Companies/Orgs that (for some reason) still exists

[steppinthrax]

I remember growing up with these. I would go into these stores, they barely had any customers in there and/or they were always ghetto looking. They also have so many alternatives you wonder why they are still available or in bussiness.

1. RadioShack
2. Ace Hardware
3. BlockBuster Video
4. Kmart (I know they purchased sears)
5. USPS

 

[FoBoT]

the old people aren't dead
yet


and they have money

 

[DrPizza]

USPS?? Are you aware of how much business they do? They go to practically every single residence in the US, 6 days a week.

Ace Hardware - around here, the Ace Hardwares are at least as busy as Home Depot. They're 10 times more helpful as well.

Radio Shack - I've never figured them out; I completely agree with your assessment. How do they make money? Or rather, how do they make enough money to pay an employee each hour and have enough left over to pay for electricity?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

USPS is a government entity. That's like saying you're surprised the DMV still exists.

 

[MotF Bane]

Ace Hardware - around here, the Ace Hardwares are at least as busy as Home Depot. They're 10 times more helpful as well.

And that's the real reason Ace and the other smaller stores stay in business. Most of the employees at Home Depot/Lowes don't know the difference between a power outlet and a lightbulb socket.

 

[alent1234]

USPS?? Are you aware of how much business they do? They go to practically every single residence in the US, 6 days a week.

Ace Hardware - around here, the Ace Hardwares are at least as busy as Home Depot. They're 10 times more helpful as well.

Radio Shack - I've never figured them out; I completely agree with your assessment. How do they make money? Or rather, how do they make enough money to pay an employee each hour and have enough left over to pay for electricity?

radio shack sells these things called cell phones or smart phones and the accessories at 1000% markup that go with them

 

[steppinthrax]

USPS?? Are you aware of how much business they do? They go to practically every single residence in the US, 6 days a week.

Ace Hardware - around here, the Ace Hardwares are at least as busy as Home Depot. They're 10 times more helpful as well.

Radio Shack - I've never figured them out; I completely agree with your assessment. How do they make money? Or rather, how do they make enough money to pay an employee each hour and have enough left over to pay for electricity?

USPS: My understanding is they make most of the money on sending advertisements. But their whole "business model" seems to be damaged. I don't see the spoon being big enough for hte baby? I think they are surving on tax dollars and loans. The buinsess seems to be built like a stack of cards.

Ace Hardware: I have a hard time tyring to wrap my head around the fact that a 2 lb box of 1 1/2" drywall screws cost 14.00 bucks

Radio Shack: I think someone is injecting money into the org to keep it running.

 

[steppinthrax]

And that's the real reason Ace and the other smaller stores stay in business. Most of the employees at Home Depot/Lowes don't know the difference between a power outlet and a lightbulb socket.

I find many helpfull hd employees. I moved between two different counties and have found countless helpfull HD employees. Many of them are retired Electricians, Plumbers and Carpeters....

 

[Vic Vega]

...

 

[highland145]

And that's the real reason Ace and the other smaller stores stay in business. Most of the employees at Home Depot/Lowes don't know the difference between a power outlet and a lightbulb socket.

They have employees?

Can't find one except at the register.

 

[OCGuy]

USPS is a government entity. That's like saying you're surprised the DMV still exists.

No it isnt.

 

[lxskllr]

USPS: My understanding is they make most of the money on sending advertisements. But their whole "business model" seems to be damaged. I don't see the spoon being big enough for hte baby? I think they are surving on tax dollars and loans. The buinsess seems to be built like a stack of cards.

USPS doesn't get tax dollars, and they make money. They're hobbled by legislation that mandates overaggressive contributions to pension accounts.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I agree with 1 and 3.

1. Radioshack used to be awesome as they stocked things you needed. For hobby electronic projects, but they do so less and less. That aside, as it likely doesn't make much sense for them to stock that kind of stuff, their prices are just off the wall stupid on so many items. Good ridence, i hope they diaf.

2. Every town pretty much has a hardware store. If they got there before Home Depot, they have a shot of hanging in there, and they have. I don't know a lot about these stores though, talking out my ass here.

3. Duh.

4. Don't know anything about these stores, nor care.

5. Shipping is all about economies of scale, and the USPS has scale. Yes it is a mismanaged and slow to innovate company, but they often have the best shipping rates by far (for individuals). I ship packages pretty much exclusively by USPS, you just can't beat the price of parcel post, and some of the flat rate priority stuff. The USPS ain't that bad, it should stick around.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Radio Shack is still the best B&M place for relatively obscure connectors, batteries, and other small electronics shit. And the markup on that stuff is crazy. For what it's worth they've been close to bankruptcy off-and-on for years. Still manage to be in business.

