Popular Retail Chain From The 80s Could Make Big Comeback In Wisconsin

People love to remember things from their childhood.  Even if that something failed.

A twice-bankrupt retail store that was a powerhouse in the 80s and 90s is looking at making a comeback.  And not just online.  Wisconsin could be a good place for them to get things really built up.

Plenty Of Open Retail Space In Wisconsin

Let's be honest.  It's way easier to click on a few buttons and have the package show up at your house.  It's even easy to return that item if you decide you don't like it.  That is why actual brick-and-mortar stores are fading out.  But some people still want to look at what's in a store.  Touch it.  Try it on.

Surprisingly, 25% of Americans haven't been to a mall in the past year.  (I would have thought it would have been higher actually.) Malls used to be the epicenter of a city.  Not just the place to buy things.  The place to see things and of course, be seen.

There is an estimated 90 million square feet of available mall space in America.

For me, a trip to Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire, Wisconsin was way more than shopping.  It was an entire experience.  While it's a far cry from its glory days, there could be one store looking at one of the open spaces.

A Comeback Story In Wisconsin

Did you know there are still Radio Shacks open?  Yep.  In fact, in Wisconsin, they are much more popular than our neighboring Midwest states.

There are still a whooping ELEVEN Radio Shacks in Wisconsin.  Minnesota has 5.  Iowa only has 3.  Illinois...just 1.

There are still a few 100 total in the US with other locations across the world.  Much smaller from its peak when over 7000 stores were in the world.

When you check the Radio Shack website, it actually says "We are renovating" and that's not just the website.  It's also the stores you used to love to wander into at malls and see all the gadgets you never really planned to buy.

But they are investing to change that.

"Private label offerings, including drones, headphones, radios, and adapters, were strongly emphasized pre-bankruptcy to offset the margin pressures, a push expected to be continued under the new owners," RetailWire reported.

Is that enough to get you off the couch and going to a Radio Shack?

I still remember the exact spot of the one in Oakwood Mall.  It was at the end by the door.  Not the main entrance but the one on the side.  I always remember looking at the gadgets before leaving.  Not buying anything.  Just looking.

With more in our state than anywhere else in the Midwest and with plenty of space available for them to move in, maybe you'll be seeing more soon to buy things.  Or at least look at things.