Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Followed thereafter by higher prices from the remaining electronics store(s), if any, in each local area.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I used to work for CC for 7 years and still have friends there. I feel bad for them about to lose there jobs.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I think Best Buy stopped caring about trying to compete with Circuit City's prices years ago so I doubt this will have an effect prices.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I've had many a "Black Friday" raid of this Store every November. It'll be sad to see em go!

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Barron's says 35,000 are going to lose their jobs now. Man... that really blows.

Tech Trader Daily - Barron’s Online : Circuit City To Close All Stores; More Than 35,000 Jobs Lost

I miss the Circuit City that I discovered when they first opened up in my area in the 1980s. It was pretty much the same enjoyable shopping experience through most of the '90s as well but for some reason they felt the need to start meddling with things a few years ago. All of the stores that opened or had been remodeled over the past few years had a "Best Buy in red" vibe that I really didn't care for. I missed the sound rooms and the higher quality electronics such as higher end Onkyo and Polk products that disappeared from their shelves for some reason.

Now is the time for Fry's to start looking at opening a store out in my neck of the woods (somewhere in the Inland Empire). I'm sure a Fry's would do well near the Victoria Gardens Mall in Rancho Cucamonga or the Ontario Mills Mall. The closest Fry's stores are about 30-40 miles away and they always seem to be packed when I shop there.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Hmmm... I suppose this means that the two year bulb protection that I purchased from CC when I acquired my Optoma HD-65 is now null and void ... *sigh*

Seriously ... I'm sorry to see them go. I've purchased an awful lot of stuff from them in the past decade (DVD players, computers, receivers, boom boxes, iPods, projectors ... even short wave radio sets!) And I always checked out their DVD specials every Tuesday.

That article linked in the first post seems to imply that Best Buy did them in. But it was really the hybrid DVD format, DIVX (spit!) that started them down this path.

Right now I'm making almost all of my electronic purchases off Amazon. And I fear for the long term viability of *any* remaining B&M.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

That protection might be via a third party that will still honor it.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

One less store for Mike & Patrick to list in the Weekly Roundup.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

As much as I hate to see a one huge electronics retailer close down, I must say that in recent years, I found shopping at CC to be a virturally futile effort. I'm a huge DVD buyer and it was miserable shopping at CC for DVDs. Racks were always an unorganized mess and you could seldom find anything that was less than a major release every Tuesday. As far as I could tell, you couldn't check online to see if a DVD was in stock at your local store, then reserve it for pickup like you can at Best Buy. I hardly shop there anymore, unless the severly undercut BBs price (which wasn't often) or there was good "DVD Bin" deals. The only thing I'll really miss them for would be price matching.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Watch for bargains? You mean after the liquidators buy everything up, double the MSRP and then put it all on sale at 50% off? Yeah, right.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Actually they'll probably start with 10% off for one week, then move to 20% and 30% off. They won't get to 50% off until the final week.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Well, aside from the fact that most of the time the liquidator raises all the prices back to their original number and starts marking down from there, with the markdowns getting steeper week by week. Theyre still allowed to make big signs that scream 50% OFF!!!! even though that price at the time might be the same or even higher than the price before the liquidation.

By the time prices actually get below what they were pre-liquidation, most of the inventory has been picked pretty clean. Except for the most dedicated bargain sleuths, liquidation sales are a ripoff.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

^ I think if you're looking for DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs or video games, you might find some OK deals. If I was looking for anything else, I'd definitely look at other stores' prices before buying.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

"The company said the sale would begin Saturday and run until March 31, pending court approval. The retailer's Web site and call center will cease to operate after Jan. 18."

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Sad to see them go. Bought my first HDTV & much more there.

Like many industries lately, the Internet has turned electronics, computers & DVD into commodities. Many people go to stores like CC, bleed the staff for info & demos, but then go home & shop for a better (and tax free) price online.

Like Will G said, racks were terribly unorganized. Stuff was wildly out of order, and the staff didn't have the passion they used to. That happened when CC let most of their senior staff go a couple years ago.

I wonder how much DIVX hurt them. I always thought it was clunky, and so did most of the other movie & music collectors I know. It's not unlike downloading and then burning to disc. Too many steps & restrictions for the average consumer.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

My nephew was an asst manager at a CC store that closed in the first round back in December, I told him, they (CC) would not make it and they shuffled him to a store in a different state and he and another guy commuted daily 75 miles one way! Now that store (all of them) is closing too. You know, before too long, this recession will effect each and every one of us I am afraid , what a way to start 2009!

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I feel awfully bad for the employees who will lose their jobs.

However, from a consumer standpoint, I never liked Circuit City.
I never felt like a valued customer when I walked in their store
and I much preferred shopping at Best Buy.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

My CC store went through the liquidation process for the last 2 months of 2008, and I never found anything worth spending money on given their discount structure (yes, it started from the very high MSRP) by the liquidators, but you never know, you might get a bargain if you look hard enough at the right time and discount level.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I've been wondering for some time how all these stores could stay in business. In the 80's and early 90's I shopped at the only 'chain' store in town - Silo. They went out of business and Circuit City came in. Then another Circuit City was built about 15 miles away. Next came Best Buy with 5 miles of the 2nd CC, then another BB almost across the street from the first CC. How can they all stay open? This area hasn't grown much in the past 10 years, but yet we get 4 stores to replace the 1.

