Broadband Stand

Circuit City (Richmond, Va.) has introduced new in-store services it says will make it easier for consumers to evaluate such innovative digital technologies as Broadband and digital television.

“Customers want to test-drive products; to see for themselves how consumer electronics can enhance their lifestyles,” said president and ceo W. Alan McCollough. “Now, they can test-drive Broadband at any Circuit City Superstore.”

The Broadband stations, in place nationwide since the first of October, are equipped with televisions that run a DVD program highlighting what Broadband can do and showcasing products that can be enabled or enhanced with a Broadband connection. “Instead of wondering how fast a Broadband connection is,customers can test it out themselves by surfing the Internet right in the store,” said executive vp and coo John Froman. “Shoppers can see a demonstration, then find out what services are available to them by simply providing their address and telephone number. We also have Broadband specialists in every store specifically trained to answer our customers'Broadband questions.” Circuit City has agreements with five of the top six major cable systems and two national DSL providers.

The retailer has also redesigned the television displays in its stores. All analog TVs now display a cable-quality signal, while all digital sets display two levels of signal quality. The first is a picture that replicates cable quality. The second is a true high-definition picture to show what the digital set is capable of displaying if it has the right source. “The finished effect,” said Froman, “creates a comparison between traditional analog TV and digital/high definition TV.

“We want our customers to understand and see exactly what the differences are so that when they've made their purchase, they feel like they had all the information they needed, complete with a visual comparison,” he said. “With more than 100 television screens in each Superstore, Circuit City provides the showcase for 'good, better, best'television viewing.”

Circuit City operates more than 600 Circuit City Superstores and 29 mall-based Circuit City Express stores. The company, which has been struggling though it still holds onto its Number Two home electronics retailer position (behind only Best Buy), has been in the process of remodeling its superstores. Its first new prototype opened recently at Gurnee Mills, outside of Chicago.