RIP, CompUSA: 1984 - 2008

Days after we first reported that CompUSA could be shutting down for good very, very soon, the WSJ everybody is reporting that the beleaguered big box retailer has been sold to Gordon Brothers Group for liquidation, which will occur shortly after the holidays. Somehow we don't think it'll be too missed, but Carlos Slim's in some pain today -- we didn't realize dude put $2 billion into the chain since the late 90s. Check out the Best Buy victory rap after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Reaper @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:01PM]

The managers at the Columbia, Maryland store were computer-illiterate. We asked the store manager questions and it was like pulling teeth. Man! Our 9 year old kid knew more than they did! We would imagine it was easy to get a job at one of those places. Those stores will all go out of business soon as online companies are taking over.

[Ed @ Mar 24th 2008 12:23AM]

CompUSA forgot about the most important thing - the customer has a CHOICE where to shop (at least one less now). 3 things that made me a CompUSA hater: 1. Every price was an "after-rebate" price; it was always a pain in the butt to figure out how much something was going to cost right now. 2. The rebate process was designed to deter redemption (pronounced: "it was totally BS"). If you actually jumped through all of the hoops, they would claim they never received it, find some detail you missed, or just simply ignore it. They STILL owe me over $600 in rebates from 2004 and I have been busy ever since discouraging everyone I've talked to from shopping there (so I feel sad, but somewhat vindicated that they are going out of business). ...and 3. They promoted themselves as having knowledgeable help in the store. What they really had was a bunch of lazy teenagers (and young geeks) who didn't care about anything except the TV show or movie they were watching on the in-store screens, selling ONLY the hot POS package of the week, or just ducking the customer so they didn't have to do anything. Getting help there was always next to impossible. I also experienced the "Order for in-store pickup" fiasco. Ended up going down the street and spending $1000 with Best Buy on digital camera and accessories AFTER I had already ordered it for pickup only to be told that they don't have any in stock and didn't know anything about any order. I feel sorry for the lost jobs, but this is the result of managment arrogance that rolled dowhill al the way to the customer. If you don't mind the store and take care of the customer in a straightforward way, there won't be a store soon. Reaffirms my belief that there is truly balance in the universe.

[AlphaTeam @ Mar 6th 2008 12:44PM]

CompUSA has never really done it for me really. Constant poor service and pricing inconsistencies, I'm not surprise of their demise.

[Isaac @ Dec 7th 2007 7:15PM]

Its the end of an era. Well, I'm off to newegg.

[Cash @ Dec 7th 2007 9:26PM]

I was just thinking the same thing. Even with the outrageously high shipping costs to Alaska, CompUSA is still 20-40% more expensive then Newegg.

Can't wait to hit up the liquidation sales though... daddy gonna get himself some cheap crap this Christmas :-)

[Javi0084 @ Dec 7th 2007 9:57PM]

Cash, be sure to check the boxes to make sure your sweet gadgets are actually in there before you leave the store (*_*)

[tracy @ Dec 7th 2007 11:13PM]

Does anyone else remember Software Warehouse? (oops, I mean comp-usa!) I think that's the last time I enjoyed shopping there.

[Rususeruru @ Dec 8th 2007 12:59PM]

No kidding...

Man I hate BestBuy; that video does not help.

[NovaLand @ Dec 9th 2007 4:14AM]

Last time (1999) I went to CompUSA to buy a new computer i went out without buying anything. The reason was because the guy in there didn't want to sell me the one i wanted, but incisted on that i should buy another one (which had worse performance to a higher price than the one i wanted).

I was like "Yeah right.." and went out. So much for their help.

I wonder why their helpful personel couldn't keep the ship floating forever?

[Nick @ Dec 10th 2007 10:49AM]

CompUSA used to have a package of the week kind of thing.. where they would give the sales associates a a higher % cut of the sale if it was that package. So the sales kids would push the POS package of the week cuz they wanted more money. Customers got sick of it.. and now they are being liquidated. Sucks to be them.

[John @ Dec 21st 2007 7:58AM]

I have sat here read through everyones negative comments. CompUSA has provided alot of fun times over the past 5 years. The liquidation brings some somber times to us. My thoughts go out to all my Team members who you customers are taking your frustations out on. The rudeness of some customers to these team members who are wondering where they will find money for Februarys rent and food. Please take advantage of the liquiation priced and be show respect to the remaining faithful who are hanging in to the vry end.Again thanks to all of our team members who have worked extremely hard over the years.

