Mitomart, I shop at http://www.allelectronics.com/, located at 14928 Oxnard St. Van Nuys, CA 91411. I think making the shop more towards teaching would be more appealing, as most local stores sell products already. Your shop would be one of the few that have workshops and tools available.
mitomart:
Hey everyone I'm actually thinking about opening an store in Los Angeles for electronics hobbyists and would like to get your thoughts on it.Here's what I have planned so far:
Location: San Fernando Valley (North Hollywood or somewhere nearby) and online.
Products: Arduinos (original and compatible as well as shields/accessories), Raspberry Pis, general electrical components (resistors, capacitors, wires, etc, etc, etc the list can go on forever lol), sensors, tools), ICs (Attiny, 555s, etc), and pretty much everything else you need to build something with electricity running through it.
Extras: I plan to have a few work stations with ready to go computers and soldering equipment where hackers can start building knowing they have access to any item they might need as well as friendly help. I have even thought about sponsoring and hosting meetup.com group meet ups.
Since a store like this will require a hefty investment, I'm asking around to see if Arduino enthusiasts in the Los Angeles area would prefer shopping at a local store rather than ordering online and having to pay for shipping/wait a few days. I have visited a few RadioShacks and although they carry Arduinos, they only offer about 1-5 shields and sensors (depending on the location). I also plan on having very competitive prices (cheaper than RadioShack, Fry's Electronics and even some online stores).
Any input would be greatly appreciated.