CompUSA rises from dead, attacks Florida

CompUSA died a sputtering, inglorious death, but Ohio-based Systemax (which owns TigerDirect) didn't shell out $30M to pick up the pieces for nothing: it's just announced that it's re-opening 15 US stores and opening a new one, 13 of which are in Florida. We're not sure why the Sunshine State faces the brunt of CompUSA's angry zombie wrath -- do retirees enjoy being ripped off?* -- but Texans and Puerto Ricans can join in the fun with four stores of their very own. These are all apparently open now -- anyone brave enough to check out the scene?

*Rejected asides: "Is this punishment for that Pitbull record?" "Guess you don't need braiiiiiins to pay these prices!" "Screw you, Mickey!"

[Thanks, Steven]

[Ted Brown @ Apr 24th 2008 9:09PM]

It's about 10 times better than it was before, since it's basically Tigerdirect in a retail establishment. Also some stores have been open for two months now.

[Seth @ Apr 24th 2008 9:17PM]

I live in Florida and the CompUSA was closer to me then an Apple store since I live in East Central Florida.

[Dave @ Apr 24th 2008 9:39PM]

I second that, basically it's now like a TigerDirect, but in a retail store. I just hope they employ a more competent workforce this time around...

[Mr.Tech @ Apr 24th 2008 11:03PM]

This article finally explain why TigerDirect carries stupid crap like Systemax.

[Chuckles McGee @ Apr 25th 2008 12:05AM]

Compusa- "Our Prices Can Be Beaten!"

[Ryan Trevisol @ Apr 25th 2008 7:12AM]

Actually it's kind of cool. The stores remind me of Compusa 10 years ago, no consoles, a PC Games and gaming hardware, and loads of computer hardware.

Can anyone confirm that they're axing the HT portion of the store? Cause the one I went in had some pretty tempting prices on flatscreen TVs.

[Ghen @ Apr 25th 2008 8:54AM]

It can only be better than before. I worked at a CompUSA. Management and inventory control were non-existent. We had a room in the back FULL TO THE CEILING with video cards and other products with volatile pricing. And my store manager was an alcoholic who left at 10:00AM 4 days a week to sit at the bar in the restaurant next to the store.

yeah, anything is better.

[OneLove @ Apr 25th 2008 1:52PM]

That should read "CompUSA rises from dead, attacks Florida!"

[Ryan Trevisol @ Apr 25th 2008 2:14PM]

Wait a minute, Ghen, was that the one in Deerfield Beach? Because it sounds about like that store, and my neighbor owns the bar next door. Maybe he was going for the Portobello Cheese Steak?

[MisterFuhrman @ Apr 24th 2008 9:10PM]

I saw the old CompUSA off 75 in Plano, Texas, the other day and it looked like it was open. I was very confused, but this explains it.

I actually liked CompUSA a lot, but I'm not a big fan of TigerDirect, so I'll probably stay away.

[khrokon @ Apr 24th 2008 9:19PM]

The plano store has only been closed for maybe 2 weeks it seems, I went in and they Had one salesman and one cashier and no customers other than myself. Its very empty, think about tigerdirect.com like that it does not have the small gadgety stuff. Large boxes only PC's and TV's
very few smaller items, keyboards were minimal and mice aslo. no movies, no games, no cell phones,no printers, no software. was sad really I went again 2 weeks ago not much has been updated, I hope they change it soon, I like the store but Plano has Frys one block up and the busiest Bestbuy in the country 2 blocks down the road, and a slow circuit city across from that...very competitve in the plano area !

[MisterFuhrman @ Apr 24th 2008 9:41PM]

Ahh, in was in the throes of death then. I thought they had all closed down some time ago. I agree, those few square miles in Plano are saturated with great electronics retailers.

[byaah @ Apr 24th 2008 10:08PM]

Haha, I drove by it the other day and got confused as well. This explains it.

[Taylor @ Apr 24th 2008 11:51PM]

yup, drove by last week and saw that it was open. Don't have the heart to give it a second chance though. Maybe some day I'll peek in for a look out of curiosity.

[dos @ Apr 24th 2008 9:11PM]

Systemax is a pretty awful company, their Tiger Direct retail stores in Florida are run like swap meets and the employees treat customers like garbage.

