CarMax 2000 Annual Report Download - page 17

CIRCUIT CITY
store base can provide. We have tightly integrated
circuitcity.com with our Circuit City Superstores,
offering the best of cyber-shopping and tradi-
tional retailing. Our Web site provides the same
commitment to selection,price,information
and service found in Circuit City stores.
Merchandise Selection. At the end of fiscal
2000,circuitcity.com offered more than 1,500
products for sale and information on more
than 2,100 products. We continue to expand
the product selection with plans to add wireless
and broadband services,an expanded assort-
ment of game hardware and a full assortment
of game software in fiscal 2001.
Circuit City gives Internet shoppers the ability
to check the inventory of up to three Circuit City
Superstores in their market, as well as the in-
stock availability directly from the e-Superstore.
The inventory information is updated every
day and verified in real time when the customer
chooses to purchase an item. The customer can
choose to have the product shipped through
the e-Superstore for normal shipping costs or
can use the Express Pickup service and avoid
shipping charges. When a customer chooses
a product from local store inventory, he or she
completes the purchase transaction online,
and the purchased item is removed from store
inventory and reserved for the customer to pick
up. Using the Express Pickup feature,customers
can cyber-shop at lunch time and pick up their
purchases on their way home from work.
Price. Customers who choose the Express
Pickup option automatically receive the lower
of the e-Superstore price on the day of their
purchase or the in-store price at their selected
Superstore on the day of pickup. When the
customer goes to the point-of-sale register,
the transaction is automatically checked by
the register system against the in-store price,
and the customer receives the lower price. In
addition,the e-Superstore offers Web-only
specials on items that are not available in
sufficient quantity to supply our nearly 600
Superstores nationwide.
Information. Consumers can find in-depth
product information on circuitcity.com,begin-
ning with a basic overview of key features and
model choices in each product line. In addition,
the overview includes a glossary of terms,
answers frequently asked questions and provides
technical details. Consumers then can compare
side-by-side the product features and prices
of as many models as they wish to select. For
example,at the end of the fiscal year, consumers
could compare as many as 35 features of 25
camcorders,16 features of 17 DVD players,or
38 features of 116 refrigerators.
Service After the Sale. Circuit City’s online
customers shop with the confidence and
knowledge that Circuit City stands behind
every purchase. Customer service via e-mail is
available seven days a week. If a product needs
service,online customers can take the product
to their local Superstore where it receives the
same factory-authorized repair service avail-
able for in-store purchases. Customers can
exchange or return an e-Superstore product
at any Circuit City Superstore location,with
refunds available immediately.
Whether consumers choose to buy in the store
or online,Circuit City is committed to being
the retailer of choice for consumer electronics,
personal computers and appliances. Making it
easier to embrace new technology and to shop
for all products will help bring our Circuit City
customers and our shareholders the rewards of
the digital product revolution.
CIRCUIT CITY STORES, INC. 2000 ANNUAL REPORT 15
We have tightly integrated circuitcity.com
with our Circuit City Superstores. Customers
can choose to pick up products at the store
or have them shipped to their home. Our
online customers shop with the confidence
and knowledge that Circuit City stands
behind every purchase.