CompUSA Closing Doors After Christmas

[yettitheman]

Well, this kind of sucks, but I never did go in there much... seeing that Fry's is in the same general area.

 

[stratman]

Sanborn's is the largest retailer in Mexico and has been for ages. I doubt he's the richest man in the world, however. I think that title goes to the King of Saudi Arabia whose entire country, oil and all, is a family business.

Hey Mr.F,

How's doin'.....If I'm not mistaken Forbes just put Mr. Slim as the world's richest man.

According to Forbes it varies between Slim and Gates on a daily basis, depending where the markets closed. Now with the CompUSA fiasco Gates might be ahead.

 

[valvesnvinylfan]

Bye Comp USA...

I agree regarding online e-tailing; I also work for an online CE e-tailer and we're also very strong. I do admit to being somewhat saddened however at how everything turned out; ten years ago I worked for Goodguys for about 4 years and management was very strong, we were proud of the service we provided, and we had a great product mix (at least in my area of stores). Then they cut everyone's commissions, cut management pay, and they moved away from being a service-oriented retailer and tried to be successful through some ill-advised growth plans. This move put them in serious trouble, and after that they were acquired by Comp USA. I had hoped there would be enough financial stability to allow Goodguys to re-focus and survive; now, nothing's left. Sorry to be so long-winded, but I definitely think what's driven many CE companies under is their unwillingness to do what it takes to retain and continually train both quality management and salespeople. The same thing seems now to be happening with Magnolia Audio/Video (a legacy specialist small chain here in the NW) now that they're owned by Best Buy. Oh well--winds of change...

 

[stratman]

Same thing happened to Sound Advice here in Florida, they were bought out by Tweeters and now Tweeters has tanked. I went to my local Sound Advise, what a mess, no service, merchandise, total disorganization. I heard that Tweeters has spun them off, but I'm not sure.

 

[Gasman]

Yeah, I was at the University and 595 (next to Peters Rd.) store a few weeks ago.
Man, what a joke. LOL, the last item I bought from UnSound Advice, was back in 1988.

 

[stratman]

You know it was bound to happen, now they're in disarray (Sound Advice.) Who knows if they'll survive, I give them 2 chances in 3 to fail. Locally they just can't compete, plus they face the stigma of being a "high-end" (read "expensive") store, Brands Mart will do them in.

 

[Gasman]

I agree, well at least here in S. Florida.
And I would even give them a lower chance than the 2 / 3.
Guestimation, I would say 9 out of 10 within the next 2 years (they will fail).
Frankly, I am real surprised they have lasted this long (well, lasted this long from the last few years point of view).

I went in there about 2 months ago, just to browse.
And I had seen the exact same Pioneer Elite for 200.00 less at (go figure) Best Buy. (if I recall, it was the 82 Elite)
200.00 less for a AVR is not chump change IMO.

Funny thing is, at Best Buy I saw the same TV I bought about 300.00 more than I paid at Brandsmart.
It really comes down to smart shopping, IMO.

 

[stratman]

They survived because Tweeters was pumping cash into them. Now that's gone and they were cut free to swim with the sharks (BB,CC and BM.)

 

[fmw]

Hey Mr.F,

How's doin'.....If I'm not mistaken Forbes just put Mr. Slim as the world's richest man.

According to Forbes it varies between Slim and Gates on a daily basis, depending where the markets closed. Now with the CompUSA fiasco Gates might be ahead.

Perhaps based on published financial information. I'm pretty sure King Saud could buy both of them out and not feel much of a pinch. The financial media wouldn't have a clue about the king's wealth but the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia are pretty valuable aren't they? They belong to Saud and his family. Don't get hung up on what you read in the media.

 

[duallydave]

Don't count on too many bargains when they close. I went by the local store when it had the closing sale, and they still had higher prices than other places like newegg. I ended up leaving without buying anything.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

You'd think with all the talk of hot electronics sales and a growing base of HDTV users that the larger chain stores would be flourishing and basking in the glory of increased sales and untold profits. Apparently, the CompUSA story is more akin to a large ship hemorrhaging cash and failing to compete in a sea of slashed profit margins and online sales.

Discuss "CompUSA Closing Doors After Christmas" here. Read the article.

That doesn't surprise me. It was never a very compelling place to shop. Poor selection, unappealing to the eye, boring shopping experience......... They had a "Hills Department Store/Montgomery Ward" feel to them.

 

[AbyssalLoris]

I have no idea how well managed they were and I'm not sure I've ever bought anything from them though I have browsed plenty of times. That's the same as saying I don't think it was ever worth the while. Even so, I am not pleased to see them go. One less option left. There's no monopoly right now, but as they start biting the dust one after the other, this might change.

Besides, who doesn't like having a few options?

 

[Thunder18]

That sucks, I have a 3 year extended warranty for my Creative Zen Vision M from CompUSA. I need to see if I can cancel the warranty and get a pro-rated refund.