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Re:A History of Misses for RadioShack by TheOtherHobbes on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @02:27AM (#8328801)
I don't think it's a viable business model. The margins on a 50-in-1 kit are huge, because it's really just a handful of cheap components, a box, and a manual, which is a sunk cost after you've paid the author and printed it.

Classes are a whole other thing. You need to market them hard, you need repeat business, and if you're not running them every day you're spending a lot on retail space for a limited return.

Also, Internet tutorials. And limited interest in most of the world.

Unless you can supplement classes with a stream of high margin sales, they're not going to keep you afloat for long.

Re:A History of Misses for RadioShack by bane on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @03:16AM (#8328897)
Well, the idea is that students would buy the materials needed for the classes at the RS they're in. A bit like Wine stores and Home Depot do. But those are huge facilities and spending a little money on a classroom isn't a big deal percentagewise.

So your general points stand.

Re:A History of Misses for RadioShack by clebio on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @06:30AM (#8329361)
Isn't that exactly the quandry RadioShack is in, though? They need to pivot, fast and hard. Rip out those stupid mobile islands and the hard-sell mobile device employees and host maker-spaces.