BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES

Subject: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 03:19 PM

Noted in another thread, but there probably are enough people interested that a separate thread is merited:

[the news]

CompUSA is sold; will close all stores

Struggling consumer electronics retailer will offer big holiday discounts

The Associated Press
updated 7:22 p.m. CT, Fri., Dec. 7, 2007

DALLAS - Consumer electronics retailer CompUSA said Friday it will close its store operations after the holidays following sale of the company to Gordon Brothers Group LLC, a restructuring firm. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

CompUSA operates 103 stores, which plan to run store-closing sales during the holidays.

Privately held CompUSA, controlled by Mexican financier Carlos Slim Helu's Grupo Carso SA, said discussions were under way to sell certain stores in key markets. Stores that can't be sold will be closed.

[end of news - the speculation]

Some stores may be sold to other operators, and the story implies that they could continue to use the CompUSA name but would not have to. The network of suppliers and "house branded" merchandise likely will disappear.

The best to be said about it is there may be some good sales during the holiday shopping season.

A particular concern in my town, since CompUSA has been the only reeasonably stocked computer shop within about 180 miles.

John

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 03:30 PM

With all the big store closings around here I have noticed that there are special firms they hire to run the entire going out of business sale and they tend to hold higher prices for personal bonus reasons even when it seems unfruitful.

There is one 4 miles from here so I might go check it out. I haven't been there in 6 years since the last time I was there was right after an armed robbery and the vibe was scary.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 05:29 PM

Donuel, professional liquidators do generally run these sales, and their fee (commission) is generally quite high...in the range of 50%. Contrary to your observation, most liquidations are quite fruitful, at least to the company and the liquidator.
While the initial prices are discounted only 10%-15% at first (based on original retails, so not necessarily lower what it might have once been offered at), they incremently get lower as time goes on. The strategy for the consumer is predicated on whether to buy at the initial discounts while supply is relatively good, or to wait for a deeper discount and chance losing the item before one thinks the discount sufficient. Rule of thumb, by the time discounts get above 40%, there're slim pickings.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: robomatic
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 06:05 PM

I've been to a lot of CompUSA's over the years (named ironically considering John's information that it is owned out of Mexico!). I've had varying opinions but on the whole more pluses than minuses. They had knowledgeable employees at about the same percentage as ignoramuses.

It's hard to believe the Anchorage store was losing money. I s'pose the benefits go to BestBuy and the remaining specialty stores that also do computers (Ours is called Frigid (sic) North).

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 06:07 PM

I was initially upset that a big computer store near me was closing, but they replaced with a MUCH better store..'MicroCenter'...it makes CompUSA look like Kmart. (It's next to Trader Joe's in Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike, Donuel...in case you hadn't seen it....but be careful...way too many nice toys!)

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: GUEST,Bill D
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 06:08 PM

(tsk...that was me, using a different browser with no cookie set)

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 06:19 PM

here is Micro Center

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 06:36 PM

Well, Bill D, fat lot of good Micro City does me! The nearest to me is over an hour away, in Tustin, CA, even under ideal driving conditions--and believe me driving conditions are never ideal OtSC.
Usually I go to an independent dealer/tech who has prices comparable to the big guys, and support that just doesn't quit.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 08 Dec 07 - 06:55 PM

Ebuyer are very cheap. But read their standard terms! I use them to illustrate the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations for my students!

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Dec 07 - 02:30 PM

Our alternative newspaper did a survey of the businesses with the poorest customer service. [This was a few years ago.] CompUSA was one of the three worst in a city of 1.5 million people.

A word about going out of business sales. I worked in a fabric store that went out of business. First they sold our regular stock, then junk that we had never seen before was dragged in. Shop early.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Greg B
Date: 09 Dec 07 - 02:46 PM

Many of the CompUSA stores closed down more than a year ago.

I always found they had a lot of stuff--- but rarely what I wanted.

And, their prices were high compared with, say, Best Buy.

Honestly, I think what killed them was the online business, and
the low prices and free shipping offered by places like Egghead.com.

A lot of the online stores now fulfill out of multiple warehouses
which are located right next to UPS depots for each major region.
The result is free or cheap shipping and very fast delivery.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: GUEST,melinda
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 12:09 AM

Good riddance - I haven't shopped at CompUSA for ages. The first time I went in, the surly salesboy used the politely delicate phrase "piece of shit" when describing the differences between two items I was interested in. I went to another store and bought one.

The next time I went in (as a favor to a friend, not on my own) the children at the customer disservice desk had a movie playing on a big-screen TV (so they could watch something instead of doing work, I guess), a movie featuring loud swearing, violent gun murders, and bright colored explosions. When I finally got to the front of the line, I discovered that the employee must have been very religious - he twice offered up a prayer to a god named "Jesus F***ing Christ" while working on my problem.

