“CompUSA, the computer and gadget retailer controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, has been sold to a restructuring and investment firm that will close stores and sell some company assets,” Lisa Baertlein reports for Reuters.
“The new owner is Boston-based Gordon Brothers Group, which recently helped CompUSA sell under-performing stores,” Baertlein reports. “The terms of the deal were not not disclosed.”
“The chain’s 103 retail stores will remain open and staffed during the holiday season, offering discounts on computer and electronics ahead of the planned store closures,” Baertlein reports. “Earlier this year, the company closed more than half of its U.S. retail stores in a bid to streamline operations and bolster margins at top-performing stores.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This proves that good things come to those who wait. Anyone who’s ever been in a CompUSA knows exactly what we’re talking about.
aww, they have good deals on stuff, big selection…i don’t get it
Not a surprise considering they deteriorated into a craphole. Still I have fond memories of them in their heyday, even as far back as when they were called Soft Warehouse. I spent a lot of dollars there over the years, so a part of me will miss them.
C’est la vie.
fm
I’m glad I bailed when I did…
Lets not forget the partnership between Apple and Comp USA in 98/99 when they had all those Apple Store within a Stores.
I assume Apple learned a lot form that experiment.
I saw it as a win win partnership. I wouldn’t mind hearing other folks opinions on it -was it good or bad for Apple (or C-USA)?
Steev, my opinion was that it was not good for Apple. The stores that I walked into had the Apple section towards the back. It was stocked OK, but I don’t believe that there was buy-in from the CompUSA employees that Apple had good products. Thus, you’d walk in and ask about Apple stuff and they’d be glad to show you a Mac, but if you walked in and asked to see a good computer, they would not take you to the Mac stuff.
Well, there goes the only thing close to an Apple Store between Memphis, Tulsa and Dallas.
I guess you could say they are NOT Slim’s picking anymore….
Is there a list somewhere who owns what major companies? What their policies are?
I like to know so I know who I am supporting with my purchases.
For instance Citco is supposely owned/controlled by the wacko communist Hugo Chavez.
Bank of America supposely allows illegal aliens to open bank accounts and takes their sub-prime mortages with only a flimsy Mexican id card.
CitiBank is owned/controlled by some UAE billionare.
the list is long obviously, but it gives a valuable insight if a company will be successful based upon their mindset, upbringing, etc.
Yeah, Pete to put things in perspective, the White House is occupied by a lunatic with messianic delusions, who in turn is controlled by a maniac.
;^)
The Apple Departments in the CompUSA stores in Manhattan were okay. The one on 39th and Fifth Avenue was actually pretty well run. At least in NYC, it’ll help all 3 Apple Stores.
I can’t wait to check out the new one on 14th Street and Ninth Avenue.
Yo Pete,
It’s called the free market economy. You should enter the real world and experience it sometime.
Aweeee this does suck…
I used to work there several year back…. The nightmare finally ends and I want to be there when my old Hag of a manager closes up for the last night. Partying in the parking lot with a fellow ex-coworker and drinking Champagne….. While we laugh at her as she walks to her car…. HA!!! Karma’s a bitch ain’t it?
Oh and Pete….
The thing with B of A opening accounts for Illegals was someone in the media jumping the gun on BS… Read the retraction stories R-Tard…. And if this was actually happening then there would be no B of A, CAUSE ITS A FEDERAL CRIME Dumba$$!!!!
But the thing with Citi is 100% spot on UAE has owned so much of that company they should be flying their flag… but this has been known for some time too….
Yes TowerTone, Little Rock’s CompUSA was a beacon of hope for my eyes. Now there won’t be anything at all and Little Rock is such a developing city. sad sad sad
Gee, thanks Pete for that recap of the Rush Limbaugh show. How ’bout those illegal immigrants from Ireland, eh?
I recall back when our local CompUSA actually had a full-time staffer who was on loan from Apple — he really knew his stuff.
“HA!!! Karma’s a bitch ain’t it?”
Yes, in return for your obvious joy at the misfortune of others, it’s given you a pathetic life where the most exciting thing you have to look forward to is drinking champagne in a parking lot of a closing down electronics store with a bunch of other losers.
Hey, I worked there over the summer as their apple repair tech (first tech job ever!), and they had a full time apple guy pitching his wares (was the only Apple presence in my town).
Their corporate systems were a nightmare to use, but it was a good summer job, and it looks like I’ll be looking for alternative employment this summer.
CompUSA, you will be *slightly* missed.
Welcome to the globalised world, Pete. That’s the way things work nowadays – companies can be owned by anybody, anywhere.
“CitiBank is owned/controlled by some UAE billionare.”
I don’t know about you, but I only bank at places owned by penniless mendicants from Hoboken.
“Slim’s picking”
“penniless mendicants from Hoboken”
This place is a comedy writer’s dream!
Actually, at least in my experience, the CompUSA in Des Moines was OK. Nice people, helpful, good place for ink jet carts, hard drives, they have a decent if not expansive Apple area, good business representative for my company. Never bought any PeeCees from them so never had to deal with that nightmare – although that would be a nightmare anywhere. It will be a loss for me if they close – get all my non Mac stuff (paper, HDs, toner, inkjet stuff, cables) there. Guess it will be Newegg or someone else if they close.
Too bad.
The Apple guy at the CompUSA near where I live is now the Apple guy at a Best Buy near where live.
Ah. Bought my Powerbook G4 400mhz in the Ramsey, NJ store the day it came out. That was my first Apple Laptop.
Tear down all CompUSAs and build Apple stores. End of problem.
…to bad rubbish. They’re not known as CrapUSA for nothing. I know there ARE some decent workers but the overwhelming number of apathetic, idiotic, ignorant ones more than undo any good the decent ones did. When the store near me closed earlier this year, I went to take advantage of the 40% off .Mac. The worker who “helped” me was spewing anti-Apple epithets the whole time he was trying to get the glass case opened.
I often wonder about this as a “bad” chain of stores closes down (Caldor’s, Bradlees, etc): Where do these bad apples end up? Is this why the quality of Target stores have been in recent decline? I hope Apple Stores don’t end up hiring these posers.
I\’m right there with you, Pete. But these days, so many corporations are multinational at some level. And if anybody, it\’s Chavez who\’s the lunatic with messianic delusions. Him and Ahmadinejad — two wingnuts for the 21st century.
CompUSA used to be worthwhile, but over the last couple of years he stores just seemed to have a hectic and unfocused feel to them. No one who could really give you a straight answer. In other words, the exact opposite of the Apple stores.