Circuit City to Relaunch Online in February

Circuit City has targeted Feb. 15 as the day its website will relaunch, CEO Ronny Shmoel said Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The once-bankrupt retailer also has plans to open kiosks, stores within other stores, and eventually its own showrooms, consumer electronics website Twice reported. Shmoel told the audience at CES that Circuit City's revamped website will include virtual vignettes, search by photo, augmented reality and real-time tech support via video chat, among other experiential features.

Total Retail's Take: Since filing for bankruptcy in 2008, then closing all of its stores one year later, Circuit City has been an afterthought for consumer electronics shoppers. Failed comeback attempts by the brand didn't help to inspire trust in consumers, either. But now with Shmoel in command — he purchased the brand, domain and associated trademarks for Circuit City in October 2015 — there seems to be a solid plan for the re-emergence of Circuit City. The consumer electronics retailer is wisely returning first online, which should provide a good measure of the demand without the capital required to open/lease physical storefronts. This will help Shmoel and his team determine whether physical stores should be in Circuit City's future.