The Oregon Biz Report - Business News from Oregon

August 18, 2008

By Guest Opinion,

A few weeks ago I bought a new computer from a PC Club store in Tigard and was surprised to find the stores suddenly closed.   The California based stores went under last week leaving many who had left their computers at the store for repairs in panic.

The close of PC Club follows on the heels of Comp USA which closed their doors this spring.  When asked a salesman at Comp USA on the closings he told me an interesting story.  The clerk said he often had people come into the store to ask probing electronics questions only to end their questions with a reference to buying the product cheaper online.    Electronic consumers would naturally be the best online shoppers.    As online shopping grows it shrinks the need for more expensive physical locations.

The next rumor of electronics demise is Circuit City.  The electronics chain may need to shift strategy to survive in this dramatically changing consumer market.