As electronics retailer RadioShack prepares to file for bankruptcy, rumors are circulating that Sprint Corp. is in talks to buy up some of its stores.
But if you're trying to remember the last time you walked into a RadioShack, you're not the only one.
"That's interesting because I had the same thought recently when I drove past a RadioShack that's near me, and I didn't realize it was even still there," says Jason Meyers, who writes about the telecommunications industry for online publication LightReading.
Meyers says he's heard the rumors, too, and it's likely RadioShack is in talks with someone about the future of its stores.
But why would Sprint – and, possibly, Amazon – be interested in a brick-and-mortar retail chain that for years has struggled to stay relevant?
"Sprint might have interest in RadioShack's retail locations and the prominence of those locations," Meyers says. "You have to remember Sprint operates a physical network, for one thing, and secondly Sprint has retail outlets and requires visibility for its brand."
Bloomberg News is reporting those RadioShack stores would operate under the Sprint name if sold.
There are about 30 RadioShack locations in and around Kansas City. If Sprint bought all of them, it would double the telecommunications giant's retail presence in the metropolitan area.
