| CompUSA | 14951 N. Dallas Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75420 |
| www.compusa.com | (972) 982-4000 Fax: (972) 982-4276 |
 |
|
Computer wizard
CompUSA beat out its competitors in 1984 and asserted itself as the world's first computer retail superstore. Founded as Soft Warehouse by Mike Henochowicz and Errol Jacobson, the company took advantage of an open market while offering discounted prices. The first Soft Warehouse superstore offered customers a new experience: one-stop computer shopping. During the early 1990s, Dell and Apple sold their hardware through Soft Warehouse (initially a software-only retailer), spurring a name change to CompUSA.
Rising from the dead
CompUSA's explosive growth proved almost deadly, however. Saddled with an inefficient, decentralized buying process, through which individual outlets handled their own purchasing, CompUSA was forced to shut down a number of its old stores and liquidate aging inventory at a loss. Under the leadership of James Halpin, the company underwent a massive restructuring that involved a return to centralization. The company defied pessimistic experts by rising from the ashes stronger than ever. In 1996, CompUSA expanded its reach into mail-order computer sales with the purchase of Compleat. Featuring such high profile brands as Apple, Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba, and enjoying a resurgence in sales, CompUSA is looking to expand again. Today it boasts over 200 stores in more than 80 metropolitan areas and sells everything from scanners to modems.
Strategy moves
In 1998 CompUSA acquired struggling rival, Computer City, from Tandy for $211 million in cash. CompUSA originally offered $275 million, but downgraded the bid after studying Computer City's diminishing book value. As the acquisition was made, CompUSA CEO Halpin stated that the company would try to retain as many of Computer City's 7,000 employees as possible. Of course, cuts were eventually made: in June 1999 CompUSA announced a plan to eliminate between 1,000 to 1,500 jobs and close 14 locations, including its distribution center in Grapevine, Texas. Once the less than stellar financial results for fiscal 1999 were announced, CompUSA again decided to cut another 2,400 jobs and reorganize its commercial sales business.
CompMexico?
These closings were hardly the biggest news to come from the company recently, however. In March 2000, CompUSA was bought out by Mexico's Grupo Sanborn for nearly $800 million. Although Sanborn has a reputation for swooping in and saving money-losing businesses, many are skeptical that it will be able to do the same for CompUSA. After only a year, the company's web site, cozone.com, was shut down in January 2000 due to lagging sales, and CompUSA can't seem to compete with Best Buy and Circuit City anymore or the direct mail-orders of PC's by Dell and Gateway. Now, thanks to Sanborn, cozone.com has been folded into compusa.com with some significant changes and 1,500 CompUSA employees have been fired, including former CEO Halpin (technically he "retired"). With Hal Compton at the helm, Sanborn plans to expand CompUSA's focus on computer products to more Internet sales and services, with possible expansion into Mexico, in hopes of turning the software retailer around.
|
|
CompUSA runs most of its hiring through the human resources department in the company's Dallas, Texas office. Resumes are accepted via mail and should include a salary history. Resumes can also be submitted over the Internet at info.compusa.com/employment/resume.asp. The company's Website lists recent openings by location, category, and keyword.
"The interviews at CompUSA all depend on what type of position you are looking for," declares an informant. "When I was hired as a retail floor person, I was interviewed by a friend that I knew from another job, so it was very informal."
|
|
Friendly colleagues
Many insiders report having good experiences with CompUSA: "All in all I found it to be a good experience. The retail workers were all pretty friendly. My managers were always supportive and friendly." Worker satisfaction varies by region, however, and also by job variety: "The retail section seems mostly male and mostly conservative. The technology experts are a little quirkier."
Girls versus boys
Some contacts say CompUSA could use some improvement when it comes to issues of diversity. "I did notice a bit of a 'Good Old Boy' network in the work environment," reveals one source. "I never felt slighted in any way (as a woman), but other women did feel that they were treated differently." Warns another woman: "Be prepared to climb the corporate ladder very slowly. The glass ceiling still exists. CompUSA's attitude toward women and minorities is textbook correct, but not practiced in the region I was in." She emphasizes: "A good question to ask on your interview is 'how many women managers are in this region?'" Another disgruntled insider divulges: "I have to admit I don't see a lot of minorities working at our store, but this may be a result of the local demographics."
CompU-dress-A
As far as dress code, "all workers on the retail floor and in the retail offices, as well as technical services, wear polo shirts and chinos - women wear the same. Red shirts indicate sales people and white shirts indicate sales managers (The former don't always wear the chosen color, and sometimes they wear promotional shirts with logos from one of our suppliers). Business sales people seem to wear suits and standard business attire. Training staff wear business casual when they are not teaching, and shirts and ties or business attire when they are teaching (a requirement)."
Buying on sale
Hours at CompUSA are "usually 40 per week." In the retail section "that means two shifts, since the store opens at 9 am and closes at 8:30 p.m. most days." Salaried employees "do the occasional overtime without getting paid for it." On the other hand, "getting a day off here and there is not a problem." One insider reports, "There is no vacation the first year, one week the second and third, and two after that." All in all, insiders claim to be "satisfied" or even "happy" with CompUSA. Says one, there is "ample room for advancement if someone is committed and self-directed." Moreover, CompUSA workers can "buy things on sale." They also get discounts with Microsoft products: "As their partners, we can buy most of their software at drastically reduced prices directly through the Personal Use Program. We also get freebies from companies when they are doing promotional work."
|
|
Melvin D. McCall
Human Resources
|
|
Computer software and hardware;Mail order sales of above
More Company Profiles
For more career information, go to Vault.com
©2000, Vault.com Inc
Click here to email this page to a friend  |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||