CircuitCity.com - same name, new owner

Systemax Inc., a multi-channel retailer of computers, consumer electronics, and industrial products in North America and Europe, has completed its acquisition of the defunct retailer Circuit City’s e-commerce business and relaunched it. The company is calling it a “new and improved” CircuitCity.com Web site. that it hopes can compete with other online retailers by offering lower prices, faster shipping and a wide selection of products. The site will enhance the consumer experience by offering photo galleries and videos of consumer electronics and computer products.

A visit to the web site shows it up and running with a variety of products including TVs, cameras, computers, GPS devices, and video game systems like the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Systemax Inc. also owns CompUSA and TigerDirect.com.

Circuit City Doors Close for Good

All good(?) things must come to an end, and this weekend marked the end of Circuit City. Since announcing back in January that the company was going belly up, Circuit City stores throughout the country started dumping their inventories, culminating in last weekend’s final sell off of all remaining merchandise. While the last couple of months have seen Circuit City inventory clearanced out at upwards of 80 percent off, some customers (as well as potential employees) held out hope tha there might still be some sort of last minute reprieve, similar to what happened when Tiger Direct parent company Systemax bought out CompUSA’s assets when that company went under. Sadly, there was no last minute stay of execution and the switch was finally thrown, leaving all 567 Circuit City stores as nothing more than a memory.

One interesting note about this story, though. While all of Circuit City’s retail stores throughout the US have been shut down, there may still be a glint of life left in the company. A message on the company’s website states, somewhat cryptically that, “CircuitCity.com is also temporarily closed, although we anticipate the website will reopen in the coming weeks. Please check back for updates.”

Have we really seen the last of the Circuit City brand, or will the name rise up from the ashes of liquidation in some new form, such as an online-only retail presence? Only time will tell.

The Rundown: Jan. 16, 2009

Today on The Rundown: GTA rumors make the rounds, the second largest electronics retailer goes belly up, Steve Miller invades Rock Band, Simon Whitcombe joins CBS and Burnout Paradise gets a new box.

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