“We have invented this idea of retail 2.0,” says Gilbert Fiorentino, chief executive of the Technology Products Group at Systemax, now parent company of CompUSA. Fiorentino is also the founder of Tiger Direct, a web only electronics retailer and another subsidiary of Systemax. “Every screen in every CompUSA store is now connected to the internet and making buying a richer experience for customers,” he says.
It’s that kind of under-developed thought process that killed CompUSA the first time around. Why drive to a store to order something with a computer? Sure, the CompUSA store may have it in stock and be able to help you load it in your car, but if it they can’t compete with online stores like Newegg, the instant gratification factor may not be big enough, no matter how shiny the store is.