Why not Circuit City

[Bobbles]

Customer service was a reflection of the behavior of the American consumer. Ever since around 1999, folks would visit Circuit City, pick the brains of its staff, see/touch/feel the products, and then go home (to "think" about it) and buy off of the Internet, from suppliers who didn't have to pay as many people to know about the products, didn't have to pay them to be standing by waiting for someone to come in to browse, didn't have to sacrifice stock as floor models, didn't have to deal with the added costs of paying rent in hundreds of towns and cities, but instead could build a tight, highly-controlled, warehouse operation, with staffing determined hourly based on very tight aggregate forecasts, fed orders by an automated online ordering system, offering products at a significant discount, and therefore gaining market share at B&M's expense.

Exactly! Well said.

 

[Golf4food]

Customer service was a reflection of the behavior of the American consumer. Ever since around 1999, folks would visit Circuit City, pick the brains of its staff, see/touch/feel the products, and then go home (to "think" about it) and buy off of the Internet, from suppliers who didn't have to pay as many people to know about the products, didn't have to pay them to be standing by waiting for someone to come in to browse, didn't have to sacrifice stock as floor models, didn't have to deal with the added costs of paying rent in hundreds of towns and cities, but instead could build a tight, highly-controlled, warehouse operation, with staffing determined hourly based on very tight aggregate forecasts, fed orders by an automated online ordering system, offering products at a significant discount, and therefore gaining market share at B&M's expense.

Then perhaps CC should have shed all its staff and stores and done the same...

 

[Galahad]

Customer service was a reflection of the behavior of the American consumer. Ever since around 1999, folks would visit Circuit City, pick the brains of its staff, see/touch/feel the products, and then go home (to "think" about it) and buy off of the Internet, from suppliers who didn't have to pay as many people to know about the products, didn't have to pay them to be standing by waiting for someone to come in to browse, didn't have to sacrifice stock as floor models, didn't have to deal with the added costs of paying rent in hundreds of towns and cities, but instead could build a tight, highly-controlled, warehouse operation, with staffing determined hourly based on very tight aggregate forecasts, fed orders by an automated online ordering system, offering products at a significant discount, and therefore gaining market share at B&M's expense.

Probably. I'm sure I've done that. But I've shopped CC and Best Buy and Comp-USA and others. CC seemed to be the least "together" of all of them. I will still go into Best Buy and actually buy there. I might have gone to Circuit City if they were having a sale on a specific item I'd been looking for. But I will still go into Fry's or even Best buy to "look around" - I often end up purchasing from them when I do that . Circuit City did not inspire me to do that.

 

[Charade]

Customer service was a reflection of the behavior of the American consumer. Ever since around 1999, folks would visit Circuit City, pick the brains of its staff, see/touch/feel the products, and then go home (to "think" about it) and buy off of the Internet, from suppliers who didn't have to pay as many people to know about the products, didn't have to pay them to be standing by waiting for someone to come in to browse, didn't have to sacrifice stock as floor models, didn't have to deal with the added costs of paying rent in hundreds of towns and cities, but instead could build a tight, highly-controlled, warehouse operation, with staffing determined hourly based on very tight aggregate forecasts, fed orders by an automated online ordering system, offering products at a significant discount, and therefore gaining market share at B&M's expense.

In minutes I can find out just about anything I want about just about any product out there (except for actually seeing it in person). I can find tons of consumer reviews on those products as well. I can also find the best deals online and sometimes it's at the big box stores. So armed with all this information, there's no reason even to step foot into a big box store like CC or BB. Their demise is just a sign of the times. They killed the mom and pop stores and the internet killed them.

 

[bicker]

Then perhaps CC should have shed all its staff and stores and done the same...

That's pretty-much the effect of this liquidation, and practically-speaking, the way to accomplish it.

But I've shopped CC and Best Buy and Comp-USA and others.

Circuit City lasted longer, in this area, than Comp USA did. And Best Buy never made it this this specific area.

CC seemed to be the least "together" of all of them.

It wasn't always that way. Remember, before 1990, Best Buy was not as "good" as Circuit City. In that time-frame, the two chains went in different directions, with regard to online operations. Circuit City introduced DIVX, which was a service that was ten years before its time. If the stars aligned differently (i.e., if affordable, high-speed broadband Internet was available back then), things would have been much different. Instead, Best Buy made the transition to b&m + online better than Circuit City did, focusing on selling products at lower prices, instead of innovating new services.

 

[DawnCt1]

I can't remember the last time that I bought anything at Circuit City, even though they are in close proximity to where we live. I have never found them priced competitively. There has been nothing at Circuit City that I couldn't have found cheaper elsewhere.

 

[ntsammy5]

Good point - gotta stop by and see if there are any deals though. Everyone will do that though o there won't be any deals.

As for the other bailouts, ???????. I don't know.

 

[loco4dis]

OP, I think the answer to your question is that America's bailout fever has — thank God — run its course.