After RadioShack Dies, There Will Still Be 1,000 Unchanged RadioShacks

Yes, RadioShack filed for bankruptcy, in a move that has been long coming. No, that doesn’t mean that the RadioShack brand will be swept from the great American corporate landscape. In fact, more than 1,000 franchised RadioShack locations will be virtually untouched by the grim news for the company, selling the same old batteries and gadgets as before—at least for now.

The restructuring plan would keep up to 1,750 RadioShack-controlled stores open under Sprint’s ownership. The phone carrier would get the right to use 600 square feet of the RadioShack locations as “stores-within-stores” to show off Sprint-branded phones and other products, and Sprint would be the dominant brand featured on signs on the outside of these stores and in advertisements. RadioShack would get a lesser piece of signage. Sprint, which has emphasized its need for new stores, would get to cherry-pick locations.