RadioShack leans into retro tech to revitalize the brand

We've spent a lot of time on “Marketplace Morning Report” recently covering the acceleration of technology and how people are feeling about it.

Yes, there are AI optimists. But a lot of folks are looking for ways to put down their devices and slow things down, too.

One place we're seeing that is in a return to retro or analog tech. Something that RadioShack knows a lot about.

Yes, that's right — the iconic electronics retailer is still alive and kicking. And it's leaning into retro tech ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Kevin Hamann took over as managing director at RadioShack earlier this summer. And he spoke about this trend with “Marketplace Morning Report” host Kimberly Adams. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Kimberly Adams: I want to get into this idea of retro technology. We just had a report on our show a couple weeks ago about how wired headphones are making a comeback. That's just one example. We've done a ton of stories about people getting back into vinyl and things. Why do you think people are so into older tech products right now?

Kevin Hamann: You know, I have two teenage daughters myself, and they've both been very much into vinyl for a few years. And, as a matter of fact, the physical media — CDs, cassettes, and vinyl —are very popular, especially amongst Gen Z. And I think it's a way for Gen Z to really connect with the music and the artist. It's a very analog process, right? So it takes more effort to enjoy the music, and I think they enjoy the overall experience. And we're seeing that popularity in our vintage and retro products as well.

Adams: Do you have any data you can share about how big this is overall for RadioShack's business?

Hamann: So our retro and vintage products today are about a third of our business, by far our most popular products on e-commerce. Our dealers tend to gravitate more towards accessories, batteries, but online we're selling a lot of our retro vintage products.

Adams: I think a lot of people hearing you are going to be a bit surprised to hear that RadioShack is still around. Do you run into that a lot when you tell people what you do for a living now?

Hamann: Yeah, we do. No doubt, we get stopped at the airport all the time when we're wearing our RadioShack shirts. And they ask us what's going on with the brand these days. But when we share with them our vision of the brand for the future, and doing it in a very capital-responsible way, they're excited. Many of them are asking us if we if we have plans of opening new stores. And, of course, I share with them our authorized dealer program allows small businesses to really leverage the name and the products that we're offering to be able to expand their business.

Adams: Why do you think retro tech is the space for you all at this moment for the company?

Hamann: Well, if you think about the RadioShack brand, it's been around for over 100 years. And people that grew up with RadioShack want to go back to the days when they would visit the store with their parents or as kids and relive those moments of the '80s. We intend to expand also very much on the STEM toys and DIY products that RadioShack's been known for. We want to create RadioShack as a destination not only for retro tech, but also for consumers to be able to build things that really get kids off their phones these days and get them to start building products.