Circuit City fails to be wanted, will now be liquidated
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 16th 2009 10:41AM
posted Jan 16th 2009 10:41AM
[Thanks, Doug]
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Best Buy just took over. Sorry Circuit City.
Best Buy just took over. Sorry everyone.
NewEgg ftw
Geek Squad just took over. Sorry Firedog.
Soooo can we Mid-Westerners get Fry's Electronics to move out to replace circuit city? Cuz that would be pretty much awesome and would give Best Buy some competition.
I second Newegg.
And then there's always Costco.
But Best Buy is too expensive.
I equally shopped at NewEgg, BestBuy and CircuitCity, and I must say that each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Yes, even NewEgg does not have BEST prices on some equipment, and not everything is in stock all the time. Still, the real advantage that brick-and-mortar stores have over NewEgg is the absence of restocking fees. I never had a problem returning things to BestBuy and CircuitCity and always had full refund, but NewEgg often charged me a restocking fee when I didn't like some gadget and wanted to return it.
So don't say NewEgg is a panacea.
CircuitCity, on the other hand, had its strength, which for me was a good selection of HDTVs (better than BestBuy's) and better prices on HDTVs. The same applied to consumer video cameras. I am always doing weeks of research before buying something big like a TV or video camera, so trust my words.
Many people were disappointed with the stuff, service and inventory at CircuitCity locations and wish them to go down. Though I agree, some locations are crap, still, the CircuitCity close to my work (Northern Virginia) was very good, and I never had any problems with staff, service or returns.
Not to mention that BlackFriday and Christmas sales at CircuitCity were the best around, excluding only the Microcenter (which is usually super-best in sales).
So I will miss you, CircuitCity, and your great sales. You was a nice alternative to BestBuy (at least for me), and many other shops over there.
P.S. I am glad I did not buy an extended warranty for my last HDTV purchase at CircuitCity.
Yes, Newegg is not the place of wonderment and candy kisses that it once was. I do recall their early days when they really did have the best prices, the largest stock and when all their shipping was free. Nowadays, the prices are higher, shipping is no longer free and lots of stuff is out of stock.
This is not just my impression, either - if I remember right, this was announced as a strategy by Newegg. They took losses in order to build a customer base, but it was always their intent to convert that customer base to revenue later.
I suppose you can't blame them - companies are in business to make money. On the other hand, they can't blame customers for looking for the best deal and shopping elsewhere now either.
As for Circuit City, good riddance. This seems to be the cycle with electronics stores - they start out as kind of ratty places with really low prices and salespeople that are pushy but at least know their stuff, and where you go to buy things like antennas and RF modulators and video switchers and then at some point, you notice they also have really good deals on TV's and computers. And that's how they get big, but then they forget why they got big in the first place and they and expand nationwide and they raise prices dramatically, homogenize their stores (standardizing on product you can buy in any department store), fire all their best workers and hire a bunch of lackeys. (This is literally what CC did in the name of saving money.)
Radio Shack's going through the exact same thing right now. And retail is littered with past examples now no longer with us. The Wiz. Two Guys. CompUSA. Egghead. I'm sure I'm forgetting some. All followed the same pattern.
How Best Buy is making a success out of this business model, I have no idea. Hopefully they won't continue to.
Time for Bestbuy to monopolize and raise their prices!! WHAHAHAHAHA
@ Electromodo
CC has a horrible selection of HDTVs, especially compared to BBYs, well thats unless you mean on the lower end TVs because thats what CC always carried.
We've got a fry's in the western suburbs of chicago. I don't know why you'd want them to take over, their store is a crap hole of refurbished nonsense.
@Jack Storm
People usually fail to understand that CircuitCity had different stores with different inventory. Some stores were really good, while the others were not.
I shopped for 1080p HDTV (42" or higher) around Black Friday in 2007. CircuitCity next to my work in Northern VA had more models than three BestBuys around and significantly lower prices. And better sales too. The same applied to lower end TVs.