[Sneakz @ Dec 7th 2007 7:16PM]

R.I.P. Never even shopped their once. I'm Canadian.

[Mark @ Dec 7th 2007 7:58PM]

ummmm k
whatev

[sgt_easton @ Dec 7th 2007 9:22PM]

you didn't miss anything. It was like taking the worst parts of officemax and best buy, and adding higher prices and horrible staff.

[Zach @ Dec 8th 2007 12:01AM]

Take a shit in your hand. You've got a value worth more then Comp USA right in the palm of your hand. It was that bad.

[Leroy Vargas @ Dec 10th 2007 9:02PM]

Me neither. Actually I first heard of CompUSA while still doing my college stint at UPRM - and the only CompUSA to come to PR came to the Metro Area; since I lived only on the opposite end of the island, and since I disliked being at the Metro Area, I never bothered to visit CompUSA. And now I'm glad the only store they opened there (barely in 2004) will be gone as well (only four years of presence!). I always bought my gadgets from either Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Sears, or K-Mart or even online from TigerDirect or Newegg.

I had a bad experience with Best Buy once. I went to buy a 1-GB SD card for my camera when they started to offer it at the then-very-low price of $70, and the card happened to be defective! Puh! I'm still married to TigerDirect. The rap video is lo-fi BTW.

[bob e @ Dec 7th 2007 7:17PM]

I'd stay clear of the extended warranties. Looks like the web site is still up.

[Andreas W @ Dec 7th 2007 7:21PM]

That is so sad, i remember buying lots of computer stuff really cheap at compusa, especially canned air, at only 1.99 per bottle at some point, compared to sweden where i live now, where a can costs at least 13$ :( You will be missed CompUSA

A

[Drew @ Dec 7th 2007 8:41PM]

Look at the bright side...
You can now buy it even cheaper now that they're going out of business! XD
We'll (kinda) miss you Comp USA!

[Jkswiss @ Dec 8th 2007 2:19AM]

Look at the bright side,
What can compare to Swedish blond bombshells?

[Reginald @ Dec 7th 2007 7:21PM]

Time to cash in on all those TAP extended warranties.

I wonder how many unexpected gadget "malfunctions" they will see in the next few weeks.

[sgt_easton @ Dec 7th 2007 9:23PM]

I used mine two weeks ago (legitmately) and good thing that I did.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Dec 7th 2007 7:24PM]

I'll miss you compusa. You were the one who sold me your display mac mini for 350 bucks. Your the one who sold me rewritable cd's for 3 bucks in a 20 pack. Your the one that had the bargain deals!!!ohhhooohhh!!!!!

[Nate @ Dec 7th 2007 7:38PM]

I really enjoyed compusa. It wasnt obnoxiously loud like Best Buy and Circuit City and finding someone to help you was not difficult. The help in my experience also knew what they were talking about.

This really sucks

[mark @ Dec 8th 2007 9:12PM]

It wasn't loud because no one shopped there. People were always available to help you because... no one else was shopping there. They're now out of business because... *drumroll* NO ONE SHOPPED THERE. Of course Best Buy is going to be noisy, it's a store that sells music, car stereos, video games, surround sound systems and televisions not including the fact that larger stores has 5000 people shop their daily. And of course associates are going to be busy because of the amount of people in the store, especially at this time of year. Since when did every CompUSA employees know what they were talking about? Every store you go in to, whether it be BBY, CC, Target, or CompUSA will have smart employees and will have people that don't know what they're talking about or what you're asking. Thats what happens when your main source of labor is high school and college students.

[dan @ Dec 16th 2007 10:24AM]

I'd say that high school and college aged kids know much more about computers than an older demographic. CompUSA had a problem-people came to them to fix a problem and buy the solution. You don't go into Best Buy assuming anyone knows anything about computers. So CompUSA would have to hire better qualified employees than Best Buy and pay them the same. On top of that, your employees are spending a larger amount of time with a customer, meaning you need a lower customer-to-employee ratio but still have to sell your product at the same price as the competition. They were doomed from the beginning.

[Joe Mars @ Dec 7th 2007 7:28PM]

I hope my CompUSA rebate is still coming...

[getz76 @ Dec 7th 2007 7:28PM]

Pretty simple. Equation:

poor customer service + high prices + no advertising + poor locations = failed business

After saying I would stay clear of them, I gave them a chance in August. I needed a new Bluetooth dongle for an install for a friend. While Newegg and ZipZoomFly had it for much cheaper, I needed it that evening. CompUSA's website told me the Midtown store had it in stock at twice the price, so I ordered it for "In Store Pickup" at 11 a.m. and then got to the store at 5:30 p.m. Guess what? Not in stock. Did I get an email telling me not to show up? A phone call? Did I even get an apology? No. Nothing. Just a, "Oh, we don't have that. You should check our other store uptown."

