Richmond Desperately Needs A Computer Store!

[Judaeus Apella]

If you know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone who's looking for any ideas for a new business, Richmond Virginia desperately needs a computer hardware store. I'm talking about one that sells the kind of stuff you won't find at Best Buy, CompUSA, or Circuit City. You know, like a good selection of motherboards, PSUs, CPUs, RAM, Fans, Cases, Coolers, Wiring and cords, bay devices and controllers, modification and case window kits, UV products and CCF Lights, hard drives, good brand name burners, etc.

And NOT AT JACKED UP PRICES like all the little shops around here do with every component they sell. Small computer shops are the ONLY computer stores around here that sell those items, and they all have very poor selections. So if someone opened a large store here with good selections, good prices, and a helpful staff of people who knew their stuff, that store would be a gold mine!

There are lots of people here I know who would probably buy everything there, and not bother going anywhere else, including me! More than that, I feel like I'm going to go out of my mind if someone doesn't start a computer store here! It's crazy, because there is a large demand for that type of store, but no one will open one! Why!?


I had no idea how much my parents got ripped off when they payed for the system I used in high school, over at NTK Computers down on Parham Road. They probably spent 2.5X what that computer was worth, and the computer was a piece of sh*t! I'm still mad at them even though it was years ago. I just don't go there anymore, unless its for something cheap like a fan or a cable. Their prices are fine for those things. But they charged us more than was Newegg was charging for an 800mhz PIII CPU, for a 400mhz PIII CPU, and twice as much as Best Buy was charging for that CPU. At the time I just didn't know any of the stuff I know now, or where to find out prices for stuff online. But believe me, as soon as I started getting on line a few weeks later... I found out, and I was pissed.

PLEASE, if you hear anything about anyone looking for a business venture, tell them about Richmond! Short Pump would be the best location. College and high school students, and people my age do most of their shopping and other related activities down there.

[daboogas94e]

you my friend are not alone. Athens, GA and many cities have no "computer stores." the reason is, nobody wants to take a risk like that when they know that stores like BestBuy, CompUSA, Staples, and the like will try to undercut them. The lone computer store here in Athens majorly sucks because they know that whatever they do, BestBuy will do everything to outprice them. its highly unfair but very true. The reason BestBuy sells is because people don't know better.

if you want something like a computer store to work, you have to have the backing and that just isn't happening.

[Judaeus Apella]

Undercut them with what? I'm talking about products that the other stores won't even carry at all. Every time I walk into any of those stores, they don't have jack sh*t. They just have a dumbed down selection. I see "geeks" and "techs" walk out empty handed all the time. If people are informed of this fact (in an easy to understand way, that doesn't require a college education to understand) through advertising, then they wouldn't bother with the other stores either. But the store that did this would have to be careful about what they sell, so they stay away from the dumbed down selection of the major store chains.

Presenting the products they carry would be very important as well. So when you walk in, you would think, "WOW! I'm in heaven!", which could be done with a catchy inviting interior design, and a fresh look with lots of colors and brand logos. The opposite feeling you get when you walk into a large mega store with isle after boring isle, filled with random boxes of stuff. There would have to be desplays that show components in action, so you get to see what all the products with LEDs look like when they're running, and CCF Lights above displays of UV sensitive products. Another good idea would be a desk you go to, to have a design etched into a window, or have any parts you want painted the way you want it. A store like that would be so popular and make so much money!

[pissboy]

like they can compete with the likes of newegg marking things up 1-2%? Thats what happened to all the small computer shops. The economics of scale just don't allow small stores to happen much anymore.. look what happens to small stores when a wal mart rolls in.