Circuit City to offer same price in stores, on Web
By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
RICHMOND, Va. -- Circuit City Stores Inc. has started offering the same prices in its stores as on its Web site in an effort to beef up its rapport with customers in hopes of increasing store traffic and sales, the company said Tuesday.
Retailers sometimes offer different prices on Web sites and in stores, though some retail consultants say such practices can make customers less trusting when they find out about them.
The move comes as the nation's No. 2 electronics retailer heads into a crucial holiday shopping season that could determine its future, amid a weak consumer spending environment that has even the least vulnerable retailers worried.
"(It's) no secret this holiday season is probably one of the most important ones in our history as a company and with these equities in place, we feel pretty good about it," Jeff Maynard, Circuit City 's vice president of marketing, said in an interview with The Associated Press.
"At the end of the day, what this is all about is trust. When consumers look at this promise ... I think they will be very impressed with the prices that we're putting out there."
Under the new "One Price Promise" policy, the company will automatically charge the same price through all of its sales channels, which also include a call center.