Rumor: CompUSA Possibly Closing Down (Confirmed!)

[RobRich]

Rumor has it Best Buy is circulating an internal corporate memo indicating CompUSA could be going out of business early next year. If anyone is thinking about buying something from CompUSA, it would probably be a good idea to closely examine if any applicable rebates and extended warranties are through CompUSA, the product manufacturer, or a third-party company. If directly through CompUSA, take care, as YMMV.

...store-restocking shipments are not being scheduled past February, and additional liquidators are being called in to help manage closure of the 103 remaining stores. Sure, it could be a sneaky misinformation campaign -- or it could be the truth.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/05/r...ss-in-january/

[Tekk]

I was under the impression they were already on the way out? Every CompUSA store I knew of near my home has closed down in the past 6-10 months.

[The Real Bingo]

I was under the impression they were already on the way out? Every CompUSA store I knew of near my home has closed down in the past 6-10 months.

Likewise.

I always liked to go there...they had some good deals on stuff, mainly because of all those mail-in rebates they had.

[RobRich]

CompUSA closed about half of its stores over the past year or so. According to the rumor, the remaining stores could be closing early next year.

There are still several CompUSA stores here in Florida.

Of note, if there is a CompUSA store in your local area, you might want to keep a lookout for a liquidiation sale. Sometimes during such sales you can score floor samples like monitors, printers, digital cameras, etc. for pennies on the dollar.

[RobRich]

....mainly because of all those mail-in rebates they had.

True enough. Regardless of the rumor, CompUSA certainly does seem to like mail-in rebates, especially multiple rebates on a single item.

CompUSA gets a ton of flack from the deal community, but the CompUSA.com online store does occasionally have decent promotions on mainstream products like notebook computers and bulk optical disc media.

[Tekk]

Of note, if there is a CompUSA store in your local area, you might want to keep a lookout for a liquidiation sale. Sometimes during such sales you can score floor samples like monitors, printers, digital cameras, etc. for pennies on the dollar.

Excellent point. Larger flat-panel TV here I come!!!!

EDIT: Blast it all...the closest store is all the up in Bakersfield...104 miles away

[butch81385]

Have a store about 15 minutes from my home... I will be having my dad and brother stopping by frequently...

Thanks for the heads up!

[mrniceguy]

mmm, buy everything and put it on ebay

[excuzzzeme]

We had 2 of them and they had ridiculous prices. By the time you added in sales and rebates they were the same price as other stores at regular pricing. Just wasn't worth going there. Even the liquidation prices were ridiculous. No tears from me if they close up.

[fpantovich]

yeah, love and hate it when stores are going out of business. Love it due to the great deals you get; hate it when it's a store I actually enjoy CompUSA is where I got the parts for my first PC build ever, about 9 years ago...good stuff

Anyways, yeah, I figured it was bound to happen soon enough...when I first got here in San Antonio there were 6 within driving distance of my house and now there's 1 that I actually know of. Anyways, I'll be looking out for that one to have it's big sale day before I leave here, hopefully

[NeoStarO1]

I find this really weird, because when I was in portland, we had a compusa open up near to where I lived. It was only open about a 1 1/2 years and then Next thing I know they are having a liquidation sale. I was like, they just opened? Must be pretty bad for them.

[Toadman]

I don't know how many hundreds/thousands I've spent there over the years on. They are definielty going the way of Egghead retail outlets. The writing was on the wall when they started selling appliances and TV's to compete with Best Buy.

[osprey4]

We rarely bought anything there when their store was in our area. We have so many other major electronics retailers, they're not missed at all.

[RedFury]

They didn't find a good Niche' for their wares. We have one MicroCenter where I look for my computer equipment. I'll go to the other electronics box stores for the TV's and DVD players.

CompUSA was getting it right when they started carrying Mod Parts for Computer builds, but once the Big chains started selling modded boxes, the Mod community kinda died out.

[RobRich]

Confirmed!

http://www.techimo.com/newsapp/index.pl?photo=19053

[Theophylact]

No great loss. My local one has been replaced by a Micro Center, which I've always found much better for the computer user.

[dr_roberts49]

CompUSA basically evolved from the mom & pop computer stores of the 80s, and like them, have found the path to extinction by changing times.

Robert

[Atomic Rooster]

That's too bad. I really liked our local CompUSA store. I purchased alot of goodies from there. In fact, that's were I got my 42" LG LCD HDTV.

[NeoStarO1]

Ya know I was thinking about the one that closed down near us a year ago or so, if i recall correctly they did this near christmas time.

From a business standpoint if one was to liquidate doing it around christmas time makes perfect sense because people are in a buying mode thereby they will end up liquidating faster.

So it really doesn't come to that much of a suprise that they are doing this now christmas holidays.

[RayH]

They still owe me a bunch of rebates from 1996!