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Yeah I saw this today. I plan on visiting their liquidation sales.

Electronics like that sold in CC are #1 near-commodity products and #2 often luxury or non-necessity purchases for consumers. When money gets tight, then only the vendors with the most razor-thin margins and the absolute best business model will survive.

I'm surprised CC lasted as long as they did. They did try and re-invent themselves somewhat and absorbed some service-based businesses trying to keep the doors open but in the end, Fry's, Best Buy, the internet, and Wal Mart are always going to win this battle.

Question is, who will be the next to fall? Fry's or Best Buy?

mr.72 wrote: Question is, who will be the next to fall? Fry's or Best Buy?

IMO Fry's. They used to have really good deals across the board, but seems they have gotten higher in price generally lately. I have also seen they are not good (at least in the Plano store) of keeping their inventory up. There are items in the electronic component section that have hooks that have been empty for weeks or months before being restocked. These are not 'fast moving items' and I doubt the supplier is out, think they just don't restock as often as they should to keep the inventory volume at a minimum. The only thing that might keep Fry's alive is their Internet side subsidizing the retail stores.

Yep, My middle son works as a computer tech in the Bedford store. I told him to start looking now and not wait for the store to close.

The economy is going to get worse before it gets better.

atxgun wrote:Yeah I saw this today. I plan on visiting their liquidation sales.

Did you also see the caution about big ticket items and possible lack of warranty?

Oldgringo wrote:

atxgun wrote:Yeah I saw this today. I plan on visiting their liquidation sales.

Did you also see the caution about big ticket items and possible lack of warranty?

If I could save $300 on a thousand dollar item I'd be willing to take that bet. As for "extended warranties" those are for suckers anyway. I went today, but saw no kinds of deals. I'm sure prices will go down as time goes on, the tricky part is finding the right moment before everything gets snatched up.

In most cases, the warranty comes from the manufacture, not the store. The extended warranties are a different story.

Keith B wrote:

mr.72 wrote: Question is, who will be the next to fall? Fry's or Best Buy?

IMO Fry's. They used to have really good deals across the board, but seems they have gotten higher in price generally lately. I have also seen they are not good (at least in the Plano store) of keeping their inventory up. There are items in the electronic component section that have hooks that have been empty for weeks or months before being restocked. These are not 'fast moving items' and I doubt the supplier is out, think they just don't restock as often as they should to keep the inventory volume at a minimum. The only thing that might keep Fry's alive is their Internet side subsidizing the retail stores.

Fry's will probably survive as the inventory carrying cost is what eats into profits. The Fry's store in Arlington has good deals but generally they have less than 5 of each item. Less inventory, less cost, more profit.

Whenever I went to CC they had a ton of floor stock, the same with Best Buy; when you buy a large inventory of electronics (items that by nature devaluate on a weekly basis) you are economically doomed if you do not keep sales high.

CopOnce wrote:In most cases, the warranty comes from the manufacture, not the store. The extended warranties are a different story.

The point, apprently left unmade, was that there would be no place to which the item could be returned if, or when, it failed to function; otherwise, Caveat Emptor.

Even though I don't like that they are going out of business, I probably contributed to their demise. I haven't bought anything from Circuit City for several years. I found their selection to be limited, overpriced and I was not satisfied with the service/knowledge of the sales staff. The last time I went into their store, there were three or four employees standing around shooting the breeze while I was trying to get their attention to ask a question. When I finally did, I determined that they didn't know their product any better than I.

I liked going to CompUSA to buy some stuff and was disappointed when they closed their stores.