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Thoughts on how Circuit City's absence will affect tech deals on Black Friday?


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Posted

2007 was the last year for CompUSA and 2008 was the last year for Circuit City.

 

With Best Buy being the only national electronics chain left for BF deals, how do you think this will affect tech deals on BF?

 

Will Best Buy "take it easy" knowing their main competition is gone, or will the other major stores that carry electronics and computers (Walmart, Sears, Target, office stores, warehouse clubs, etc...) create enough competition to keep the deals coming?

 

And how will the online shopping aspect of things affect the deals, especially considering there are so many places online to get tech deals?

Posted
I haven't missed CC or CompUSa and haven't set foot in Best Buy in months, usually look online and last year did nearly all my shopping that way. Last year even Walgreens didn't have enough of an ad to draw me out early.
Posted

I know there are those crazed "for the rush" fans out there, but considering last year's tragedy at Walmart and add to it that I haven't set foot in BB for well over a year, I think lots more shoppers will go online for the BF deals. Target actually posted on their site (when CC closed) that they shoppers could expect great deals from them in hopes of giving customers a new place to buy electronics (better deals than usual?)

 

I think BB will keep on doin' what they're doin' and lure people with their $99 laptops (exagger.) and push their "but you really need this $2k laptop!" :yuck:

Posted

The CC brand and website was bought and the website was reactivated. I am sure they will have some sales on their website on BF for those who like to shop online.

 

I have only shopped at CC a couple times on BF but it as for movies and later in the day. Do not go to BB at all on BF. I rarely shop at BB anyway.

Posted
I absolutely hated CC. Could never get anyone to help you even though there were plenty of employees standing around. The rebates were horrible and other stores will price match so I never shopped there. I usually shop online and I don't think I have ever bought anything from BB.
Posted
I think other retailers will offer good deals on electronics to draw shoppers into the stores or their online sites in hope they will make additional purchases.
Posted

I know there are those crazed "for the rush" fans out there, but considering last year's tragedy at Walmart and add to it that I haven't set foot in BB for well over a year, I think lots more shoppers will go online for the BF deals. Target actually posted on their site (when CC closed) that they shoppers could expect great deals from them in hopes of giving customers a new place to buy electronics (better deals than usual?)

 

I think BB will keep on doin' what they're doin' and lure people with their $99 laptops (exagger.) and push their "but you really need this $2k laptop!" :yuck:

I don't know how wide spread the Walmart knowledge is though. It never made it on the news where I live. Anyone I talked to I was the only one who knew about it. So I don't how bad that is going to affect this year.

 

I think this year will be a fight for which store will get the tech shoppers to shop with them. How good the deals will be is still up in the air.

Posted
I've been using Office Depot for computers. Risley's for TV's and gamecrazy for video games. BB was great but I've found better deals everywhere now.
Posted

Loving the fact Target now does competitor adjustments. Will help on BF (glad as Walmart was the only one doing it).

 

I'll miss CC. I usually bought there as they weren't as crazy on BF as Best Buy

Posted
I think on the things that BB will have to compete with the mass retailers (TVs, low end home audio, low end computers) they will be very competitive. On areas where they pretty much own the brick and mortar business (computer upgrades, medium-high end computers, high end audio, etc.) I look for them to not have as good a deals as they have ion years past.
Posted

The circuit city website is not run by circuit city. One of the large online retailers bought the website, and it has the same stuff as all of their others.

 

I do miss CC- won't set foot into our BB. I don't go there on BF, but do use their ad for a LOT of my pricematching. They have similar, but different items, so I match off of both and always get what I need. For example, the BB ad may show some wii games, but the CC shows different ones. Widens my selection.

Posted
Well, I do miss Circuit City but we still have Compusa here and they added a HHgregg store so I'm pretty sure that competition still remains, at least in the Tampa Bay area, for Best Buy especially since they are down the street from one another.
Posted

BB could get some in-store competition, but it'll be across several retailers who only offer certain portions of the consumer electronics market. Even with that said.... I think they'll need to have something to draw people in.

 

Their online store competition won't change since virtually all of the big e-tailers are still out there.

