A new store like the old store
As part of Tuesday's post about dead malls and empty big box stores, the former Circuit City space at Crossgates Commons came up. And as Andrew, Chris and Laura pointed out, there's a electronics chain going into the space.
Ultimate Electronics is a Colorado-based chain, in its own words, is "undergoing a rapid expansion" (100 new stores planned for the next year). As a broker told the Biz Review: the company "saw a void in the Northeast." (Funny, we hadn't really been feeling the void since Circuity City left.) The chain's site claims it shops Walmart and Best Buy everyday and then adjusts its prices so they can be lower.
Laura -- who knows a thing or 100 about this sort of stuff -- was nice enough to do little digging on the chain:
I checked Consumerist's tipline and archives, and I can't find anything *bad* about them, so that's a start. The only thing we have is that they were fined, along with pretty much every other store that sells TVs, for selling analog TVs without warnings about the DTV switch a couple of years ago.
The store is expected to open in late spring or early summer. [TU]
(Thanks, Laura!)
photo: Flickr user Dave Dugdale
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Comments
Remember the days when no one beat the wiz? Seems like Circuit City beat the Wiz. Then Best Buy took down Circuit City. Will "ULTIMATE" take out best buy? Will Hippo's still have it? Have you seen my basebal?!
... said daleyplanit on Mar 2, 2010 at 5:12 PM | link
Boo. Who needs a brick-and-mortar electronics store selling the same stuff as Amazon and Newegg (the latter of which is tax free, even in NY!), often for 25-50% more?
I was hoping for an Ikea, if not one of the good grocery stores.
... said Ellsass on Mar 2, 2010 at 7:54 PM | link
TU reported yesterday (3/2) that Marcella Appliances is soon opening an 18,000 square foot store on Broadway in Schenectady. As for shopping online, there are many benefits but there are a few things I'd rather see in person before buying, TVs are one of them. They're not created equally, even within price points, so seeing (and hearing) them lined up in a showroom is very helpful.
... said Tim on Mar 3, 2010 at 7:10 AM | link
Ellsass- mmmm Ikea. Except they would need to clear out pretty a whole 'wing' of Crossgates Commons to fit an Ikea. The Tweeter store is still vacant, right? Maybe we can get Home Depot, Walmart, Sports Authority and whatever else is over there to consolidate for the good of the Ikea-loving community ;)
... said Paul on Mar 3, 2010 at 8:02 AM | link
Though they are not a participating store on resellerratings.com, there are some terrible reviews of this company: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Ultimate_Electronics
Granted, some of the complaints are a little rediculous.
... said Greg on Mar 3, 2010 at 11:20 AM | link
This place is going to miserably fail. The company has filed chapter 11 once, and are just going to balloon themselves until they pop. The salesman get a week of training out of Denver, CO, then make $10 and change an hour with 16% commission. Yeah, those will be really non-pressure sales. It's going to be a horribly informed, pushy sales staff and that isn't what we need right now.
... said Michael on Mar 4, 2010 at 9:39 AM | link