 

[bobdole369]

USPS?? Are you aware of how much business they do? They go to practically every single residence in the US, 6 days a week.

Ace Hardware - around here, the Ace Hardwares are at least as busy as Home Depot. They're 10 times more helpful as well.

Radio Shack - I've never figured them out; I completely agree with your assessment. How do they make money? Or rather, how do they make enough money to pay an employee each hour and have enough left over to pay for electricity?

Radio shack piles a bunch of niche items into a store and tries to make it trendy. Then they train employees to work at $8/hour and commission to sell cell phones. Thats about it. Enough stupid people exist and enough people buy the niche items so they can make payroll.

 

[bobdole369]

Radio Shack is still the best B&M place for relatively obscure connectors, batteries, and other small electronics shit. And the markup on that stuff is crazy. For what it's worth they've been close to bankruptcy off-and-on for years. Still manage to be in business.

In most locales now - they are the ONLY B&M place. They have NEVER been the best. Local electronics stores mom and pops, ham radio shacks, etc had this market for forever. Now RS is the only game in town in most cases.

 

[steppinthrax]

Radio Shack is still the best B&M place for relatively obscure connectors, batteries, and other small electronics shit. And the markup on that stuff is crazy. For what it's worth they've been close to bankruptcy off-and-on for years. Still manage to be in business.

I usually will get a better deal online. They used to have a real good hobby section, you could get electronic semiconductors, breadboards and various electrical components. They had enough there to build a computer at one point... Now they sell shit.

 

[HAL9000]

Yellow Pages

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

I've gone to radio shack for specialty electronics. Fuses for example... much easier than going to a box store.

 

[Wyndru]

1. Radioshack - I agree, ours is always empty too.
2. Ace Hardware - This store is actually doing very well in my area, it's always busy.
3. Blockbuster - Didn't they already go under? They have closed every store in our area.
4. Kmart - I agree, ours is always empty too.
5. USPS - It's the united states postal service, of course it still exists.

 

[steppinthrax]

Yellow Pages

Good one

6. Yellow Pages - WTF are they still in business.

 

[bobdole369]

I usually will get a better deal online. They used to have a real good hobby section, you could get electronic semiconductors, breadboards and various electrical components. They had enough there to build a computer at one point... Now they sell shit.

Even in the 70's they never really were into hobbyist computing, just radio and electronic components. They never sold bare cpu's that I'm aware, not even a 4004 or a z-80 or a 6510 or anything. They might have got into the PC style cpu's in the 80's but I've never seen one in there. Could be wrong of course.

You can still get a lot of that stuff, its just what sells that they stock, hence they stock shit.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

No it isnt.

From Wikipedia:

The United States Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office or U.S. Mail) is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution...

It also mentions that it was restructured under the Postal Reorganization Act, which established the USPS as an independent entity of the government: "The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people."

I understand that USPS is run as an independent organization, but given that it is expressly established by an act of Congress and the Constitution, I think that referring to it as a government entity is acceptable nomenclature.

 

[SunnyD]

Radio Shack - I've never figured them out; I completely agree with your assessment. How do they make money? Or rather, how do they make enough money to pay an employee each hour and have enough left over to pay for electricity?

Radioshack - at least before the internet was available and hobbyists had access to Digikey and whatnot - was about the only place you could go to pick up a few 220 ohm resistors and a handful of transistors.

It's still pretty much the only RETAIL store you can do that at.

Even in the 70's they never really were into hobbyist computing, just radio and electronic components. They never sold bare cpu's that I'm aware, not even a 4004 or a z-80 or a 6510 or anything. They might have got into the PC style cpu's in the 80's but I've never seen one in there. Could be wrong of course.

You can still get a lot of that stuff, its just what sells that they stock, hence they stock shit.

Not hobbyist COMPUTING... hobbyist ELECTRONICS. In the 70's it was damn near impossible for an individual get get a single cpu. Transistor radios and shit were still popular though.

 

[FoBoT]

if a 'private' company like GM can get a bailout, then a quasi-govt thing like USPS is double super triple guaranteed to get any tax payer bailouts needed to keep them going, not matter what they do

so quibbling is just quibbling