CompUSA closing stores

I hope not; less competition is always bad for the consumer.

Read this recent story of Best Buy using its intranet to cheat customers out of their rebates.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-watchdog0302,0,5198012.column?coll=hc-utility-local

paulrubin said:

The most direct beneficiary of Compusa's closures will be Best Buy.
Circuit City is closing stores. CUSA and CC are BB's direct
competitors, not the internet. Those who buy online have and will
continue to do so. Compusa closing won't impact that much. That's
not to say BB won't be hurt by increasing internet sales, just that
they are probably jumping for joy. I'm sitting here in central NJ,
one of the more densely populated states with access to multiple
BB's and CC's and the like. If you eliminate some of those stores,
the rest will be helped. Hopefully BB will take advantage and
increase their software and cable selection slightly. And it should
be interesting to see if they take on some additional Apple
hardware since Compusa was probably the largest Apple dealer next
to their own chain of stores.

Click to expand...

I have no idea how the poster qualifies as a Troll.

This is the definition:

Trolls - Anyone deliberately antagonizing other forum users by posting 'flame bait' type messages are not welcome.

Just because you don't like his message does not make him a troll.

BTW - Fry's is a good store - I wish I had one local, but when I visit my parents I often go to Frys. No their prices are not always the best, but they have almost everything available in stock.

Since Fry's in most places have sprung up in the last 5+ years I would love to know what type of local stores where left that they put out of business, that were not already put out of business by Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, Target, Sears, etc...

They day of the locally owned electronic store passed so long ago I really don't see how that was relevant.

Ed
--
http://www.cbrycelea.com/photos/

I say good riddance to Comp USA. I have had some of the worst experiences with electronics and customer service there. Has anyone tried to find out information about Apple products there? Its like pulling teeth. Then, they accuse you of intending to go online and buy it anyway and that you are stealing their "knowledge". Conversely, Best Buy has been "alright" in town, while Circuit City is the best.

--
Mario Gallucci



http://www.flickr.com/photos/origamikid

Well, all I can say is I'm not sorry to see them go. The Atlanta stores were HORRIBLE, especially the Northeast location in Cobb County/Marietta, GA. Dirty store, low stock on many items, and employees with the worst attitudes I've seen in many places. On top of that their prices were never really anything to bat an eye at twice, anyway.

If there are any decent employees left, I feel for them, or maybe their stores are spared, but all I can say is that here, I never did have a good experience at one.

Greg,

Sometimes it really doesn't matter how good the employees are if the business plan is flawed or outmoded.

I really think CompUSA outlived it's purpose.... which was selling comuters and software. Most of those sales have moved to the internet.

Perhaps if they had moved their focus to "general electronics" years ago, and changed their marketing strategy, they might not be closing stores today.

I remember chains like "Software City"and "Electronic City."

I think in order to survive in a selling environment where you cannot provide the best price or really good customer service, you are really in for a difficult time. Given the price competition from the internet, retailers must provide a GOOD REASON to pay more to have the item immediately in your hands.

Electronics is no longer an impulse purchase like selling shoes or jewelry. People today carefull research specifications and prices before they even start shopping. In fact, most buyers are generally more knowledgable than the salespeople. This is certainly true for people buying advanced and high end cameras....
--
Marty
Panasonic FZ20, Panasonic FZ7, Olympus C7000

All of Phoenix, AZ area stores are closing, spoke with the manager of the one near me and he said they were in the green, business-wise, but sales volumn wasn't where they needed to be. They were expensive on non-sale stuff. Less competition means Best-Buy will benefit and we will see less deals. I went there and only TV's and Apple stuff were a second look. Everthing else was expensive even with the 10-20% off inventory clearance.
BW

And the prices are roughly 20% higher.

tbcass said:

Greenville said:

Why B&H is successful.

I have yet to see a big box store carry high end photo gear.

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You have to go to specialty photo stores for that or on line.

--
Tom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25301400@N00/

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--
http://www.pbase.com/ewhalen

talked to the store manager last night in Tustin, and he said almost all the calif. stores too. Strange if you ask me, although I don't know where their marketing brains were when they decided to build so many, and in same shopping centers as Best Buy, Circuit City and Office max! I think they would have done well in a single store location.
--



Linda~ http://soulswithin.u.yuku.com/
You don't take a photograph. You ask, quietly, to borrow it. Author Unknown

They carried a far broader inventory of items, many very low velocity, compared to the stores that started as electronics/entertainment and moved to computers. There's no way they could carry that additional load and compete. But now? It's going to be internet for most buyers.

Marty4650 said:

Most buyers are generally more knowledgable than the salespeople.

Click to expand...

Marty4650 said:

This is certainly true for people buying advanced and high end cameras....
--

Click to expand...

That is not always true . . .

I think you'll find that statement correct for those customers who are more concerned about the lowest price possible and only go to those stores who offer the lowest price.

Generally, to get knowledgable salespeople and any kind of quality service after the purchase, you must go to a store that most likely charges more for the knowledge and service of the salespeople.

Usually . . . quality comes at a higher price . . .

--
J. M. Daniels
Denver, Colorado
Panasonic FZ10, FZ50 & Fuji S602Z owner & operator

Glen Barrington said:

You can expect the state governments in the USA to press for more
vigorous enforcement of existing On-line sales tax. More
multi-state agreements for mutual enforcement, and state internet
sales tax where there was none before.

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It has been the same way with "mail order catalogues" for many years. My state has had a "use tax" that is voluntary for people to pay tax on items bought online, through the mail, or in another state where sales tax was not paid on.

