CompUSA: It's Alive!

CompUSA is making a comeback with its "Retail 2.0" strategy, according to this post on Wired.com's Gadget Lab blog. Yes, this is the very same CompUSA that declared bankruptcy and shuttered stores a little over a year ago. Now, Systemax, the electronics retailer's parent company, is hoping that it can use its online retailing success as a springboard for success in the physical marketplace. New tactics include "agressive prices, remodeled stores, improved lighting and in-store web access for comparison shopping."

While in-store web access isn't anything new, what is pretty revolutionary --and gutsy in my opinion-- is that CompUSA isn't limiting what pages can be accessed. That means I could walk into one of the 30 new CompUSA stores, head over to one of the display computers, and update my Facebook status, post a new blog entry, or see what kind of deal Amazon.com has for the very computer I'm using at the moment.

It takes a pretty confident retailer to let customers carry out that last action in-store, but maybe CompUSA is smarter than we think. After all, it's hard not to have some respect for a store that isn't afraid to help its customers find exactly what they are looking for instead of letting them settle for less. Not to mention, it allows customers access to a wealth of product information --more than any in-store signage can display.

It's hard to say whether this "Retail 2.0" strategy will fully revive the once-successful electronics retailer, but the absence of competitors like Circuit City and The Sharper Image doesn't hurt its chances. It's also hard to say whether the idea of open internet access will catch on with other retailers. Perhaps we'll be finding more kiosks and computers in our favorite stores. Then again maybe not. We shall see.