These both seem to me to be dead end businesses at the moment. With sites like expedia.com are travel agencies dying? I actually must admit I used a guy at one a few weeks ago (too many tickets and weirdness to bother with myself), but otherwise I've not used one in years. Has anybody got info on how their industry is doing?

Radio shack. Almost every time I go into one I get sad, because how can they compete with best buy, et al.? Is RS doing badly these days, or still doing ok? In small towns I can see the need for one, but in big cities the competition has to be rough!

I hear the demand for Tandy computers and DIY police scanner kits is at an all time high. ;)

The thing that really bugs the hell out of me at Radio Shack is that you have to give them your full name and address even if you're just buying a package of batteries. And they still write it by hand on a triplicate pad of paper!! Computers, people!! :mad:

Being as someone that used to work at the Corporate Headquarters at Best Buy, there will always be a market for small stores like Radio Shack. I remember one time the CIO of our IS department talking about Best Buy's new strategy (at that time) of going into smaller markets where there wasn't a Best Buy. That strategy was to buy out Music Land and Sam Goody, which was mostly in malls and smaller cities. What Best Buy wanted to do was put a hurting on Radio Shack and other smaller stores, and try to get the teen market that frequented those type of places. Well, come to find out that there are people out there that are loyal to the established smaller stores like Radio Shack and refuse to shop at other places. Best Buy lost millions and had to sell Music Land and Sam Goody. But in the over all picture, Radio Shack will never compete with Best Buy, but Radio Shack does have it's place in the market. Even bigger companies like Comp USA and Circuit City are having problems competing. The only store in my opinion capable of competing with Best Buy is Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart actually started selling better electronic equipment, washer and dryers, computer parts, and had a bigger music selection, they would put some serious pressure on Best Buy. Two years ago when I was at Best Buy, I know they were only worried about Wal-Mart. Now, I have no idea what Best Buy's strategy is. The only thing I know is they are still shipping tech jobs over to India, because a couple of friends of mine that used to work there recently got laid off as well. That's big business for you.

Most Airlines have cut the commision paid to travel agents. If you want to make money as a travel agent you have to sell travel packages. ie. airfare with a cruise or resort with car rental.
You can still make money as a travel agent, but you need a long list of clients and referals. If your just starting out it helps to have an area of expertise or a niche, ie. travel packages to the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. or something similar, off the beaten path.

There'll always be a Radio Shack, even long after there are no more radios.

After all, where else can you find that little thingy to connect that thing to that other thing? Only at Radio Shack. I've been there twice in the last month, and each successive visit seems to lead to yet another, as the number of different wires, adaptors and connectors in my life approaches infinity.

It's the thingies, people! The thingies!!!

PeteBDawg is totally on the ball with his post. I go to radio shack because I know they usually have whatever small electronic bit I am in need of. So many times I have run around town to every shop to find a resistor, fuse, wire, etc and ended up at the rat shack because they are the only ones who have it or will atleast order it for you. As much as I hate the fact they need my number everytime I buy something I hope they never go out of bussiness.

My girlfriend is a travel agent, and yeah, it is definately turning into a dead end industry. Travel packages are the only way they can make money as no one is going to pay a service fee for a flight when they can book the same flight themselves on the net.

Exactly! For the seminar I recently had, Radio Shack came to the rescue. My laptop has S-video out, but of course the convention center only has the standard video in. Radio Shack to the resuce with the S-Video->video adapter!

Then there was the issue with my wireless mike having a 1/4" plug. I wanted to record directly on my laptop, which is 1/8". Guess where I went to get the adapter?

Jeremy

There'll always be a Radio Shack, even long after there are no more radios.

After all, where else can you find that little thingy to connect that thing to that other thing? Only at Radio Shack. I've been there twice in the last month, and each successive visit seems to lead to yet another, as the number of different wires, adaptors and connectors in my life approaches infinity.

It's the thingies, people! The thingies!!!