay open for 87 hours straight. The flagship store of the retailer in Times Square was open for 24 hours a day from December 1 to 24, to cater to tourists…This move also pushed the retailer to hire an additional 45,000 seasonal workers to cater to the demand of the extended store hours.”
Trivia (from Wikipedia): “At its peak in the early 2010s, [Redbox]…controlled more than half of the US DVD rental market.”
Trivia (from https://friendlysrestaurants.com/friend-z-personality-quiz/#r): Take Friendly’s Friend-Z free Personality Test on their website. According to my test results: “We know you love causing a little mischief. Always marching to the beat of your own drum, you don’t mind when life throws something unexpected your way. You take it in stride. People are drawn to your lust for life and judgement-free demeanor. Let your hair down…”