When the first Batteries Plus opened in 1988 in Green Bay, Wis. it was a groundbreaking retail concept, in many ways heralding a new era of personal computing and electronics. Cell phones had just entered the scene, the internet was in its early days and daily tasks were quickly being overtaken by newfangled portable devices like boom boxes, cordless phones and camcorders. One of the first Batteries Plus stores. But that same wave of electronic innovation that gave rise to Batteries Plus also put a drain on the retailer’s business as ecommerce began to take hold. Over the last decade or so, Batteries Plus has struggled to find its place in the world of digital retail, even as consumers have become ever more reliant on battery-powered devices. The company rebranded as Batteries Plus Bulbs in 2012 in an attempt to expand its appeal but then reverted back to just Batteries Plus in 2021 (although it does still sell light bulbs). In a sense Batteries Plus’ biggest challenge is the fact that is has no direct competitor — no other retailer does all the things Batteries Plus does, so its value proposition is somewhat opaque to consumers who have nothing […]
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