Comments on: Is Circuit City dead?

Don Reisinger thinks Circuit City is dead in the water, but its board disagrees. What do you think?

[polaris13]

Don't know about every where else but in NJ Best Buy has consistently higher prices across the board for everything.

I shop at Circuit City on a regular basis. I don't care about lighting or how warm and fuzzy Best Buy is. As for the help they both employee the pimple faced teens that don't know what the heck they're talking about. If you're going to rely on help i.e. tech help from any dept store teen either at BB or CC then you're in trouble. Do your own homework.

Bottom line is consumers want the best price. Why pay $600 for a tv at BB when the exact same tv costs $500 at CC?

[lobo65]

I'll tell you why Circuit City is floundering. Poor customer service. Just try to find someone to help you, or answer the phone at the store in my area. They recently fired some full-time workers to hire younger (worse), and cheaper ones. It shows too in the poor customer service, and lack of knowledge about the products they sell. I'll stick with Crutchfield. They may not have the best prices, but they make up for it with great service.

[smilepak]

I think what CC needs is a store design make over. Their design is soo 90's and not keeping up with the times. When you walk into a BB store, it is bright, high ceilings, blasting music, and up beat customer services.

The CC stores is darker and less attractive.

If people look closely, BB prices aren't that great. Granted you have items with great prices, but you also have rediculous over priced items as well. For example 2GB of DDR2 RAM is way over priced compared to Fry's Electronic and other places.

Prices isn't all that is driving customers to the stores. It is the the whole store layout, designs, services, and products.

[yesse76]

-I go to CC to buy electronics. I go to BB to buy DVD'S. BB is 'SHINY', but so is Home Depot and HD SUCKS. Both BB and HD employ rubes (young) and malcontents (old). CC's prices in Denver are equal or lower than BB and the CC staff absolutely kill themselves to be helpfull!!! BB employees scuttle away like ROACHES.

-As usual, "the less favoured work harder".

[RedZeppelin]

I wouldn't begin to guess about their future, but I wouldn't be sad to see them go. Their customer service has gone down the tubes in the last few years. You know that single checkout lane you saw open at CC? That's usually the case no matter how crowded they are.

[gmasters]

as a current tiger direct customer AND an old CompUSA customer I immediately noticed that the 2 web sites became virtually the same (so is Global Computer)- SOoooooo what did I do- killed my eMail notification and use of CompUSA to avoid duplication.............

So-Mr eCommerce...my question is....what value would a user of TigerDirect get from CompUSA? Question 2 is; if there is some value, then can you modify the web site and eMail so that it is not repetitive (I think Kmart/Sears did this so that if I search for "Lawn Mowers" at Kmart I get a list at the top that are unique to them, and a list at the bottom that is supplemental from Sears).

[lonny paul]

Since you unsubbed, you didn't get to see the new emails and homepage which were launched last week. Exclusive offers are forthcoming, but as with any acquisition, it takes time to properly ramp the new 'team.'

You will find that while Tiger and CompUSA may have many similar products and pricing, there will be exclusives available to CompUSA retail customers and CompUSA.com visitors - watch for the 'Manager's Daily Special' starting on April 7 as well with daily exclusive offers at CompUSA.

The website will continue to evolve over the coming weeks - much effort has gone into re-opening 16 CompUSA stores after completely re-tooling them and customers are happy!

[renagade89]

This is terrible. I have always found circuit city to be much more helpful than Best Buy. I was recently at Best Buy for a half hour and could find no one to help me. When I go to Circuit City I am usually immediately asked if I need assistance by at least four people. Also when returning products Circuit City is quick and reliable. I have had horrible experiences trying to return things to Best Buy. I once stood at Best Buy and watched two employees hit on a woman for 20 minutes while I stood there needing help.

[jonathan_a]

Like many have already stated, the employees at Circuit City are just HORRIBLE! It seems that they just hire someone that is competent enough to speak and work a cash register, and you got the job. Just so you know, Circuit City is the only electronic shop near where I live that is close enough by foot. While it sucks that the place will close down, it doesn't surprise me and I don't feel bad about it either. I only go there if I need something fast, like spare batteries, or if I needed a new clock, or I was having a LAN party and my hub broke, so I actually went to Circuit City and bought an OVER PRICED 4-port hub cause I didn't feel like traveling far.

But if I want real electronic products, like a TV, or a printer, a DVD player, high quality cables or anything that I wasn't sure... I would go the extra distance and avoid Circuit City at all cost. Their employees do not know anything about eletronics. When I asked questions about the hub I was gonna buy, he gave me crap explanations thinking I was a computer illiterate and feeding me bull that a HUB has a FIREWALL. Uhhhhh... I didn't even bother arguing, I just wanted a hub for my LAN party... but that was the day I said to myself I would never buy anything expensive from them.

Good ridance Circuit City!

[drezjohnson]

Ok so the financial analysis wasn't the best ever. But let's face it...other than having new release movies on sale during the first week, there's no real reason that I would want to shop at Circuit City as opposed to Best Buy (or Walmart, or any other). Some companies can increase their markup because of the added "perceived quality" of their products but what's their excuse. What's their competitive advantage?

