Noticed recently all the press about Radio Shack informally changing its name to The Shack. My original reaction was negative. How in the world is Radio Shack going to regain its footing and take on the consumer electronics behemoths by adopting such a down market hole-in-the-wall moniker?

I have been living in the same neighborhood for 14 years and have a Radio Shack less than half a mile from my home. In 14 years I have been there no more than five times. Alternatively, there is a Best Buy, Microcenter and there used to be a Circuit City and CompUSA within about five miles. I have been to each of those considerably more often than The Shack. And yet, every time I have gone to The Shack I have found what I was looking for; batteries, a computer cord, camcorder tape etc. Certainly not big-ticket items but what I needed for a good price.

Similarly, there is a monstrous Home Depot within walking distance to my house. There have been numerous occasions when they did not have what I was looking for, again typically small items like mantles for a gas lamp. Each time I am turned away, I drive down the street to my Shack-like neighborhood hardware store, C&S Hardware, and virtually every time, they have what I need – in the case of the gas lamp mantles, they had three different kinds!

So, the more I have thought about it, perhaps there is a place for The Shack. Maybe they can even get the B-52s for their launch campaign. The idea may not be about going after the big guys on laptops but rather providing the neighborhood with a friendly place to find the basics, kind of like a Cheers for small consumer electronics.

Last Friday, I drove down to The Shack to find out what their employees thought about the new name. My expectations were not high. I assumed the employees wouldn’t even know what I was talking about. However, when I walked in, there was a huge banner behind the counter emblazoned with The Shack. I asked the salespeople about the campaign and they were all knowledgeable and stated that customers have been calling it that for years so the change made sense to them. While they were not particularly gung-ho they were aware so kudos to The Shack’s internal communications group.

With CircuitCity and CompUSA gone and Best Buy selling 50” big screens for $9.99, there seems to be some confusion in the consumer electronics game. So we’ll see. Can Radio Shack make itself relevant by essentially retreating into The Shack? It’s a risky gamble but there is something to be said in today’s economy for the little guy that knows your name and where there is a high likelihood that you will find those odds and ends you are looking for, even if it is only a couple of batteries or a computer cord.