Another location of CircuitCity about 10 miles away had a significantly smaller inventory on everything, including TVs. And guess what, that shitty location was one of the first to be closed in last November.
I bought my hdtv on amazon. Free home delivery, free blu ray player, and a good 500 bucks cheaper than best buy. Also their customer service is www.thebomb.com
most def MicroCenter needs a shout
i heavily rely on them as my PC B&M and have saved me on many last minute occasions and/or jonsing
AND they often have hotter deals than the egg
only neg is the 8.625 NY sales tax
@Jay Voorhees: I can't disagree with you more. Fry's has a much wider selection and far lower prices when it comes to tech gear than any of the big box retailers. And what the hell are you talking about when you say "refurbished"? The vast majority of their gear is new.
Have you ever actually been to Fry's?
Fry's Electronics FTW!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Fry's.
No one wants Frys. They are rarely my first choice for anything.
@ all of you saying NewEgg:
As much as I like NewEgg (been using it since before it was cool) it is owned by Best Buy and always has been a Best Buy venture.
Internet buying took over. Sorry brick and mortar stores.
Can easily be done - in the UK anyway.
Yes, in NYC we buy our meat and veggies online. look up freshdirect (fairway) , dagnyc. So far it hasn't taken over the world. And I know things like webvan have failed. But in a big city I think these services can succeed.
Hell Yes! My parents used to use an organic food delivery service for nearly all of their grocery shopping. It was amazingly awesome. Only reason they stopped doing it was their ordering system sucked and looked ugly.
@EEiy: Since I can order pizza online, I'll be good for at least a month.
http://www.omahasteaks.com/
I got some meat and veggies for ya.....
Because a lot of the best and freshest food comes in the mail
/sarcasm
Just thought I'd share... liquidation is starting tomorrow! http://www.mytechwall.com/?p=244
@jjigen: Actually, you can find fresh meat and produce on the web if you know where to look. It's a bit expensive, but being in the mid-west, if I need some sushi-grade tuna, I know where to go. Certain produce is really expensive here (like artichokes) so to get it fresh, the web is the best place.
www.busybuggy.com
cheap and easy. great service, while they're at it.
Tuna farms took over canned tuna. Sorry Charlie.
A boring tuna just took over, sorry Slap-Chop(tm).
That was awesome.
I wonder if tigerdirect will swoop in to buy them up?
As if anyone else was thinking about lining up in front of whatever stores remain to buy (or shoplift) out the inventory at deep discounts. I wonder if they'll tolerate haggling now that the company's got no will to live...
Tragic. But thanks for the warning - just used up the Circuit City gift card sitting on my desk.
There liquidator companies are crooks.I use to work for compusa and the liquidator company wouldn't even give a descent discount to compusa employees.I was there to the end and there wasn't any bargains.Never cheaper than online pricing.
Good riddance to bad rubbish...
So wait, will they liquidate at the actual physical stores, or is this inventory being purchased by the four different capital groups? I want to know who I have to hit up for a new car stereo...
What does this mean for our stores in Canada called "The Source by Circuit City"? Are they all closing too?
I'm just glad they took over all the silly Radio Shacks.
I hope they take the damn beeping door thing with them. It's The Reason I never shop at their stupid stores; I get screamed at by a stupid buzzer every time I open the door.
I manage a Source By Circuit City in Ottawa, Canada, and want to assure you that we are not closing our doors, we are in talks with a few potential buyers and will release news on Jan 23rd. We run our business differently than Circuit City (we do not focus on HDTV's) and we are profitable. Its really sad to see Circuit City go under, but Intertan (the company that ran Radio Shack in Canada and now the Source) will be open for business as usual.
I thought it was odd that they literally just built a new store near me in the last year, considering the troubles they were having just then. Now I expect even that brand new store will be liquidated and shuttered.
yea I know of atleast 2/3 brand new stores in my area. Nice stores too.
2/3 of a store is brand new? Is that a toad in your pocket?
just messin'
Sorry BEST BUY but as long as I have a Fry's I don't need ya!