I guess they had to keep expanding, but it seems like the area is already saturated. Somebody has to lose.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

That's what they did when they were closing my local CC last year. I walked around for 5 minutes, saw that there were no bargains to be had, and walked out. I never bothered going back.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

When the sale gets down to 50% off or more, you might be able to find the odds and ends that were in the back corners of storage that might be interesting. Stuff like out of print DVDs etc.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

When I lived in Denver (1994-2002) there were several Best Buys that opened...soon to be followed-wherever possible-by Circuit City. When I moved back to WI, there were now CCs within a few blocks of nearly every Best Buy. I NEVER understood why they didn't open stores where they would have more business to themselves, rather than competing head-to-head.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

More info available at their website:

Circuit City

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I'm kinda sorry to see them go - I've bought a ton of stuff there over the years - though not so much lately. Their staff really were trying to get on the ball of late - they always approached me to help, but I guess it was just too little too late. While I don't think the Divx debacle still affects them, I do think it was a major blunder to dump their most experienced staff. That left a bad taste in everybody's mouth. On top of that, their store here had such dim lighting it was a real drag just to go in there. I mean, it was actually a pain for my aged eyes to try to focus on the merchandise. The sunlight sometimes glared through the window so much brighter than the interior lights that I could barely distinguish anything. Talk about literal gloom reflecting their economic gloom!

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I'd be wary of making any major electronics purchases from a store in liquidation anyway. If the new $2000 TV dies two months later, you're S.O.L.
I used to very much prefer Best Buy, but now they have the muzak blaring so unbearably loud (in addition to and in competition with the home entertainment section, music section, car stereo each blaring their own sperate noise) so that I can't stand to be in the store for five minutes. I still run in for the occasional deal from them, but that's it.
I've boughten a DVD player and three Zenith DTA converter boxes from them, all working great. The second Zenith box was purchased with every intention of being returned; my coupon expired two weeks before the DTT901 came out. They let me exchange it for the new box (my third) without any hassle. Other than the abominable crowd management on Black Friday, I've always been treated well by CC.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

It seems to me CC was the first player in the large electronics/computer stores. I remember CC back when I lived in Va Beach, and I left there in 1995. But I do not recall Best Buy and CompUSA coming on the scene until sometime after I moved to Fla, so I'd say 1996 or later.

I'm reminded of DEMOLITION MAN, where all restaurants are Taco Bell. Looks like we're headed to only 1 electronics store. And while I never think it will get down to just 1, I think auto brands are going to be on the decline next.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

I think it is more than that. That would just lead to individual store closings to bring the system back to the right level of saturation. Failure of one of two has to have more significance. I suspect that what we're seeing is the fact that there isn't enough of a market out there to support competition in the b&m retail electronics business. Too few people are willing to pay too little of a premium for the ability to see and touch and thereby understand what they're buying before they buy it. I remember my last big purchase at CC -- I went in with my order form from an online retailer, showing how much I'd pay. (I actually had made the decision what to buy before even seeing it or touching it, but you get the idea.) I told the salesman to meet the price within $100 (for a $2200 television) or he wouldn't get the sale. The guy grumbled for a while (I think he ended up getting a few pennies of commission on the deal), but gave in. That's not enough to cover the added costs of rent on so many locations, transportation of stock around, etc.

I just hope folks who complain about how poor the service they get from b&m stores understand that we did this to ourselves.

I'll not miss them

While I feel bad for the employees,, I'll not shed a tear. CC played hard and fast with their employees last year if you recall, getting rid of experienced higher paid help , hiring new cheaper less knowledgeable folks to "Help" us.
The store I stopped in a few times over the years was stocked with no-nothings that made the BB crew look good! I never met a knowledgeable sales associate at a Circiut City. I guess we 'net geeks can really run circles around the help, eh? still......

Plus I still hold a grudge against them for "Masterminding" DIVX, the pay per view DVD scheme that confused the market and helped slow the introduction of DVD to countless homes. Imagine having to pay each viewing of a DVD? Yup, modem and all, so they could allow you access to the DVD content, and charge you per "view cycle"

" DIVX was a rental format variation on the DVD player in which a customer would buy a DIVX disc (similar to a DVD) for approximately $4 US, which was watchable for up to 48 hours from its initial viewing. After this period, the disc could be viewed by paying a continuation fee to play it for two more days. Viewers who wanted to watch a disc an unlimited amount of times could convert the disc to a "DIVX silver" disc for an additional fee.[1] "DIVX gold" discs that could be played an unlimited number of times on any DIVX player were announced at the time of DIVX's introduction, but no DIVX gold titles were ever released.

The status of the discs were monitored through an account over a phone line. DIVX player owners had to set up an account with DIVX to which additional viewing fees could be charged."
More here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIVX_(D..._Video_Express)

Circuit City lost over 100 million dollars on that scheme. I wonder if it hurt them in the long run? Bet they could use the money now.

Bad decisions can be with you your whole life as a company. For myself and many others, the DIVX debacle was enough to sour us forever on the company.
I never gave them a dime after DIVX.

More over, Fight Circuit City DIVX Format: Divx Hacking and Information for DIVX Players
was established to bring enlightenment to the masses.
I won't miss'em, I have Staples and Sears. k, and occasionally BB. They get most of it done for me.

Re: Circuit City closing all stores -- watch for bargains coming soon

Yep. Pogo got it right:
"We have met the enemy and He Is Us"