Over 100 years ago, RadioShack established itself as a beloved electronics retailer across the country, and today, one of the last few hundred stores left sits still in the midst of the Idaho Falls community.
RadioShack, or “The Shack,” as owners Vern and Dalyn Murray call it, has been operating in the region for 29 years, establishing itself as the neighborhood gadget guru. Located at 1755 W Broadway St., the shack is known for its extensive knowledge of electronic gadgets and, of course, for being friendly.
The shop sells a wide variety of electronic gadgets, from batteries to speakers to cables and converters, and it’s a light-year from where it began.
30 years ago, Vern was a cell-phone salesman when hardly anyone had heard of one. “I was out trying to hustle cell phones to people who had never had one and that didn’t understand what they were,” he said. In the early days of the cell phone, a guy came by selling RadioShack franchises and told Vern, “You’ll make more money if you’re a RadioShack selling cell phones.”
And so his journey as a business owner began.
The first location opened in Blackfoot and operated there for 20 years before moving to Idaho Falls nearly 10 years ago. As technology has continued to evolve over the years, the shack has evolved alongside it by diversifying its inventory and building a team of techies.
“We have a team of really smart and knowledgeable people,” he said. “We have the knowledge, and customers can see and feel an item and get it the day they need it.”
No matter how big or small the tech issue is, the shack has the solution. “We have anything you can think of. From small pieces and parts to radios to TV antennas and to toys, we can repair just about anything," Dalyn said.
Apart from parts and repairs, the shack regularly gives back to the community by donating to the Toys for Tots foundation, setting up displays at community events and being the source for local businesses to come to for their tech needs.
“People need a place where they can get a question answered, and we see the need for it,” Vern said. “For someone who wants to come in and say, ‘Hey, how do I put a battery in a garage door clicker?’”
“You have questions; we have answers.”