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Karl Hartkopf

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  • Amazon to RadioShack: “You Complete Me”

    By Karl Hartkopf - June 29, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, RSH

    While the benefits of merging with RadioShack (NYSE: RSH)would benefit many retailers and non-retailers, those benefits are are a simple few generally oriented to displaying and selling products.  The benefits to Amazon work differently given its near total absence from our traditional physical retailing realm. Obviously Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) doesn’t have a  multitude of retail stores, but it also lacks much of the infrastructure dedicated to retailing which more »

  • Store Squatter on Borrowed Time or Extreme Makeover Retail Edition Winner?

    By Karl Hartkopf - June 27, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, BBY, CVC, GOOG, RSH

    In preparation for the video worthy antics of Hurricane Irene, I went to RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) to buy a new battery for my digital video recorder.  After courteous assistance from the staff at the store, we found the battery – for $50.  Given that I had purchased the recorder on Woot for $50, I was not inclined to purchase the battery.  After all, given that I also had a digital camera more »

  • RadioShack’s Fate Part IV: RadioShack Rebirth-a-Palloza

    By Karl Hartkopf - June 21, 2012 | Tickers: AMZN, AAPL, BBY, EBAY, RSH, SHLD, WMT

    Successful turnarounds are rare birds but come in many colors.  In retail, turnarounds that increase sales per square foot is generally a good start, along with becoming more profitable, increasing cash flow or preening to become a better buyout candidate. What follows is a riot of business models with which RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) should consider experimenting.

     

    Cell Service Concierge

     

    Cell phone manufacture and the provision of plans on which they more »

  • RadioShack’s Fate Part III: RadioShack Meets the Makers, Again

    By Karl Hartkopf - June 15, 2012 | Tickers: RSH

    “Gentlemen, we can rebuild RadioShack. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic retailer. RadioShack will be that store. Better than she was before. Better, stronger, faster.”

    Introduction to the Six Million Dollar Man television show of the 1970’s (perhaps modified slightly)

    As a young male, the Six Million Dollar Man was the greatest show ever conceived. Superpowers, technology, action, bionics, cliffhangers more »

  • Nuts and Bots - A Tale of Two Companies

    By Karl Hartkopf - March 23, 2012 | Tickers: DMND, IRBT

    (Editors Note: A previous version of this post stated that Diamond Foods' former CEO and CFO were fired due to an accounting fraud. The company's audit committee findings did not determine that fraudulent misconduct was committed by either executive, and the SEC and Justice Department cases are ongoing. The post has been corrected to reflect this information.)

    It seems appropriate, only a month since Charles Dicken's 200th birthday more »