Also everything they sell there is junk and/or a year outdated and overpriced. Avoid.

[miyagi @ Apr 24th 2008 9:31PM]

We have a Tigerdirect store nearby and I really like it. The prices are generally very close to newegg prices and I can pick things up that day instead of waiting for it to ship. The store is a little hectic (it's usually very very busy) but I tend to avoid employees as I know what I want and am pretty informed about what I'm looking at.

[linoge @ Apr 24th 2008 9:43PM]

yea i went to the tiger direct store in mall of Americas
service was horrible and every single employee was a complete douche
like it was a freaking requirement
however i went to compusa and was pretty surprised
prices really went down and service was pretty good

[Sabi @ Apr 24th 2008 9:13PM]

sweet compusa is awesome

[jason_wuhan @ Apr 24th 2008 9:14PM]

不好意思，再次修改头像
sorry

[LiqwidZero @ Apr 24th 2008 9:20PM]

Apology accepted.

[Tony Rayo @ Apr 24th 2008 10:47PM]

My kanji is pretty weak, but I think you said something along the lines of "This is not a good idea. Even if they destroy and then rebuild, it will only attract the lower-end (class) of people".

I know that is probably somewhere between a 0 - 5% correct answer, but it may explain why you apologized. Or perhaps you said sorry for saying this on the English Engadget site instead of the Japanese one.

[M Burke @ Apr 24th 2008 11:25PM]

um... uh... I'm pretty sure that's Chinese, hence the name "Wuhan" and the lack of katakana or hiragana in the post. But you're probably right about the content... though Babel Fish is much more poetic:

"Embarrassed, revises the head picture once more"

[Fed @ Apr 24th 2008 9:27PM]

As a Florida boy I have never been more than 10-15 minutes from a CompUSA. They come in handy when you need obscure computer parts.
Plus I just hate BestBuy

[Andrew @ Apr 24th 2008 9:29PM]

I was hoping one of the "new" locations would be in Tallahassee. We used to have one about five minutes from me. Not that I'd buy anything from them, but I'd check them out just for funsies.

[Aaron @ Apr 24th 2008 9:30PM]

Just went to the "new" CompUSA at lunchtime today. There are some nice deals going on now. Picked up a Garmin 200W widescreen GPS for $189.

[Chris @ Apr 24th 2008 9:38PM]

One is still open here in Denver- I went there a month ago, stood for 15 minutes at the desk they store the memory in, and then went to Best Buy. Horrible customer service.

[supermanjr @ Apr 24th 2008 11:03PM]

Hey Zelda's Man...
Is there a "Denver" in Texas, Florida or Puerto Rico...

http://www.compusa.com/retailstores/compusaStores/index.asp

HELLO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chris @ Apr 25th 2008 2:46PM]

Hey supermanjr....

I SAID I WENT A MONTH AGO!!!!! Try to keep up.

[Jeremy @ Apr 24th 2008 9:43PM]

I live in the same city as the new store (not an old CompUSA store), and I have to say I was pretty impressed. I was looking at the prices for Hard Drives and network plugs and it's not that bad (compared to Best Buy). While it certainly can't beat Newegg's prices, it is reasonable if you need to go and get some computer parts that you would otherwise need to ship. This store actually had a turnstile (!) to get in, which I had never seen before at a CompUSA, but they had motherboards out in the open. Other than that, a very quiet, modest store. No more greeters and not very flashy compared to their other stores. Missing Apple stuff, but I have an Apple store much closer to where I am. I would probably buy their networking equipment, because shipping that stuff is just ridiculous (paying $5 shipping on a $3 makes no sense to me if you can just pay $5 for it in the store).

[robothouse @ Apr 24th 2008 9:48PM]

What exactly have they changed that would make me want to go back there? Last time I set foot in a Comp USA, it was a frightening experience.

[Craig B. @ Apr 24th 2008 9:54PM]

Frightening is an understatement. When did it close? I was in CompUSA just like 10 days ago, maybe less. Obviously many here can attest that the word "useless" to describe employees, is, by far, a compliment. Notice I said "employees" and not "sales associates."

