RadioShack Comments On Segment Results: "Mobility Platform" And "Retail Platform" $RSH

"Mobility Platform. Sales in our mobility platform decreased 24.7% to $ 280.6 million for the 13 weeks ended November 1, 2014, when compared with $372.5 million for the 13 weeks ended November 2, 2013. This sales decrease was primarily driven by decreased sales in our postpaid wireless business due to lack of availability of new devices launched during the period as well as low consumer interest in the current handset offerings. Comparable store sales in this platform decreased 23.8% for the 13 weeks ended November 1, 2014, when compared with the comparable prior period.

Retail Platform. Sales in our retail platform decreased 3.1% to $ 298.5 million for the 13 weeks ended November 1, 2014, compared with $ 308.0 million for the 13 weeks ended November 2, 2013. Sales were negatively affected by decreased sales in categories including batteries, audio/video cables, phone car chargers and PC communication products such as VOIP devices, which were positively offset in part by increased sales of music accessories, Fix It Here mobile device repair services and headphones. Comparable store sales in this platform decreased 2.0% for the 13 weeks ended November 1, 2014, when compared with the comparable prior period."

This is pretty interesting. Their "retail", or non-mobile-phone segment seems to have come close to stabilizing. By the way, it is quite telling that they view their business as two segments, phone and not-phone.

Selling phones worked... for a while. Now they say that they are getting hurt by "intense wireless carrier promotional activities to incentivize customers to switch networks along with new device financing programs offered by the wireless carriers that were initially only available in the wireless carriers’ stores", i.e. the carriers don't need or care about RadioShack and are going to let it go.