Rich Tehrani reports on the demise of CompUSA, which is something I'm not surprised to see. With online shopping for electronics offering way more in the way of product selection, easy to find reviews and lots of unbiased and biased information out there consumers have real choices.
The biggest dilemma retailers face in the USA is self obsolescence. Unless you are re-engineering the customer's retail experience every few years the way Best Buy, Target and WalMart know how to, the chances for long term success are diminishing.
For example, I'm a huge fan of a small grocery chain called Bristol Farms that is based in Southern California. We all know about Trader Joes, which offers great value, but Bristol Farms offers great high quality, with very knowledgeable people working in the story. This used to be the way Whole Foods was when they first opened, but as time goes on their clerks are less and less well informed and there only until they get their next gig. Bristol Farms is different and it shows. I'm seeing the same in select Best Buy locations, but none compare to the kind of knowledge I'm seeing in Carphone Warehouse in London or even the 3 and T Mobile shops along the streets of London. They know their phones, plans and competition. They can educate you, sell you or just talk with you, and the lack of pressure from most is refreshing.
COMP USA died because they went from market leader to lagger. They didn't evolve so they first SLIMMED down, and now have been wiped out except with only an online presence.
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