CarMax 2001 Annual Report Download - page 8

customer- shopping
defined
6
“NEW TRAINING PROGRAMS AND NEW
DISPLAYS REFLECT OUR DETERMINED
COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE CON-
SUMERS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED
TO BUY NEW TECHNOLOGIES. AT THE
SAME TIME, OUR EXPANDED SELECTIONS
AND NEW STORE LAYOUTS ENCOURAGE
MORE BROWSING IN ALL AREAS.”
RICHARD BIRNBAUM
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
OPERATIONS
“WE WANT CUSTOMERS TO BE
DELIGHTED WITH THEIR CIRCUIT CITY
SHOPPING EXPERIENCE…TO FEEL THE
MOMENT THEY WALK INTO THE
STORE THAT THIS IS WHERE THEIR
NEEDS WILL BE MET.”
ANN-MARIE AUSTIN-STEPHENS
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
STORE INNOVATION AND
DEVELOPM ENT
The success of any retail superstore has historically
stemmed from its focus on customer service, broad
product selections, low prices and continued satis-
faction after the sale. This value equation holds
true today. However, the definition of its various
components has evolved as consumers and, in our
retail segment, the products have evolved.
The consumer electronics and home office
categories include a broad array of traditional
products—VCRs, portable audio, small-screen
televisions—with which the consumer is already
familiar and that sell at relatively low average
retails. It includes deep selections of entertain-
ment software—movie titles, music and video
games. At the same time, we are adding new
and more complex technologies at a rapid rate.
At Circuit City, we are adapting our store to the
new dichotomy in our product lines and to the
changes in consumer buying behavior so that
we continue to serve the needs of a broad cus-
tomer base. Today, Circuit City customers find
the same knowledgeable sales assistance upon
which they have always relied, but they also
find more products quickly accessible on the
floor with more cash registers for easier check-
out. And, ensuring that we cover all consumer
shopping preferences, we were the first national
brick-and-mortar specialty retailer to sell con-
sumer electronics over the Internet.
Our new and fully remodeled Superstores are
designed completely around today’s consumer.
The store’s contemporary look and brighter
lights and colors reflect the energy of our product
categories. The open floor plan is simple to nav-
igate so that customers can find help if they
need it or browse and select their products as
they prefer. Shopping carts and baskets and cash
register checkouts at the front of the store create
a comfortable shopping environment for “take-
with” products. With our exit from the appliance
business, we were able in all stores to add cash
registers and place more products on the floor.
Improved product adjacencies in the new store
design enable our commissioned sales Associates
to easily demonstrate related products and help
customers compare features and benefits across
models. Hourly store Associates help to ensure
that product displays are adequately stocked at
all times.
Finally, we recognize that the Web has added
an exciting dimension to retail shopping. It
enables consumers to learn about and purchase
products 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.
Since launching our site in July 1999, we have
maintained a tight integration with our stores. In
all stores, sales Associates can access the Web
store inventory through the point-of-sale system
and order merchandise not available at the store.
We have continued to add products and features
to the site since its launch. We view CircuitCity.com
as an integral part of our efforts to provide con-
sumers with information and make it easy for
customers to shop the way they want to shop.