The Rise and Fall of Circuit City, the Richmond Electronics Superstore America Loved to Explore

Comments · 44

• TO

  @TonyWittrien · 3 weeks ago

  So strange to see the old original Richmond locations these days....

  6

• MI

  @MiscalculationDocs · 3 weeks ago

  The wildest part of this whole story is that Jim Collins literally handed them the playbook on why they were winning, and successive management teams read it like a step-by-step instruction manual on what to destroy.

  4

• BP

  @BPBomber · 3 weeks ago

  Wow, i had no idea that circuit city started CarMax

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• SQ

  @SquareRootOfEvil · 3 weeks ago (edited)

  What a wonderful throwback memory. I worked at the CC in Orlando FL in 99 and it was a treat to operate the home audio cave with the Onkyo, Harman Kardon, and Polk Audio gear.  It was a sad day when the collapse was happening, but it was easy to see it coming because Best Buy sales associates were non-commissioned so everything sold cheaper.  The Sound Advice nearby faired slightly better because of higher end equipment (Krell, Martin Logan), but eventually went under, too.  Nowadays the better Best Buy stores have adopted a similar model for proper gear demonstration.  RIP CC ❤

  12

• SC

  @scottbroadbent2086 · 2 weeks ago

  I worked there from 1996 to the shutdown.  Video sales into Roadshop then management.  I was even opening some of their "The City" concept stores near the end.  Those years were my real world education.  I wouldn't go back and change a thing.

  1

• CH

  @ChazoTV · 3 weeks ago

  Great summary. Most accurate on how it actually happened that I’ve seen. I was a corporate employee at CCS from 1989 - 1995. I left as I started seeing the writing on the walls, c-suite was running amuck. Getting rid of their training dept., stopped listening to their marketing dept., panicking that BB was gaining on them and Rick getting too big for his bridges. CCS imploded from within.

  3

• RI

  @Richcitywhipz · 2 weeks ago

  I'm from Richmond Va and this video is so accurate, I remember as a child visiting the store with my parents, the excitement, the red walk way through the store that me and my siblings played on many times. I remember purchasing many things from them including my first car stereo equipment, walking the isles of tapes and DVDs. I was so sad to see it go under as it did because there has never been a store since that gives you that same feel.

• YP

  @ypw510 · 3 weeks ago

  I remember DIVX was also sold at several regional electronics chains, including Good Guys on the west coast. &nbsp;But the thing that really angered people was that the original DVD format was coming out, but the marketing of DIVX was attempting to get people to hold off on purchasing DVD until DIVX was ready. &nbsp;At lot of the potentil best customers weren&apos;t going to buy it because of the &quot;fear, uncertainly, and doubt&quot; that the DIVX marketing was putting out encouraging people to not buy DVD machines just yet.<br><br>Granted every DIVX machine was going to be able to play DVD, but they weren&apos;t necessarily the most advanced machines and of course the cost was pretty high.

  2

• KE

  @Kevin_Shea · 3 weeks ago

  I miss Circuit City!!

  4

• RA

  @randyreynolds1045 · 3 weeks ago

  We sure miss them!❤

  3

• MA

  @mandlareiki · 3 weeks ago

  It is so cool they showed the coupon from Best Buy. The Happenings Coupon book was my dads product and we sold them when I was a kid. We lived in Minnesota during that time :-)

• RO

  @robertchandler7733 · 3 weeks ago

  faafo, I love this story. I live in Richmond. Excellent spin off. Now I want CarMax....