Apr 10, 2009 01:20 PM
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CompUSA is attempting to make a comeback from bankruptcy with 30 new brick-and-mortar stores and a new philosophy they have dubbed "retail 2.0."
"We have invented this idea of retail 2.0," says Gilbert Fiorentino, chief executive of the Technology Products Group at Systemax, now parent company of CompUSA. Fiorentino is also the founder of Tiger Direct, a web only electronics retailer and another subsidiary of Systemax. "Every screen in every CompUSA store is now connected to the internet and making buying a richer experience for customers," he says.
"We do the same thing with laptops, desktops and monitors," says Fiorentino. "We are using tech to change the retail experience for the customer and giving them access to all the information on the internet anytime they want during the buying process." And there are no restrictions. Users can surf the internet, check their Facebook or even Twitter if they want, says Fiorentino.
I don't know if "invented" is the appropriate word. More like "ripped off" from Apple—but it does mean that they are giving customers carte blanche to shop around online for information before making a purchase in their store. A bold move, considering that some other gadget retailers don't even want you to connect with their own website while shopping in the store.
Will this philosophy lead to a new, less sucky CompUSA with competitive prices? One can only hope. [Wired Gadget Lab]
Send an email to Sean Fallon, the author of this post, at sean@gizmodo.com.
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