InterTAN

InterTAN Canada Ltd.
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Consumer electronics retail
Founded	1986
Founder	Tandy Corporation
Defunct	2009
Fate	Dissolved after asset sale to Bell Canada
Successor	The Source (owned by Bell Canada)
Headquarters	Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Area served	Canada (formerly also Europe and Australia)
Key people	Brian Levy (former CEO)
Products	Consumer electronics retail stores including The Source, Rogers Plus, Battery Plus, THS Studio, UpClose, G-Wiz
Owner	Circuit City (from 2004 until dissolution)
Parent	Tandy Corporation (until acquisition by Circuit City in 2004)

InterTAN Canada Ltd. was created by Tandy Corporation in 1986 to manage RadioShack outlets across Canada, Europe, and Australia. After divesting its UK 'Tandy' stores to Carphone Warehouse in 1999 and selling Australian operations to Woolworths Limited in 2001, InterTAN's primary holding became the RadioShack franchise within Canada. This partnership concluded in 2005 following InterTAN’s acquisition by Circuit City on May 19, 2004.

Headquartered in Barrie, Ontario, InterTAN ran Canadian consumer electronics retail locations under the brand "The Source by Circuit City" alongside a single "THS Studio" store. It also oversaw the Rogers Plus chain on behalf of Rogers Communications until Rogers assumed direct management. By 2006, all UpClose and G-Wiz stores, as well as all but one THS Studio outlet, had been either rebranded or shut down.

In late 2008, InterTAN sought bankruptcy protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act simultaneously with its U.S. parent company; nonetheless, it was not directly affected by Circuit City's liquidation declared on January 16, 2009. Subsequently, Bell Canada agreed to purchase most of InterTAN's assets, including The Source.

InterTAN itself was excluded from this transaction and functioned solely as the seller, leading to the dissolution of the corporate entity.

History

InterTAN Inc., a fully owned subsidiary of Tandy Corporation based in Fort Worth, Texas, managed retail operations across the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, Canada, and the United States. The company’s name originated from International Tandy. It reported estimated annual revenues of US$400 million with assets totaling US$250 million, accounting for 13 percent of Tandy's yearly sales.

In 1986, Tandy separated its international retail divisions into InterTAN Inc., which included subsidiaries such as InterTAN Canada Ltd. and InterTAN Australia Ltd. On June 20, 1986, InterTAN became an independent entity overseeing 873 Canadian stores, 894 European outlets, and 350 Australian locations.

By 1988, InterTAN had shuttered unprofitable stores in several countries including West Germany. French operations filed for bankruptcy by late 1993, resulting in closures along with Belgian sites. In 1999, after closing 69 of its 338 UK Tandy stores, InterTAN sold the remaining UK shops to Carphone Warehouse.

In April 2001, InterTAN Australia Limited (operating as Tandy Electronics) was sold to Woolworths Limited for A$112.6 million, encompassing 222 stores.

Following these sales, InterTAN concentrated mainly on its Canadian consumer electronics business. Its product selections occasionally differed from those of the U.S. chain; for instance, a decision in 1989 to discontinue the Tandy Colour Computer in Canada provoked some minor criticism. Additionally, InterTAN stocked non-RadioShack merchandise alongside core Tandy products.

Up until June 30, 2005, InterTAN operated Canadian retail locations under the RadioShack brand through a licensing agreement with RadioShack Corporation that was valid until 2010. After Circuit City Stores, Inc. acquired an 80% interest in InterTAN in 2004, RadioShack initiated legal action to terminate the agreement. Although successful in Texas courts, this ruling was not enforceable in Canada. InterTAN maintained it retained rights to use the RadioShack name and negotiated a temporary arrangement preventing its use from July 1, 2005. As a result, all former RadioShack outlets were rebranded as The Source. The dispute was settled privately by late 2006. RadioShack briefly re-entered the Canadian market with nine stores in 2005 but withdrew by January 2007. Remaining RadioShack inventory surfaced in Canadian liquidation outlets by 2007.

Former CEO Brian Levy later pursued a career as an emergency room physician.

InterTAN collaborated with Rogers Communications to manage Rogers Plus stores utilizing its retail expertise and point-of-sale technology; this partnership persisted through the Circuit City acquisition until January 2007.

In April 2002, InterTAN expanded its footprint in battery retail by acquiring Battery Plus assets and integrating them into its operations.

At the beginning of 2007, InterTAN streamlined its portfolio by closing all but one THS Studio and Battery Plus store to concentrate on its principal brand: The Source By Circuit City. These closures led to nearly 100 job losses among management and sales personnel.

During the first quarter of 2007, Circuit City engaged Goldman Sachs to explore divesting InterTAN. Circuit City USA filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009 amid the Great Recession; afterward, The Source was sold as an ongoing operation to Bell Canada Enterprises.

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History

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