new UK based site for radioshack etc

Link doesn't work.

The UK arm was Tandy, but IIRC they went bankrupt.

Maplin provide a similar service.

Actually the UK/Australia/Canada arm was Intertan, run from Canada and is now "The Source" and owned by Circuit City. They're all dying - can Radio Shack survive with no business plan that works?

Electronics just doesn't seem to be as common a hobby with kids as it once was.

Maplin were originally mainly mail order suppliers of electronic components. Then got themselves a high street presence country wide. Which requires a constant reasonable turnover and profit to maintain. As the demand for electronic components reduced, they diversified into things like Hi-fi accessories, phones, ICE, computer bits and accessories etc. The sort of things you won't find easily on the high street. And seem to be doing reasonably well.

There used to be various chains in the US also - all gone except for the Shack now.

What Maplin seem to do is to employ at least one geek in every shop. Get hold of him or her and you might just get some useful advice.

Tandy as I remember it employed McDonald's rejects.

As told to me: "If you know which end of a resistor is the plus end never let that slip or you'll never make commission for all the geek questions".