Updated! Harrisburg, Pa. — D&H Distributing is looking to help independent RadioShack owners keep their stores stocked as the fate of their franchise agreements is determined.
The inventory lifeline includes discounts of up to 20 percent or $50 off merchandise from select D&H partners, including headphones from A-Audio; scanners from Uniden; wearable devices, car accessories and video cameras by Papago; and a wide assortment from Samsung and Roku.
“We’re happy to support independent retailers and dealers who previously sourced from RadioShack, offering a smooth customer transition and a diverse range of categories, while providing some additional incentives at the same time,” said John Alifano, home entertainment sales director for the national IT and CE distributor. “RadioShack’s market development can be turned into an opportunity for retailers to familiarize themselves with D&H’s value proposition, which delivers a substantial amount of resources complimenting its product assortment.”
D&H’s product categories encompass mobile devices, home theater, computing products, sports and recreation, and home and outdoor products, and its services include online tools, an incentive rewards program and streamlined vendor authorization.
There are approximately 750 independent RadioShack franchisees in the U.S. who have been left in the lurch by the bankruptcy. Their franchise agreements with the now-defunct chain are scheduled to be auctioned off in early May, along with RadioShack’s intellectual property and possibly its customer database, leaving owners to form their own buying groups and legal teams.
The franchised stores are often a curious blend of RadioShack signage and inventory, and individualized assortments and store designs. Indeed, TWICE has reported on a Minnesota franchisee, Design Electronics, which showcased 70 GE major appliances on its showroom floor, while vinyl record albums and drug paraphernalia were a mainstay of one Jersey Shore location.
D&H said there is no application fee to sign up as a new customer, and invites interested dealers to contact the distributor at (800) 340-1007 or via email at [email protected].
In other D&H news, the distributor has added MakerBot’s line of Replicator 3D printers, its Digitizer desktop scanner, and a host of 3D printing accessories to its assortment, with plans to target the medical/healthcare, government, manufacturing, and K-12 education markets.