[rubberpoliceman]

This is one of the most poorly written pieces I've read on CNet. Maybe because it's a blog, it doesn't have to have facts or merit. Yes, Circuit City is struggling, and yes, Best Buy is kicking their tail. But, comparing stock prices is absolutely meaningless. And two companies can be fiercely competitive with entirely different market caps. Look at Walmart and Target. He cites "poor leadership and a host of issues that its management simply can't fix" but doesn't tell us what they are. CNet needs to put a disclaimer that reads "The author's ignorance does not reflect the ignorance of CNet or its parent company."

[drezjohnson]

Very good point. This was a poorly written article.

[JoeSilky]

I see the same trend here in our Circuit City Store. I dread going in because there is always a constant high pitch beeping from their security system that invariable drives me out. It is as if someone is following me around screeching "get out, get out". I can't imagine working in that environment.
I'm sure it?s not the beep, beep, beep of the security system that is driving all customers away at our store but rather the lack of any means of registering your concerns with management. I was simply told to get used to it and there is nothing we can do.
Shame ... but when I am looking for electronics I go to Best Buy across the street where I can shop without a constant chirping in my ear and were I don't feel as if I am attending a wake!

[madiny]

Here in NYC there is a Circuit City and a Best buy on the uper West side. The CC is always packed and the brand new best buy is still trying to lure people in. I also just saw that Circuit City is moving closer to the Best Buy in a gigantic space in very expensive real estate. Either they are making a gamble or they realize that customers need choices and not all of us can use the internet to order 40 inch TV's because we live in non-doorman buildings.

All I want is for once a big box retailor to have thier speakers hooked up so you can actually hear them. Is that too much to ask?

[bio84]

" Is Circuit City dead? " "And although some may say that it'll be a sad day when Circuit City finally follows CompUSA down the path of obscurity, I don't agree. To be quite honest, Circuit City is nothing more than a major retailer with only some of the products you're looking for at prices that aren't nearly as competitive as those online or even at Best Buy. In other words, I don't see any value in shopping at Circuit City. " This article should be called " This is why I don't like Circuit City, and I am going to compare a Computer store to the second largest Electronics store." I understand that this is your point of view, but don't speak for other people. That just shows two things. I am singled minded and this is my rave. I can read a wall street a stock report and become an insider. I should start my own blog and call it " Circuit City is red, Best Buy is blue but half of the blue knows nothing about electronics just like you." I cant. I won't, because my insider view blog would be direct reflect of my personal thoughts and feelings of my local Best Buy. Or wait, I just did. The bottom line is people want a good product at the right price. That is why Walmart and Costco have TVs. As a TV salesman it always saddens me to see a customer buy a TV just because of a price, and not because this product will serve my needs for myself and my family. I agree Circuit has made some bad mistakes, but the industry has changed. At least Circuit is trying to change its company to a new model with exceptional sales people. Did Comp USA do that? Has Best Buy done that?

[compudoc318]

Does it really matter, both circuit city and best buy are way too high priced anyway. Both hire teens with no training and pay them nothing. Look online or to other computer retailers such as frys electronics or new egg to get the right price.

[stuntman_mike]

I respect Resinger's opinion, but I think that he may have a bias against Circuit City.

He makes some valid points but made one obvious mistake. To say that Best Buy has better prices than Circuit City is wrong. I have found them to either be the same, or have Circuit City's prices be cheaper. But for arguments sake, let's assume that Best Buy's prices are better. Does it really matter? They will both match each others prices anyway, so what is the difference lol?

[Debbie Downer]

Circuit City is just horrible. An example from experience;
My family went there to get XM radio installed on our car. As we were pulling out. The kid that took our car was pulling out of the parking space and hit a pole with the bumper. The kid didnt even apologize. He was more concerned about keeping his job and asked me if he could pay for the damages himself and not say anything.
I ended up talking to the store manager and got it settled with their insurance company.
I tried to get his district/regional manager's info, but he said he only had an 800 # and to ask for the manager by name. Lot's of red tape with CC's customer service. I vowed to never shop there again.

[lnkn87]

the fact that cnet posted this article is pretty pathetic seeing as circuit city advertises on this site. Pretty much a waste of money for circuit seeing as the same site they are advertising on is demeaning them. The author also does not even take into account the turn around that Circuit has been involved in for the past year. The company changed a 30 year old management structure in a matter of 6 months. I have worked at the company for nearly four years and for the first time I am seeing changes rather than hearing about them at a store level, of course things are going to be disrupted when these big of changes are being rolled out.

[TechieGirl34]

My husband was one of the top 2000 salespeople in the company who was let go a few years back, when it was determined those commissioned employees were making too much money. I will be glad to see Circuit City go belly up. Any company that would make such a decision deserves whatever comes down the line. Did it ever occur to anyone that a commissioned employee will take better care of the customer because they want you to keep what you buy, as opposed to someone who could care less what you buy and if you end up returning it? I wonder which VP of what department got to make that decision, and if his salary is six or seven figures? Buh-bye Circuit City.... don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!

[brianwolters]

I think Circuit City has the best online/pickup experience than Best Buy. I can order online at Circuit City and it WILL be ready when I get there. At Best Buy, I usually have another 30+ wait in the store even when they say it is ready. :

[vnnguyen]

Who cares if CC has cheaper prices? Best Buy does a price match if the product you want is at a cheaper price in any local retail store. You don't necessarily have to go to CC to buy the product that Best Buy has just b/c its cheaper. Just show proof of the price and Best Buy matches it. There is no reason to shop at CC for cheaper prices unless you just prefer CC over Best Buy or if they do not carry the item.