Last Thursday, I probably made my last purchase at Circuit City. I would have made this purchase on Wednesday, but the selection I had chosen under their ready in 24 minutes program wasn’t in the store I had chosen, even though I chose a store outside of my immediate area just to get the item I wanted. It was fortunate that I got the call about the item not being in stock before I left for the out of the way Circuit City store or I would have bought the item at Best Buy. Not because I am disloyal to Circuit City, but because it would have simply become a matter of convenience if I was already on the errand to pick up the item.

      Seeing Circuit City headed to the ash heap of retailers is sad for me. There was a time I could do the majority of my non grocery/non clothes shopping in the immediate vicinity of Staples Mill Road and Westmoreland Street. At that time, Circuit City’s original HUGE box platform was located at the junction of Westmoreland Street and Thalbro Streets, while a few blocks away at Staples Mill and Marshall was the original prototype for a Best Products’ store. It always felt good and was a matter of local pride to spend your Richmond earned dollar with these 2 innovative Richmond based retailers.

 

     Entering the recently downsized, smaller and leaner Circuit City store located at Broad and Gaskins, I felt like a dead man walking the gallows for retailers. When I entered, I was met by a greeter, which made me reflect “how Walmart.” Of course, I would have like the greeter if I could have heard her, but the music was jacked so loud I wondered if I hadn’t entered Abercombie and Fitch by mistake. After picking up my item, I was directed back towards the front of the store to make my purchase, except I was sidelined along the way by someone offering to “ring me out” at one of the department point of sale registers. I use to love that you could pay for your item in the department you purchased the item at Circuit City. Only problem today was this particular clerk wasn’t able to sign in to the registers, so I was redirected back towards the main cashiers at the front of the store. There I was met by 2 cashiers with headsets on who were jabbering away with someone. I was never sure if it was a customer ringing in or a personal call they were on. Oh, Circuit City, how did you lose your way so badly?

 

     In years to come, I’ll bet that Circuit City is a case study in all business schools. How it rose from a local appliance store to national force will documented, dissected and discussed. Where it went wrong will be hotly debated. Let me save them all some time, just ask any Richmonder and they can tell you. It’s when they stopped selling appliances. We’ll miss you Ward’s!

 

     Oh, that street, Thalbro, where the Circuit City was located. It’s short for Thalhimer Brothers and that’s another retail story for another date.