Computer City was a chain of United States –based computer superstores operated by Tandy Corporation ; the retailer was sold to CompUSA in 1998 and was merged into the CompUSA organization.
66-600: Computer City was a supercenter concept featuring name-brand and private label computers, software and related products; at the height of its success the company had over 101 locations in the United States and five in Europe. In 1981, the original Computer City was founded by Leonard and Myrna Simon in Costa Mesa, California . Len Simon sat on the original Apple Retail Council while Myrna was in charge of HR . Within
132-459: A directly elected mayor, who acts as the chairperson for the council and head of the government. The mayor serves two-year terms and councilmembers serve four year terms, with each office having a two-term limit. Municipal elections are held every two years, during which the mayor and three councilmembers are up for election. Day to day, the city is run by a professional city manager and staff of approximately 460 full-time employees. Management of
198-544: A lack of qualified and knowledgeable salespeople, who had no incentive to self-improve, led to frustrated customers and high return rates. In late 1996. Computer City announced they would be closing 21 stores. On June 22, 1998, CompUSA announced that it was purchasing the Computer City chain for $ 275 million ($ 480 million in 2023). Upon completion of the takeover in September 1998, CompUSA shuttered fifty-one of
264-486: A large RadioShack store. Computer City was recognized as the 2nd fastest retailer to hit $ 1 billion in sales in 1995 and in 1996 was recognized as the 2nd fastest retailer to hit $ 2 billion in sales. ( Sam's Club was the fastest retailer to hit $ 1 billion.) Alan Bush, Computer City's President/Chief Executive and the Driving Force of Mass Retail Computer Retailing along with Jim Hamilton Vice President GMM (known as
330-568: A number of retail concepts that are now common retail practices. First begun at the Costa Mesa Incomp, the store hosted a professional service bureau called The Graphic Zone, that provided film and graphic services for the nascent desktop publishing industry, the store operated a cafe which served coffee and sandwiches to prolong shopping visits, and the store featured a product training center that included an Electrosonic Video Wall, with 16 32" monitors which served as digital signage for
396-593: A political party/are independents, 2,717 (4.5%) are registered American Independents , and 319 (0.5%) are registered to the Green Party . Until 2008, Costa Mesa was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Since 2008, Costa Mesa has mostly voted Democratic in presidential elections, owing to the GOP's shift towards cultural conservatism. In 2008, Barack Obama was the first Democrat to carry Costa Mesa in decades, while Republican nominee Mitt Romney carried
462-431: A reference to the city's geography as being a plateau by the coast. Fanny Bixby Spencer and her husband sponsored the contest which selected the city's new name. Costa Mesa surged in population during and after World War II, as many thousands trained at Santa Ana Army Air Base and returned after the war with their families. Within three decades of incorporation, the city's population had nearly quintupled. Costa Mesa
528-487: A stop at Westbury , but by June list Carle Place instead, with schedules from 1842 listing both. In 1840, the first public school was built. The railroad made it easier for Italian and Irish immigrants to work Westbury's farms and in 1857, St. Brigid's Parish was founded. At the same time more African-American families came to the area via the Underground Railroad. For some, Westbury was only one stop on
594-590: A total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km ), all land. In addition to Westbury Village itself, unincorporated regions surrounding its borders also use the Westbury name, including New Cassel , Salisbury (South Westbury) and parts of Jericho . For example, the Westbury Music Fair performing venue (now known as the NYCB Theatre at Westbury), located in the Westbury postal zone, is part of
660-413: Is $ 807,000 ($ 505 per sq ft) and $ 3,500 for the median rent per month. Measure Y was amended in 2022 by Measure K . The city's economy relies heavily on retail and services . The largest center of commercial activity is South Coast Plaza , a shopping center noted for its architecture and size. The volume of sales generated by South Coast Plaza, on the strength of its more than 270 stores, places it among
726-645: Is a city in Orange County, California , United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city , one of the region's largest commercial clusters, with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing. The city is home to the two tallest skyscrapers in Orange County. The population
