RadioShack to expand in-store Fix It Here service nationwide

RadioShack plans to expand its same-day Fix It Here in-store service for cell phones and tablets to more than 700 stores nationwide by year’s end.

Currently, the store operates the service as a pilot program in more than 280 stores in several major U.S. cities. A store locator for the service can be found on the company’s Web site.

The service is designed to make repairs to cracked screens and broken buttons, charging ports, cameras and audio components, in many cases, while the customer waits. Service techs can also repair devices with water damage and replace batteries.

Worldwide, there’s growth in the mobile device repair market of about 5% a year, according to IBISWorld. RadioShack is hoping to cash in on that market growth after seeing its sales decline by 15% in the past two years. Revenues hit $3.4 billion in 2013 at the company’s 4,300 stores. First quarter 2014 results are being announced Tuesday.

CEO Joe Magnacca told the Dallas News that one advantage to the repair concept is that if a repair costs about as much as the cost of a new phone when a customer is eligible for an upgrade, RadioShack will have a chance to make the sale of that new phone and thereby increase its revenues.

This article, RadioShack expands in-store Fix It Here service nationwide, was originally published at Computerworld.com.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt’s RSS feed. His email address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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