Punish the weak. Now, if we could just have BestBuy go out of business...

[zabador @ Dec 8th 2007 12:48AM]

Sounds like canada computers, think their related?

[carl @ Dec 8th 2007 1:04AM]

That's weird, they advertise all the time in papers 'round here.

[AL7AIR @ Dec 7th 2007 7:32PM]

I don't think that more cowbell could have saved them.

[NHAnimator @ Dec 7th 2007 7:32PM]

Major retailer liquidating + Holiday shopping season = Something to keep an eye on

[33scottie33 @ Dec 7th 2007 7:35PM]

Ouch! Double ouch! Carlos should have spent the $2 billion on Apple stock instead. In 1998 it was about $7.

Let's do the math: Theoretically, If he would have spent $1 billion to buy 143 million shares (if this were possible, which means that he could have probably bought Apple), it would be worth $28 billion today!

Like Fred Sanford would say to his son, "you big dummy!"

[rv @ Dec 9th 2007 4:47PM]

There was probably no way that that many shares would be available for sale. I'm not even sure there are that many shares in the company.

[Kris @ Dec 7th 2007 7:38PM]

Woohoo, let's kill BestBuy next. That place, in many ways, is worse than CompUSA ever was.

[David W. @ Dec 7th 2007 9:19PM]

No! They have good prices on CD's and DVD's, and their video games prices are competitive. Plus they're everywhere...if Best Buy closes then all I have are Target and Evil-Mart...not that Target is bad, but the selection doesn't even begin to care.

[mark @ Dec 8th 2007 9:01PM]

Good luck with that. Best Buys stock is $50+ and companies like CC are below $10. And why does everyone hate Best Buy? (Other than that video lol) Take a look at the dwindling competition and then back at Best Buy...

[Ian @ Dec 9th 2007 12:28AM]

because my ex works at best buy thats why i hate it!!!!

[Kris @ Dec 10th 2007 10:15AM]

Not to be a nit picker, but a company with a stock price of $500 is not necessarily more valuable than a company with a stock price of $50. Look it up.

[ahow @ Dec 7th 2007 7:41PM]

I had a gift card for there that I got from a return to a Seattle-area store. I ended having to use it in Indiana this summer since the Seattle stores closed. Looks like I used it just in time...

[portwineboy @ Dec 7th 2007 7:39PM]

There was a time, a time after Ken Gordon Productions and before Newegg, when the local CompUSA reigned supreme. When people believed everything they heard on from CompUSA salesmen. This was an age when only men were allowed to buy computers.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 8th 2007 2:12AM]

This sounds like a story a parent would read at bed time

[public @ Dec 7th 2007 7:40PM]

The WSJ link is only to a preview article. Here is one from a different source:

http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN0734134020071208

[Natedog @ Dec 7th 2007 7:45PM]

Awww, I guess it's up to BB and CC to rip off the uninformed public now. I never buy anything electronic from a B&M store unless I need it RIGHT THEN.

[Darrol @ Dec 7th 2007 7:47PM]

Bummer, I liked CompUSA because it usually had things that I couldn't find at Best Buy or Circuit City because they sold out.

[austin @ Dec 7th 2007 7:48PM]

theres one left here in atlanta.
its a standalone building in a shopping center with havertys and petsmart.
the parking lot next to havertys and petsmart is always full.
the compusa one has about 3 cars. probably employees.

[Rob @ Dec 7th 2007 7:50PM]

R.I.P. you bastards. I can't say that I'll miss them as I haven't stepped into one of their stores in over 8 years.

[Tony Bowman @ Dec 8th 2007 10:50AM]

it was worth CompUSA closing to see this video posted. i'm sure it;s old, but i hadn't seen it before.

[Christian @ Dec 7th 2007 7:56PM]

wait wait wait, so does this mean that we expect to see great sales as the store is slowly closing out?

Well maybe not great sales since sometimes the employees buys it before we do or we get the last few useless crap that's left over.

[zoomie8817 @ Dec 7th 2007 8:17PM]

When they closed all their stores in SoCal last spring, the liquidation sales weren't all that great. They had marked down items at 10, 20, 30 & 40 percent. The good stuff was only down to 10 percent...the good prices were on crap items. Newegg still had better prices.