Does Anyone Still Shop at Circuit City?

Circuit City wants to be like Apple

I obviously got a kick out of Micahel Felberbaum’s piece in Wired about Circuit City reinventing its image to be more “hip urban chic” much like Apple has over the last decade.  I spent about 4 years in Best Buy, and at one point actually almost went to work for the Circuit,  so I naturally enjoy reading about the epic war of attrition which Best Buy has been winning since 1996.
However, in new Circuit City stores called “The City,” there lies a bit of hope for Circuit. Apparently, Circuit City is willing to allow employees to wear jeans and a black t-shirt. Not too bad, right? Best Buy, Circuit City, and most other retailers will not sway from the standard dress slacks and a polo. I can’t help but imagining Justin Long in the new Circuit City commercials. I mean, seriously, he is the hardest working man in show business (cast in just about every twenty-something movie in the last 3 years). It just made me feel like the constant car salesman in my Best Buy blues, so chalk one up for the Circuit.
 Additionally, Circuit wants to outfit their employees with tablet PCs to carry with them; however, it is questionable what these could be used for. The traditional clipboards with a copy of an advertisement and a few other useless pieces of paper are too old school for the Circuit. However, if I know one thing about tablet PCs is that they are crash prone, and generally use slower technologies than what would be in a real man’s laptop.
Surely, The City’s new stores certainly are different from Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target; but ultimately, if a more tech savvy customer is what the brass in Richmond, VA are attempting to attract, they must hire and retain their best employees. Retailers are consistently battling some of the highest turn over rates of any occupation. All of our devices communicate together and more often than not, the 16 year old school student during the holidays will steer you wrong. Enough said, if you read the article, doesn’t this sound like an Apple store?