CompUSA returns with new strategy

Rebooting itself after bankruptcy, CompUSA is operating stores around the US with a strategy that mimics the Apple Store.

Wired has a fairly gushy article on the new push, with anecdotes about an old lady finding a cheap TV in Florida and a quote from a Systemax executive (CompUSA’s parent company) calling the stores "retail 2.0." CompUSA plans to connect every display PC in their stores to the Internet. The point is that customers can surf the web without restrictions to find reviews and specs on the products in the store.

I like and respect Wired, but I’m wondering if the report is just a rehash of a story from January about CompUSA leaving 16 retail stores open and renaming 11 existing TigerDirect locations. PC World said at the time that reports of the chain’s demise were "greatly exaggerated." Add that to the fact that TigerDirect and CompUSA had stores in Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas and Puerto Rico — the same states where CompUSA now lists its locations — and it seems the chain is undergoing more of a rebranding than a full-fledged resurrection.

Still, CompUSA’s new approach is interesting news, though it’s not any different than the policy at Best Buy. I didn’t realize the store was still alive and kicking, and it’s good to know there’s more competition out there. Has anyone experienced the "new and improved" CompUSA?