RadioShack in Niles plans to keep going strong

Published 8:51 am Tuesday, February 10, 2015

RadioShack employee Dylan Roberts, left, and owner Ariel Martin, right, chat with a customer Monday afternoon in Niles. (Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT)

RadioShack employee Dylan Roberts, left, and owner Ariel Martin, right, chat with a customer Monday afternoon in Niles. (Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT)

The owners of the Niles RadioShack say they will remain open and that the bankruptcy filed last week by RadioShack corporate will not affect them to the best of their knowledge.

“RadioShack is reorganizing and cutting the fat, but they aren’t going to cut the best of the best, and we will be staying open,” said Ariel Martin, who owns the store with her husband, Ian.

“We will do our dead level best to keep providing first-class customer service and really deep expertise into the products we carry and making sure it’s worth it every time they come down here,” Ian said.

On Thursday, RadioShack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which would essentially allow the company to restructure itself. Part of the restructuring plan includes closing approximately 2,000 stores and having Sprint wireless open mini shops in stores that are not closed.

The Martins said the Niles RadioShack is not part of the bankruptcy deal because it is one of about 1,000 independently owned dealer franchises. The bankruptcy only concerns RadioShack’s 4,000 corporately-owned stores and other assets.

That means the Martins, who have owned the franchise since 2008, have the authority to choose whether or not they stay open.

Ian said about one out of every three customers have been asking if they would stay open since the bankruptcy was announced.

“We aren’t going anywhere,” said Ian. “Our customers have been very supportive even with everything that is going on out there.”

The Martins have owned the Niles franchise for seven years, but RadioShack has been in Niles since 1971.

The Martins say they have seen business grow over the past couple years.

In addition to electronics, Niles RadioShack offers electronic and battery recycling, phone repair, computer software installation, service calls, phone activation and support and more.