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#1732779841380792-510: Is located 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Los Angeles , 87 miles (140 km) northwest of San Diego and 425 miles (684 km) southeast of San Francisco . Costa Mesa encompasses a total of 16 square miles (41 km ) with its southernmost border only 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Costa Mesa has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh ) with mild temperatures year round. Rain falls primarily in
858-642: Is located about 18 miles (29 km) east of Manhattan. The population was 15,404 at the 2020 census. The first settlers arrived in 1658 in the region known as the Hempstead Plains . Many of the early settlers were Quakers . Westbury's Jericho Turnpike , which provides connection to Mineola and Syosset as well as to the Long Island Expressway (or LIE), was once a trail used by the Massapequa Indians. As far back as
924-525: Is made up of Italian Americans , African-Americans , Hispanic-Americans and Caribbeans ; particularly Haitians , Guyanese , and Jamaicans . Many of the Hispanics are of Salvadoran , Honduran , and Mexican origin. Many of the remaining Italian-Americans in the village trace their origins to the town of Durazzano in Southern Italy , and are closely related. A great number still reside on
990-468: Is now known as Old Westbury . Post Avenue soon became a commerce center to serve the surrounding estates. Various estate workers began to move in as well. Streets were mapped out and constructed. Post Avenue received electricity in 1902 and in 1914 a water company was founded. From the 1850s to the 1900s, Westbury's population and ethnic diversity began to rise as many people of Irish and Italian origins continued to settle. New Cassel began to be developed in
1056-691: The 73rd Assembly District , represented by Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris . In the United States House of Representatives , Costa Mesa is in California's 47th congressional district , represented by Democrat Katie Porter . According to the California Secretary of State , as of February 20, 2024, Costa Mesa has 60,789 registered voters. Of those, 22,661 (37.3%) are registered Democrats, 19,888 (32.7%) are registered Republicans, 15,204 (25%) have declined to state
1122-480: The Assemblies of God ). Whittier Law School was a former school. Costa Mesa has two public high schools, Costa Mesa High School and Estancia High School . There are also two public middle schools; TeWinkle Middle School, which was named after Costa Mesa's first mayor, and Costa Mesa Middle School which shares the same campus as Costa Mesa High School. Costa Mesa also has two alternative high schools that share
1188-718: The 17th century, it served as a divider between the early homesteads north of the Turnpike and the Hempstead Plains to its south. Today, it serves as a state highway complex. In 1657, Captain John Seaman purchased 12,000 acres (49 km ) from the Algonquian Tribe of the Massapequa Indians. In 1658, Richard Stites and his family built their homestead in this area. Theirs was the only family farm until an English Quaker, Edmond Titus, and his son Samuel joined them and settled in an area of Hempstead Plains, known today as
1254-591: The Arts and South Coast Repertory Theater are based in the city. Costa Mesa is been home to the NFL 's Las Vegas Raiders training camp since 2024. Previously it was home to the training center, training camp and corporate headquarters of the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017 to 2024. The team agreed to a lease with the facility they moved into prior to their relocation from San Diego. The building, called
1320-734: The Costa Mesa Fire Department. Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Costa Mesa Police Department . Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department and Care Ambulance Service . Westbury, New York The Incorporated Village of Westbury is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County , on Long Island , in New York , United States. It
1386-592: The Father of Computer Retailing), were the strategists behind the rapid growth and success. In its Westbury / Garden City, New York , location, Computer City opened right next to its main competitor CompUSA. In King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania , Computer City was directly across the street from CompUSA, and was in plain sight from CompUSA's main entrance. However, Computer City's entrance opened toward an off-street parking lot. As both Computer City and Tandy's other venture Incredible Universe were both having financial issues,
