Dick Smith Electronics is an Australasian electronics retailer founded in 1968 by Dick Smith. The business started as a small car radio installation business in the Sydney suburb Artarmon , but has expanded to the point where it currently employs more than 3,000 people. There are around 130 company owned Dick Smith Electronics stores, including a number of 'superstores' called Dick Smith Powerhouse. Dick Smith Electronics is commonly referred to as just 'Dick Smith' or 'DSE', and is now owned by Woolworths Ltd, as is Tandy. Often Dick Smith and Tandy share the same product lines and specials because of this.

Once Woolworths assumed control of DSE, the company began to target a broader customer base. Over time their electronics hobbyist range began to diminish, and their range of entertainment, computing and telephony products expanded. This was largely due to shrinking interest in electronics as a hobby, and a shift towards non user serviceable appliances in the market. While some electronics hobbyists felt abandoned by DSE, the changes to their product range have proven beneficial, as their turnover has more than doubled in the last four years.

In addition to the company owned stores, there are many other privately owned stores, called stockists. In mid 2004, a number of stockists abandoned the Dick Smith name in favour of an independent buying group, Leading Edge Electronics, specifically formed as part of the Leading Edge group to accommodate the 40 stores that changed over. These stockists now deal with Dick Smith Electronics' competitor, Jaycar electronics.

External links

• Official Website
• Jaycar Website
• Leading Edge Group