CompUSA 2.0

Some 15 months ago, Systemax agreed to buy the CompUSA brand, trademarks, eCommerce business, and a handful of stores. This followed CompUSA's earlier acquisition by Gordon Brothers Group, a specialist 'restructuring' firm, back in December 2007.

Now, Wired blogger Priya Ganapati has posted a lengthy article about the resurrection of CompUSA stores. It seems as if there is an attempt to build a seamless multi-channel approach by the 'soft integration' of CompUSA's stores  with Systemax's Tiger Direct online business. What's not clear, though, is whether the physical stores act more as a showroom for product which is eventually bought online - whether that be from Tiger Direct or elsewhere.

Systemax trades as Misco in Europe.