Until they address all 3 of those issues at the same time, they should not target just one of them.

I live 1 mile from Chicago and there has never been a CompUSA store within a 10 mile radius from home. I am guessing that location of stores was grossly mismanaged and that is why they failed.
--
Author of SAR Image Processor and anomic sociopath
http://www.general-cathexis.com

My observation is that most typically brick and mortar SPECIALTY stores are disappearing and being replaced by internet stores. For example, book stores, gourmet food stores, coin and/or stamp shops, etc.

Depending on how you define "specialty," exceptions include shoe stores. My local big indoor mall consists of 75% shoe stores and, yet, I buy shoes at KMart. Must have something to do with women.
--
Author of SAR Image Processor and anomic sociopath
http://www.general-cathexis.com

FYI, here is a complete list of all the stores closing...

http://www.compusa.com/locations/closing_stores.asp

--
Canon G3 camera
Epson R1800 printer

back when people actually learned to spell and use real words. The net shortcuts and made up words give me a headache. IMNSHO

--
Al Patterson

netgarden said:

its hard to keep the local store in business, but basically, if we
don't support them, they will be gone. If they could match online
prices or at least advertise that, they'd do well here.

But I have to think that all market business is taking a beating to
online shopping, with the no tax thing. I can't quite figure out
how they get away with that....love it, but it is unfair to the
local guys.

Click to expand...

No, what's unfair is a government that levies taxes on every single possible form of financial activity and then some so that it can blow $3 trillion per year, and that's only at ONE of THREE levels of government!

Microcenter may be the next one to go.

Microcenter is a much smaller chain that isn't in very many states for those who haven't heard of it. In Atlanta we have two stores, and their main store is in Columbus, OH. Years ago Microcenter was THE place to go. You could find new stuff, older stuff, hard to find, and off the wall stuff. PC and Mac, TONS of software, and sales people who actually were trained and who KNEW what they were talking about.

In the last couple of years I've watched them slip quite a bit. The sales people are still better than average (compared to Best Buy, etc), but sales are virtually nonexisting. Their sales papers now are in that VERY irritating habit of advertising "sales" where the prices are only good after you've mailed in 2 or sometimes even 3 rebates for one item. There's nothing that bugs me more than to see a price in a flier and in little 4-point sized font letters underneath see, "after XX rebate and XXX rebate and YY rebate". ARGH. NOT a way to make me come back.

to quote two different sales people at my local compusa store. one stated that there was a "two" month droughtthe other said a "one" month drought of NOT selling PC's since they had the stock of computers with Vista loaded but couldnt sell them till the LAUNCH DATE for Vista and were running out of much of the XP loaded machines.

plus many people didnt want to buy a machine with XP since VISTA was right around the corner even though they were offering FREE upgrades to VISTA. both stated that the "DROUGHT" was terrible and called it the NAIL IN THE COFFIN for the store.

take it for what its worth...its too bad though, i liked the store. i was told by one of the sales people that "BEST BUY" will add an "APPLE" center in their stores like COMPUSA had. this will be handy for MAC users since the only other option in town is the APPLE store, which many cities dont even have.

david
http://www.davidprobst.com

Greg,

I am quite familiar with the Marietta MicroCenter store. I have bought a full PC system, some hard drives, and many small accessories from this store. I have been shopping there since the early nineties, I think. (I forget when it opened)

I know an insider connected with the home office. Haven't talked with him for a while, so I have no priviledge information at this time.

From my perspective, there is no store in a 20 mile radius which is even an approximate competitor to this operation. It is far from a perfect operation, and I've had my share of disappointments there. However, with the local CompUSA gone, which I shopped but purchased little from because of their sub-abysmal floor staff, there's no BB or CC which has the breadth of offerings to match the MicroCenter.

I don't like the rebates either, although I do get my money by following the rules carefully.

I have heard of nothing and observed nothing in the store which gives any hint that MicroCenter may be in trouble. I have never been in the Marietta store when it did not have a good crowd of people. I would not presume that there is any market dynamic which says that if Chain A got into trouble, then Chain B can't be far behind. It is not the niche which is in trouble, it is that an improperly structured and managed operation like CompUSA made themselves vulnerable.

Nothing definitive here; just some thoughts from a fellow who was a manufacturer's rep in the consumer electronics industry for 30 years.

Best to All,

Lovingtheview

My comment wasn't to say that I KNEW they were going to close... only that it may be a matter of TIME before they closed. This was based on the fact that I too, have shopped there for years, and there's a few things they've slipped on...

1) While their sales staff is still better than the average chain store, they're slipping. You do still have the 40-something year old sales people who really know their stuff there, but I'm starting to see the "whatever" attitudes popping up amonst newer 20-somethings that occasionally get hired, as well as sometimes a lack of knowledge among the staff. In years past for instance, the camera sales people knew their stuff... they actually researched new models coming out when they were home.. learned it, and LIKED it. Now I'm starting to see some sales kids come in there that know far less about what they're selling than I do. Not all - but it's increasing.

2) Pricing. I used to get the best deals at Microcenter 90% of the time compared to other stores. Now their prices on cameras and things that I buy at least, are pretty much run of the mill compared to other stores unless there's an off the wall sale.

3) Competition. While CompUSA is shutting down, you have stores like BrandsMartUSA opening up (south Florida and Atlanta metro). While they're not directly compared to a store like Microcenter, they have a huge selection of cameras, and some pretty inexpensive prices on laptops and a few desktops. These cramped NYC-style stores are becoming very popular here.

4) Web. As others have said, web sales are going up so that has an effect too - even on stores like Microcenter.