Radioshack rebrands to stay relevant

Published May 19, 2014 at 6:34 am

In order to adapt to changing trends and customer desires, sometimes retail chain establishments have to redesign their stores. Recently, we discussed how Red Roof Inn listened to customer feedback to help breathe new life into their hotel room designs. The point of this was to overhaul rooms to provide customers with the experience they want.

Similarly, RadioShack is planning to redesign its retail stores to stay relevant in today’s market. Fast Company notes that the store is trying to figure out where it fits in a market that has been influenced by the success of Apple and the Apple Store. RadioShack, which had gone in a more smartphone-focused direction for years, is attempting to recapture what made the store popular during the 1980s and make it relevant today by incorporating “experiential design.”

The company’s rebranding effort includes elements of do-it-yourself technology, a facet of what made the store so popular during the 1980s, according to the article. Although the brand experienced a decline in popularity, it also found that people still cared about it, so RadioShack is hoping that by recapturing its original essence, it will appeal to the spirit of invention that once made it popular.

For example, RadioShack’s concept store, located in Boston, features a meeting space where “DIY types” can gather to work on projects together. Additionally, RadioShack is incorporating interactivity into the redesign, allowing customers to have the physical experience of trying out new technologies before purchasing them.

By paying attention to customer wants and expectations, RadioShack may be able to gain back its reputation and better position itself to compete with other players in the market. Marketers can help brands stay relevant by listening to consumer interest and figuring out ways to deliver what customers want.