They deserve to go out of business, although I suspect the owners will somehow end up with millions of dollars and the employees will get the usual kick in the arse.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 12:35 AM

I've always liked our local CompUSA stores. They provided good service and competent help. Our local stores closed last year and the nearest is in the next county, so I haven't been over. I usually compared prices at Fry's and CompUSA when making a large purchase, and I've bought several computers from CompUSA over the years. If you think Best Buy is a bargain then you've obviously never had their pushy sales folks insist that you really need their additional service contract, or had them lie to your face about something they should fix but refuse to. They take it back where you can't see what they're doing (or not doing) and return a few minutes later and say "it works just fine" even if whatever it is won't power up, whatever. The first and last time I had a service contract with Best Buy on a computer I bought there it was a nightmare trying to get the computer fixed. And a friend who used to work there has some horror stories about the service and repair operations. I refuse to buy anything substantial from them.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 07 - 11:58 AM

I spent several years avoiding BestBuy like the plague...then my wife found a deal there and went to a branch further out in the suburbs and bought an HP computer. I've had to deal with the service dept. there a couple times, and found then reasonably competant. The differences between 2 different branches was considerable.

But now that I am fortunate enough to have this new Micro Center store close to me, I doubt that I will ever have to deal with even BestBuy again. Sorry they are so scarce. (But for those who find a need to shop online, Micro Center 'might' prove a useful place.)

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 07:57 PM

From a newsletter, a Ziff-Davis Gearlog blogger reports:

Some CompUSA Stores to reopen

Hey, everyone! Do you miss CompUSA? Yeah, I didn't think so, but I figured that it couldn't hurt to ask. Still, the stores are coming out of their Floridian retirement, with 15 Grand Re-Openings across the Sunshine State thanks to TigerDirect. The online retailer is bringing back those stores and opening up another brand-new one, with promises of "lower prices... new wider selection... and amazing new deals," according to Gizmodo.

CompUSA closed a number of locations early last year, and finished the job with the rest of its stores after the 2007 holiday season.
The Grand Re-Openings come with promises of "specials and surprises" too, which I'm sure will ensure that the whole thing isn't a really bad idea.

/quote

For those in the real world (ie. not Florida) a sidebar provides a link:

CompUSA

The "new" CompUSA site doesn't identify an association with Tiger Direct (a fairly well-known web seller, and probably reliable) - or with any other "new parent," but does show a few "grand-opening" style "sale items" that might be worth a quick look.

It still leaves me with a 200 mile round trip to the nearest place with hardware "on the shelf," but might suggest that eventually someone will start something useful elsewhere. ... maybe.

John

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: artbrooks
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 09:33 PM

I've bought from Tiger Direct with no problems, in the unlikely event that means anything.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Apr 08 - 09:55 PM

I miss CompUSA. I always liked them (MUCH better than places like Best Lie). They send me email about online buying, but I don't pay much attention to it, figuring it would either revive some or go away entirely.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 01:12 PM

Several years ago, my employer had good expereinces with Tiger Direct, buying a number of workstations from them, and I got a pretty sweet deal on one for myself (riding on my boss's coattails, so to speak ~ I did the actual buying for the company and had developed a regular telephone relationship with our sales rep, who put together a nice personal PC for me.)

More recently, the company switched over to Dell as their main on-line computer-hardware supplier. And again, I followed suit when it was time for me to upgrade my home computer.

CompUSA had one outlet in metro New Orleans, in a fairly distant and inconvenient location for me. I visited there shortly after they opened, year ago, but it's been so long since I've even driven through that area that I didn't know they closed down last year.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 02:25 PM

GOOD NEWS The Bush economic report showed a 60% rise (of 1 percent) in the ECONOMY !!

Meanwhile food stamps have doubled, 5 airlines have declared bankruptcy, 20% of retail stores have failed and real estate is down 15% and headed down another 5 or 10. Home sales set a record for the poorest in 30 years.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 03:47 PM

CompUSA was the only place within a 350 mile round trip where I could buy hardware and occasional small software bits. Now there is nothing.

BeastBuy doesn't sell components you can use to keep your system running. They rely on you to bring your equipment to their no-service department, where - according to most reports I've seen - they will lose it so they can sell you a complete new (and more expensive) package, with a service-contract-in-lieu-of-warranty to assure that you bring the new one to them so they can do it to you again.

There are a couple of small "computer stores" in the area, but they're "build to spec" no-name outfits and only stock parts and software that they use in their versions of "perfectly made to order computers" - which means that to get a new fan that fits my computer I'd have to visit several shops to find the one that might have the part that "could work if I'm clever enough." The "shopping" required makes it easier, and often quicker, to just order from the web - or direct from the manufacturers.

John

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: fumblefingers
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 08:51 PM

I used to buy things from CompUSA and was generally satisfied. I dropped them after Fry's moved into the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. They are cheaper if you know what you're doing and understand that they re-sell returned merchandise and call it "open box." There's a BestBuy 20 miles away but they aren't the best buy and as someone already mentioned, they put the pressure on you to buy their extended warranty.

Subject: RE: BS: CompUSA to CLOSE ALL STORES
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 01 May 08 - 10:52 AM

Reading through the posts above convinces me that the behavior of individual employees is critical to the success of a store. Management may think success depends on inventory, prices, or ambiance, but the customer pays far more attention to the clerk. And the clerk is probably the least expensive, most despised part of the package.

I was happy with my first visit to Micro Center. On my second (last week) a guy on the floor swore that a certain kind of CD would work in my CD maker. It didn't. Since I live quite a distance away, I'm not happy with that.

When I returned the useless CD's, I decided to shop for an encyclopedia on disk. The clerk directed to an aisle which didn't seem to have any. Soon the canned music -- beatle-infested tunes which were half self-pity and half phlegm -- got on my nerves so much that I left without buying anything.

If you want a store to succeed, you need to know what is happening on the sales floor.