IN case you didnt know, it appears you didnt, that Fry's is the SAME corporation and as Best Buy.
@ImaYam
Actually Fry's isn't, Fry's is a private company, no investors to answer to everything is kept within the Fry family.
ImaYam, what are you talking about? Fry's is owned by the Fry's family, not Best Buy.
Fry's may be less expensive but it is not a quality company. If there is something that may need to be returned or exchanged I prefer to deal with Best Buy.
Circuit City was awesome. :( Always get great deals there. Only thing I hated was the set up of the stores and the salesmen. I've bought an HD camcorder, LCD TV, Xbox 360, car stereo and more there all because they had the best sales. Best Buy sucks big time. Frys seems to be the only worthwhile b&m store as the others price themselves completely out of the competition.
Let me pour out one for the fallen.
Drink up, my homies.
say what you want about cc. but my customer satisfaction way surpasses that of bb. where i live. there's no such thing as a knowledgable sales associate at bb. and when a company doesn't return an item that don't work just becuase it comes with software is bull. pc's, printers, scanners, cameras, they all come with software and are gladly refundable. tvcards. NO WAYYYY. i have been way more happier with cc. guess google gets my business now.
i work at bb... we take back tvtuner cards.
dunno mate, sounds like you got shitty help.
the cc across us sucks balls for service, everyone tells us that. guess it just depends on where you live.
Google doesn't sell anything. Try again.
I already to buy meat and veggies online, isn't that what site to store is for?
RIP outdoors...
So can the (rare) people you see in person actually see your veins/muscles/organs through your skin or do you still have some residual melanin?
Was responding to EEiy, you'll have to ask him as he delivers them to me.
I hope that we see some better deals then the last round of store closings. What a complete joke that was, most of the prices were higher in the closing store then the CC store that was staying open on the other side of town.
Your face needs to be liquidated.
So what does that mean if you have an extended service contract for items purchased at Circuit City? Are the warranties serviced through a third party?
Very likely not, sorry.
Actually, they are indeed covered through a third party, so that means your warranty will still be good.
All extended services and warranties are covered by a third party and are not affected by Circuit City closing.
The bad thing about liquidation (besides the store going out of business) is the prices go up then they take off the percentage some items are actually more at first. I say stash what you can away now.
Micro Center FTW!
+1
Wait! What does this mean will happen to everyone with DIVX players?
So long........
For the record, I have never brought anything from CC anyway. now I almost feel a little guilty reading this news.
I will never leave my house again.
Just speaking of the Circuit City stores near where I have lived over the past several years, they started out having way better television sections than Best Buy. They also beat BB on just about any music CD I was looking for. However, during that time, the CC stores never really changed. They brought in a Verizon Wireless kiosk and added Firedog (in response to BB's acquisition of Geek Squad), but the stores were essentially the same. I have seen BB stores add major appliance departments, capitalizing on the real estate boom. BB expanded its television and computer sections significantly. The BB closest to where I live now added the Apple "shop" and a musical instrument section. Circuit City just did not do much of anything.
I agree about CC not changing much, but I think it's because they didn't want to go back to their old business plan. CC's used to sell major appliances, washer/dryers, refrigerators... just like Best Buys (which always had them from the get go down here in Florida). But I guess they decided to consolidate and just focus on electronic entertainment.
I do like the M22, just wish it was touch screen.
Well, Here's to unemployment. I'll soon be joining the 2+ million americans without a job.
To those loyal CC customers, thanks for your support. I worked my tail off to give you the best customer experience you could ever want. To those of you hating, you never entered my store...
All my best,
Stew M.
It's a shame how people judge a retailer off one experience with a crappy employee. Just because you get one bad apple doesn't mean the tree is bad. With that said, I've had some horrible experiences at CC.
How many jobs does that add to the unemployment line? I feel for those people.
Roughly 35,000 jobs will be lost when the sun officially sets post liquidation.
SB Capital -- that is Schottenstein Bernstein who also liquidated Nobody Beats The Wiz.
Anyone know when the sales will start?