Posted

Well, I do miss Circuit City but we still have Compusa here and they added a HHgregg store so I'm pretty sure that competition still remains, at least in the Tampa Bay area, for Best Buy especially since they are down the street from one another.

CircuitCity.com got bought out by Systemax. Systemax owns TigerDirect.com and they bought out CompUSA / compusa.com when they went out of business too. They shut down almost all the B&M CompUSA's and only kept a few to be their "TigerDirect stores with the CompUSA name"

 

For the majority of the country, having both of these large stores shut down hurt the consumer :(

Posted
Don't forget about hhgregg .. they are getting just as big as Best Buy where I live. And Staples, Office Depot and Office Max all sell computers, and Sears and JCPenney both sell appliances - so they will still have competition. And CompUSA has reopened here in NC as an outlet - I think it's the same company that bought the Circuit city website - cause their websites look identical!
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
If anything, the lines at Best Buy will be somewhat longer than usual due to Circuit City's absence. In my area, Circuit City was never crowded, unless it was for something like PS3, Nintendo Wii, or XBOX 360. A few weeks ago, a company called P.C. Richard & Son opened in Circuit City's place and still...very few customers.
Posted
I think if anything, the deals will be better online, though, I don't think BB will be as cheap, and it is the only electronics retailer here in New Orleans. If I purchase any electronics this year, which I'm not planning, will be online, unless Walmart has some great, gotta have deal.
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

I bought online for the first time for BF last year and one of the places I shopped was Circuit City.

 

I don't think that CC's absense will affect Best Buy as much as other factors (the economy, and how many people aren't shopping for TV's after the switchover to HD.)

 

I think that there will be deals, but not to a point that as many people will get overly excited.

Posted
CompUSA, Tiger Direct and Circuit City are all Systemax with good sales usually but usually refurbished or "certified" items. I prefer to buy new and have the option for warranty on my electronics. In the range of electronics there is no other big store in the area but yes I think other stores will try to fill the gap which would make things a little harder without online shopping. I'm not sure how I'll do it this year, I don't need lots but the few items I did want to pick up will be electronics (large screen tv and laptop).Radio Shack and Best Buy had free shipping online last BF so I may try them first depending on adds but B&M-wise i'm not looking forward to this year. It's been a tradition for so long but year after year it either gets worse or my patience is fast dwindling and at times has been more of a hassle than the pleasure it used to be. Safety is definitely an issue I don't think about at the time but realistically it seems as time goes by people get a little quackier. Just yesterday a lady lit herself on fire at a local mall not sure what over or if she survived. With customer service failing on regular days I can't imagine what it will be like on BF when both the customers and sales ppl will be hectic. I've been looking at ads recently and considering if its worth waiting for BF or just get stuff now. The only thing keeping me from doing so is that I don't need either thing and would prefer to get the best spec at the best price. I took Thankgiving week off work and can camp if necessary to get an an awesome deal but would rather not, just wish the sales were out so I knew what I was working with or against :)
Posted
Best buy will probably have to bring the rain, since there are so many online retailers that will be more than happy to cut their prices to drum up business based on a best buy ad... plus ultimate electronics is selling household appliances which is another big competitor of best buy
Posted
Not sure what to expect this year. I never did Black Friday at CC, but BB had to be on their toes to stay ahead of them. Last year we were first in line again at BB, but got out of line Thanksgiving day when there were no secret sales. I am hoping Wal-Mart will give BB a run for their money with the higher quality electronics they now carry, and we will have some success with our yearly camp out. I think, all in all, BB exec's would be most worried about WM this year, which could lead to something amazing.
Posted
I always liked Circuit City, but disliked the check-out process. There was only like one or two registers, lol. But I did always find great deals. I had bought a $300 laptop about two years ago(still have it and my son loves it) on BF and I got the Wii the FIRST DAY online with Free Shipping, something BestBuy rarely does. I never had a problem with rebates. When a new movie was released, a lot of times you could find they had it for a dollar or two cheaper than everyone else. It was usually somewhere in the ad, not necessarily on the front page. I will miss Circuit City(old).
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