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VideoConcepts
Video Concepts Note this is not an actual Mall of Memphis image. Opening day tenant. This was the 80's equivalent of Best Buy or Circuit City - not nearly as big, but the only place in the mall where you see vcrs, big screen tvs etc. Much of the equipment sold here was very high end. For example, a 4 head JVC Stereo HiFi VCR with HQ and wireless remote control (yes cheap ones were WIRED) was $1100 with employee discount. Want to see an $1100 VHS VCR in 1980ish dollars? Memorabilia Video Concepts was later bought out and closed down by Radio Shack. No warning was given to store employees. As they showed up for work on "d-day", an entire new staff was already there and informed them of their termination, with papers ready to sign. I can't find a decent image of the old stores anywhere.  Check out Darth Vader on the big screen! Comments9/24/2005 -I met Eric Clapton's bass player, Duck Dunn while working in this store (he was also in the Blues Brothers band). Apparently, Dan Ackroid bought Duck a big screen TV out in California and the Mall of Memphis store delivered it and sent me to set it up. I also met NFL player Reggie White, who bought a TV from us. As one of my first "technology" type jobs, this was actually a pretty neat place to work back in the day. The "gadget" factor was HUGE in those days - time shifting a TV show on tape was like rocket science cool! This intoxicating coolness got the best of one of the former store managers - he got it in his mind that merchandise in the warehouse was just like merchandise in HIS house - storage wise. He decided he would "store" things (vcrs, cameras, etc) at his house and save the company money. Of course, he would open it and test it out. He honestly thought that way - it never seemed like stealing. Not sure if the customers caught on that sometimes their new expensive equipment was used - or if internal security nabbed him or what. I do know he looked really scared when the police took him away. We never saw him again, but later heard that he got off pretty light. Store employees I remember include Ira Cranford, Tony Canale, Bob Stovall, Wanda, Bobby, Valerie (a Memphis mover and shaker in todays politics!) - if you are one of these guys or any former store employee - let's hear from you! Doug Force There were already signs that all the cool technology might one day turn against us though. Tandy Corportation had the "class" to FIRE 400 people - by email..... Radio Shack Fires 400 Staffers by EmailRadioShack sacks 400 by email'Your position has been eliminated' By Lester Haines Published Thursday 31st August 2006 13:02 GMT Radio Shack sacked 400 workers at its Fort Worth headquarters on Tuesday morning via an email, which stated: "The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately your position is one that has been eliminated." According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, company officials "had told employees in a series of meetings that layoff notices would be delivered electronically". Spokeswoman Kay Jackson said "employees were invited to ask questions before Tuesday's notification on a company intranet site". Derrick D'Souza, a management professor at the University of North Texas, told the paper that the e-boot "could be seen as dehumanizing to employees", adding: "If I put myself in their shoes, I'd say, 'Didn't they have a few minutes to tell me?'" Sacked workers will receive "one to three weeks pay for each year of service". Radio Shack shares rose 29 cents (1.6 per cent) on Wednesday, closing at $18.21 on the New York Stock Exchange. ® |
