CompUSA Closing Half Of Its Stores

[.Nut]

ChimpUSA is closing about half of its stores in the USA and Canada. WurstBuy seems to have overwhelmed them a bit in certain markets.

I stopped by one near me and they had most of everything at 20% off the regular sticker price -- though some of it was just 10% off. After a few weeks, they will probably elevate the markdown to 30% for merchandise that is not moving out the doors fast enough.

 

[P5-133XL]

I noticed that news item this last week too. I wonder what they've been doing that caused it. Anyway, it does not affect me in any way since the nearest one to my local is roughly 60 miles away.

 

[LOST6200]

As Mercurio would say this really fuking sucks! It is Not that conmpusa is so good, but there are no other coputer stores arouind heer anymore. I cant afford to maove agoin maybe to area with Frys nearby. now it will all be mail order even for ink cartrdges and paer. since ups is not open on the wekends, I guess Fedeex is only option,. so all this extra money fore shipping and drivig to teh fedex adn maybe a wekk after oder placement I can pick it up. I feel like the with continual loss opf so many bBM stores it will be like teh early 1900 wher evrythign was sears and robobuck catalog. abnd if the product is not as advertixed lor defecative returns are almost inpossible.

 

[Mercutio]

The consumerist.com site had an interesting story a couple weeks ago that suggested that senior management awarded itself some pretty massive bonuses at the end of their financial year.
Maybe their VIPs are cashing out after projections of continually dismal and worse margins and the well-known surly, anti-costumer policies at their stores.

On the other hand, I've never been in a CompUSA in the first place.

 

[ddrueding]

I used to be retail manager for the SF store, it sucked

 

[Mercutio]

Why aren't you using the Customer Appreciation Bat?

 

[Fushigi]

They closed both of the local CrapUSA stores by me last year. Funny thing was even their 'everything must go' prices weren't particularly competitive.

LOST - I get ink at OfficeMax. You get $3 off for bringing in an old cartridge. I also have a friend who works in their corporate office so I give them my business over OfficeDepot & Staples.

 

[Corvair]

...Funny thing was even their 'everything must go' prices weren't particularly competitive.

That was pretty much the same thing I experienced with the local ChimpUSA that closed.

I stopped by the first week -- mostly to see what stock was on-hand that could be of interest (and to take note of current pricing). Everything was allegedly 10% or 20% off, but nobody seemed to be buying, because pricing was still higher than pricing of same items just 3 doors down at Office Depot. I found some (overpriced) Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 mouses (at a high $69 each, before 15% discount) that I would "watch."

A week later, I show up again. Everything is the same as far as discounting goes. A wee bit of merchandise does seem to have been bought (likely by price-unconscious idiots). I leave.

Actually, I forget to stop by on Week #3. In fact, I don't remember to stop by again until Week #5! I finally show up. All the 6 of the Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 mouses were gone. I'm somewhat angry and puzzled. Most stuff is still 20% off, but a few things are 30% off. But, then I notice that everything in the keyboard / mouse / trackball department is *still* "10% off," which means that the dimwit(s) that bought all those Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 mouses paid a more than the price they were going for at some other places in town! I leave in disgust without planning to come back.

A few weeks later -- at least 3 weeks later, on a Friday night -- I just happened to glance over at the CompUSA store as I pass by and notice a giant banner across its facade proclaiming "Last 3 Days." Well, it's late and they are closed, but, I plan to show up in the morning.

I show up Saturday morning out of curiosity. I thinks, "Who knows. Maybe they are giving shit away today!" Hee hee. I walk in, and the place is a bit trashed, but surprisingly, there is still plenty of merchandise in there. Now everything is stated "At Least 30% Off." I find stuff at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% and even 70% off. Only the obvious junk is 70% off. Otherwise, the 30/40/50/60 percent discounting definitely seems haphazard in relation to its salability. I dig and search and dig some more and search some more, promising to myself not to spend more than 20 minutes in this catastrophe of a retail space.

Finally, located in the wrong damned department nonetheless, I find a nice cache of Firewire 400 Mbit and 800 Mbit cables crammed in with some notebook computer carrying cases. These Firewire cables are better cables than the ones over in the actual USB / Firewire cable department! Upon their sight, I suddenly recalled that I could definitely make use of a longer Firewire cable for my Epson Perfection 4990 Photo flatbed scanner. A couple of seconds later, Bingo! I find one 5 meter length Firewire cable with the proper full-size 400 Mbit connectors on both ends! Stated above rack: "60% Off."

So, I buy a nice, sturdy, long Firewire cable for just under $15. It works perfectly with my long-since relocated Epson flatbed scanner.

 

[Corvair]

>> I found some (overpriced) Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
>> mouses (at a high $69 each, before 15% discount) that I would "watch."

Err... I meant 10% above.

In any case, all this CompUSA rigmarole of my doing took place back in March / April of this year. The Mexican investment company that purchased CompUSA a few years ago ran it into the ground. Now, they are closing the remaining stores.

Since then (September), I bought a Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 mouse via mailorder for $35. It works great sitting or even when I'm *standing* above it. I use an ergo-bead wrist pillow behind the mouse when sitting. A fabulous mouse it is.