[Adrian Williams @ Apr 24th 2008 9:52PM]

Tiger direct really need to open a store INSIDE Chicago maybe even around Microcenter

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 24th 2008 10:23PM]

EXACTLY! I don't know if you guys are to stupid to see that my name and avatar give out that I'm from Chicago, but I am and it'd be really nice. Can't find any good computer stores around the area since compusa closed down its stores 2 years ago. Compusa actually closed down Illinois first. It was probably the best computer store around here. OPEN ONE HERE OPEN ONE HERE

[jerry @ Apr 24th 2008 10:00PM]

The compusa down the street from me opened back up 2 weeks ago and it 1000 times better. The employees (some of them) know what they are talking about the the stuff is cheaper than compusa ever could have dreamed of being! They had a "pc building" competition last weekend (through a couple of components in a box and boot it) I actually won a 32 toshiba flat screen!!!

[antiver @ Apr 24th 2008 10:01PM]

I'm still going to *shop* at Fry's and then actually *buy* from newegg.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 24th 2008 10:24PM]

Fry's pwns...

[JeffM @ Apr 24th 2008 11:21PM]

Weird- I usually do the exact opposite. Shop at Newegg, buy at Fry's. I have to pay sales tax on either one so the prices are usually give or take over all the parts that comprise a full system.

[Luis Menendez @ Apr 24th 2008 10:03PM]

Ok, I live in Florida,

First, thank you so much for the insults. Second, I know CompUSA was not the best thing but at least you could get a good deal once in awhile. Third, I have purchase often on TigerDirect.com and have not had any bad experience so far, and their prices are good enough for me. If the new CompUSA is going to be like TigerDirect online, I'm in. In fact I'm going over my closest store this weekend to check the prices on the now re-open CompUSA.

Lastly, Floridians as well as Texas and Puerto Rico people all have brain and we shop wherever we want. Thanks.

[Chaj @ Apr 24th 2008 10:09PM]

Brain power? Too bad the 'Floridians' don't know how to vote... Think you guys can get it right this year? ;-)

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 24th 2008 10:25PM]

I'm an Illinoisianinien..en I think..

[IndiaTech @ Apr 25th 2008 4:06AM]

Illinoisianinien... That is what Barack Obama calls his zit...

[iczer2 @ Apr 25th 2008 9:02AM]

We did get it right. Too bad Dem's don't know how to count. ;-)

[Travis Pulley @ Apr 24th 2008 10:04PM]

I just went to the one in fort myers to get a replacement power supply after mine blew up the previous night. It was the only place around even open on a saturday and they were pretty good. Had a decent selection of stuff and there was a good degree of competence to be found.

[Edwin @ Apr 24th 2008 10:06PM]

I live in Puerto Rico and let me tell you, i don't even know why they closed compusa, the stores here where always full. Anyway, im going to check out the new store to see how it is.

[Jack Storm @ Apr 24th 2008 11:19PM]

because that and radio shack was all that was there, now at least bby and cc opened up. the bby there is amazingly big and cool

[urutoraman @ Apr 24th 2008 10:09PM]

I live near CompUSA Plantation, FL. When they opened it looked like crap. Went back 2 weeks later it was better:
They have a whole section for PC Builders: cases, motherboards, processors and cooling accesories. They even carry Power Supplies you couldn't get if it not online.
Only complaint is that there are lots and lots of brown boxes = REFURBISHED stuff. And NO SOFTWARE.

[Carlos L Guadalupe @ Apr 24th 2008 10:10PM]

Here in Puerto Rico the store has been opened for around two or three weeks and it looks almost the same as the old CompUSA only with some new stuff like cables, accessories and Visio TVs. But the official Re-Opening is tomorrow.

[Josh @ Apr 24th 2008 10:18PM]

Based in Ohio? Their manufacturing division is, but their world headquarters is in Port Washington, NY on Long Island.

[Drew @ Apr 24th 2008 10:21PM]

I used to work for CompUSA in Richmond, VA and the other employees weren't all douchebags...most, ya. I sold digital cameras which I knew about and PDAs which I had never even used before I started. I gave myself a crash course in PDAs, no company training was ever offered. So yeah, the employees sucked just as much as the management. Hopefully it will be better but I mean we're still talking about some guy working at CompUSA of course he going to try and act superior otherwise he cry to sell computers.

[eugene @ Apr 24th 2008 10:25PM]

gods... I always thought that the people who worked their were zombies and now I know why... even the store itself is some sort of undead monster.