Bob Newby runs which store in Stranger Things season 2?

Bob Newby runs the Hawkins RadioShack in Stranger Things season 2.

Bob, played by Sean Astin, is introduced as Joyce Byers’s warm-hearted boyfriend and as a familiar local figure in Hawkins. His job at RadioShack fits the character’s practical, electronics-minded personality: he is comfortable with radios, computers, and other technology, and he helps the group think through problems involving communications and the strange events around Hawkins.

RadioShack was a real American electronics retailer that became especially recognizable during the 1980s, making it a fitting detail for the show’s period setting. Bob’s workplace is also close to Melvald’s General Store, where Joyce works. That proximity sometimes causes mix-ups: Melvald’s is Joyce’s store, while RadioShack is Bob’s.

Bob’s role becomes especially important in Season 2 when his technical skills and courage help the characters navigate the crisis at Hawkins Lab. The character’s nickname, “Bob the Brain,” highlights his intelligence, while his later sacrifice makes the seemingly ordinary electronics-store manager one of the season’s most memorable supporting characters.