Jaycar
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1981.[1] |
| Founder | Gary Johnston |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 90+ stores (2016) [2] |
Area served | Australia New Zealand United Kingdom United States Canada |
Key people | Gary Johnston (MD) Toni Martin (CEO) |
| Products | Electronics, gadgets |
Number of employees | about 1,000 (2016) |
| Subsidiaries | Electus Distribution Gadget Central |
| Website | www |
Jaycar is an Australia-based retailer dealing in electronic components and related products for electronics enthusiasts. It was founded in 1981 when Gary Johnston, a former Dick Smith Electronics employee, purchased John Carr & Co. Pty Ltd.[3]
Jaycar has over 90 stores and more than 200 authorised stockists and agents[4] throughout Australia and New Zealand that carry products from Jaycar's Electus Distribution wholesale division.
Controversies
In 2005, Jaycar received negative attention from its imported Taiwanese "Choke-A-Chicken" toy that squawked and slapped its wings when strangled around its neck.[5] The RSPCA Queensland described the toy as "grossly irresponsible".[6] As of 2013 the "Choke-A-Chicken" has been reintroduced to Jaycar shelves, where it is yet to receive the same kind of negative attention as previously. [7]
In October 2012, Gary Johnston, Managing Director of Jaycar was interviewed on Sydney radio station 2GB in seeking to explain the behaviour of Canterbury-Bankstown NRL club players who had allegedly made degrading and threatening remarks to Channel Nine reporter, Jayne Azzopardi, though firm evidence of who the comments were directed at remains unclear.[8][9] Johnston was quoted as saying "If a woman walks into some bars in Sydney, she will be ogled. She will be treated as an object and that's the way it is. She doesn't have to walk into those bars." [10] This led to calls to boycott Jaycar stores [11] It was felt that Gary Johnston's comments were seen as providing support and justification for sexist behaviour, and were considered a 'non-apology' by some media outlets.[12] Boxer and model Lauren Eagle came to Johnston's defense, stating that "You walk into a bar, men look at you, they stare at you, that’s just the way it is and that’s the truth. What they didn’t record was he did apologise…the comments were definitely not appropriate, but the reality is, looking and ogling, definitely (happens)."[13]
In October 2016, Jaycar was accused of copying the Arduino Experimenters kit, designed and sold by local Australian electronics company Freetronics.[14]
See also
References
- ^ "Jaycar Talks History and 30th Birthday". Current.com.au. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ "About Jaycar". Jaycar Electronics. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ "Jaycar Is 30 Years Old". siliconchip.com.au. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ "Store Locator". Jaycar Electronics. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ Haines, Lester (20 October 2005). "Animal lovers slam Choke-A-Chicken toy". The Register. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Australian Associated Press (19 October 2005). "RSPCA outraged over "choke the chicken" toy". The Age. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Choke-a-chicken". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ AAP. "Expect the same in pubs, says Dogs sponsor". www.SBS.com.au. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Barret, Chris. "Mad Monday comments 'not directed at reporter'". Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ AAP. "Expect the same in pubs, says Dogs sponsor". www.sbs.com.au. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Richards, David (3 October 2012). "Women urged to ban Jaycar stores". Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Crabb, Annabel (7 October 2012). "The non-apology: a spotter's guide". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Crawley, Paul. "Boxer Lauryn Eagle agrees with sponsor's defence of Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs' Mad Monday abuse". www.news.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ "Experimenters Kit for Arduino ripped off by Duinotech / Jaycar". youtube.com. SuperHouseTV. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
