CompUSA Makeover Details

Gilbert Fiorentino wants to create a whole new way of shopping for technology products. As chief executive of the consumer products division for Systemax, Fiorentino saw a tremendous growth opportunity when the company in January paid $30 million for the CompUSA name and 16 stores in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico. But, things went poorly when the stores were reopened. After extensive research, the stores are being retrofitted with what they are calling Retail 2.0.

The solution, he realized, involved bringing the strengths of TigerDirect's Internet retailing into the stores. The initiative - dubbed Retail 2.0 - was unveiled in October at the first prototype store in Kendall, Fla.

Plans call for rolling out the format over the first half of next year to completely transform the 29-store chain. Another new store will open in February in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and the company is aggressively looking for more locations.

The focus of Retail 2.0 is making the entire store more interactive and giving shoppers the detailed product information TigerDirect already offers on its Web site.

Every single desktop, laptop, LCD monitor and flat-panel television is connected to a live computer and the Internet - a total of almost 300 computer-connected screens in each store. The update costs between $50,000 and $100,000 per store.

"We're moving retail into the Internet age," Fiorentino said. "Everything we hate about retail can be fixed by technology."

When not in use, the screens flash promotional messages Fiorentino hopes to eventually use to generate revenue by selling advertising.

But as soon as customers walk up and touch the keyboard, they are faced with a detailed product information home page that includes photographs showing close-up views of the product from multiple angles. There are also online manuals and detailed product specifications to satisfy even hard-core tech junkies.

"It makes the customer his own expert," Fiorentino said. "The customer can help themselves in a much better way."

That also reduces the need for sales staff - while Fiorentino says he doesn't plan to eliminate sales help, the goal is ultimately to use the same amount of staff to help more customers.

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