I have worked at Best Buy about 7 years and its sad to see CC go. Don't get me wrong, this will be better for business, but I feel for the 35,000 employees, that will now be forced out of a job in this tough economy. There are few places hiring, and the unemployment rate is already the highest it has been in almost 16 years.
There are many shopping options, and now its more important than ever to have a great shopping experience. I am sure CC will have a good closing sale, but buyer beware, a liquidation company is NOT an authorized reseller, meaning you lose your factory warranty (same thing happened with products at The Good Guys when stores closed). Good news, the extented service plans are actually covered by a different company, for Best Buy its AIG warranty services, meaning you will still be able to get your items repaired.
I just lost my job...
Hello liquidators...
I remember the first time I went to a circuit city and I just said: WOW! hoo my..
Wow. Just...wow. I can hear Requiem being played from yonder hilltops.
It is sad to hear so many people will be losing their jobs. Good luck to all of you. Sometimes these things are blessings in disguise.
Maybe FRYS can expand when they get all of that embezzled capital back?
Maybe i'll get another MicroCenter around here at least.
NEWEGG Stores finally?
Firedog gets replaced with EGGHeads. Hmm, Egghead software is still around
EGGHEDZ then.
Then they can sell us EGGZtended Warranties.
Can ANYONE tell me WHY Walmart is buying up leases?
Are there any CC's big enough to house a Walmart?
I haven't seen one in 7 states that big.
NewEgg tried retail once before - they were Egghead software........
Not to mention NewEgg is not the best. Personally, I like Micro Center (better prices too) and Fry's.....
not because Walmart wants to put stores there, but because they have capital to buy up the land from the potential competition... Companies like Walmart and McDonald's have whole real estate departments that look for vacant retail space or potential new expansion often buying up quite a bit of land 5-10 years in advance, knowing a new mall or highway exit might open up. Those companies don't make money from "products" anymore... they make their money selling "space" and "eyeballs" to all the other companies that want to be in their shadow.
NEWEGG was not Egghead software.
Don't argue, just go verify it for yourself.
You apparently haven't seen Neighborhood Walmarts in those states then.
There are a few in Indianapolis, which carry mainly grocery items and other goods you normally find in grocery stores. They benefit from Walmart's pricing and supply chain, but run with a smaller store footprint.
i wish best buy would go out of business too....
time to get me a new tv. awww yeah.
www.failblog.org
LOLshops
Thank you. Now I have another way to waste my life.
My experience has always been much better at CC than BB. I dont really care about pre-sale customer service since i do my reasearch online before i step into a store for a product. CC's friendly-no-q's-asked return policy and BB's sucky one ensured I was at CC 95% of the time. Needless to say, I kept 90% of the stuff I bought, but return policy is a key criteria of where I shop.
That said, lately CC had fewer n fewer products and deals. So its really been a while since I bought anything substantial from CC. GO Amazon and Costco!!
But I will miss ya CC. Best of luck to all of you who work(ed) there!
90% of my shopping is done online, cheaper then the store delivered to your door, no tax, no shipping, no lines, no pressure to purchase things you dont need, no lying about products, no person assuming I am a thief checking my receipt when I leave the store, no mile long walk from the parking lot, no 1000% markup, i could go on.....10-30% cheaper or I don't buy a few days later its at my doorstep. Its 2009 adapt or go extinct I just can't wait til some company gets online grocery shopping right bring the milkman back : ) I feel sorry for those that don't take advantage of their PCs and internet. Its truly made my life easier but alas many people are duped by marketing and "sales" These big boxes want uninformed uneducated customers which I am not.
Fire all your competent loyal hard workers,
then give $1000000 retention awards to executive vice-presidents
This is just the first domino as we are certainly going to see hundreds of thousands of retail jobs eliminated this year as other chains go under. Sears comes to my mind as another likely casualty.
I bought an HDTV last year with a 5 year warranty from Circuit city. Can anyone tell me what is going to happen with the warranty? Is it now completely worthless?
Your warranty is served through a third-party company - it's still good.