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#17327798413801452-546: The Hamlet of Salisbury , which is in the Town of Hempstead. As of the 2010 US Census , there were 15,146 people, 5,078 households, and 3,523 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,379.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,462.9/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 55% White , 22% African American , 6.0% Asian , 13% from other races , and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino were 27% of
1518-596: The Hill across from Saint Brigid 's Church. The nickname for the Village, "A Community for All Seasons," was adapted after The Greater Westbury Community Coalition ran a slogan contest shortly after the 1966 release of the Oscar-winning Best Movie, A Man for All Seasons . The film was about Sir Thomas More who was portrayed as a man of the utmost principle. The winning slogan: “A Community For All Seasons"
1584-687: The Jack Hammett Sports Complex is a former office space, but Chargers players and coaches said it was an upgrade from what the team had in San Diego. The Chargers occuped the facility until 2024 when it departed it for a purpose-built practice facility in El Segundo . The team gutted the first floor of the building to make room for team rooms. Construction cost more than $ 3.8 million. After the Chargers derparted for El Segundo,
1650-603: The Jericho hamlet. The region is grouped under the name Greater Westbury, a region that also includes organizations with common interests, such as those in New Cassel . The school districts that serve the Greater Westbury region, based on the boundaries, are Westbury (including New Cassel) (Westbury Union District) and East Meadow (Clark District). The only homes zoned for East Meadow Schools are actually located in
1716-652: The New Light Baptist Church. In 1867 the congregation moved to 247 Grand Boulevard, and in 1892 changed their name to Westbury A.M.E. Zion Church. In 2014, the congregation celebrated its 180th anniversary. The building still stands on the corner of Union Ave. and Grand Blvd. The outbreak of the American Revolution disrupted Westbury's tranquility. From the beginning of the war until 1783, British soldiers and German-speaking mercenaries occupied local homes, confiscated livestock, and cleared
1782-608: The Village of Westbury. In 1675 Henry Willis, also an English Quaker, named the area "Westbury", after Westbury, Wiltshire , his hometown in England. Other Quaker families who were also seeking a place to freely express their religious beliefs joined the Tituses and Willises. The first Society of Friends meeting house was built in 1700. The early history of Westbury and that of the Friends are so interconnected that they are essentially
1848-657: The area Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the area's first permanent European settlement in Alta California , New Spain . In 1801, the Spanish Empire granted 62,500 acres (253 km ) to Jose Antonio Yorba , which he named Rancho San Antonio. After the Mexican-American War , California became part of the United States, and American settlers arrived in this area and formed
1914-412: The assistance of a salesperson. Furthermore, until mid-1996, the floor staff did not have revenue quotas and were not paid on commission , though bonuses were applied for selling either the extended warranty Computer City Service Plan (CCSP) or in-store training classes. In retrospect, this model was seen as creating a competitive disadvantage, as computers were still new to many customers in those days and
1980-486: The average family size was 3.5. In 2010, the US Census Bureau estimated the median income for a household in the village was $ 80,000 and the median income for a family was $ 92,000. The per capita income for the village was $ 34,000. About 4.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.6% of families with children under age 18 and 9.2% of children under age 18. Westbury
2046-615: The businesses headquartered in Costa Mesa. A local newspaper, the Daily Pilot , is published by the Los Angeles Times . Wahoo's Fish Taco was founded in Costa Mesa in 1988 by Chinese - Brazilian brothers Eduardo "Ed" Lee, Renato "Mingo" Lee and Wing Lam. Costa Mesa offers 26 parks, a municipal golf course, 26 public schools and two libraries. According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
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2112-939: The city and coordination of city services are provided by: Residents of the city are also governed by various special districts , including the Mesa Water District , the Orange County Water District , the Municipal Water District of Orange County , the Irvine Ranch Water District , and the Costa Mesa Sanitary District . In the California State Legislature , Costa Mesa is in the 37th Senate District , represented by Democrat Dave Min , and in
2178-542: The city by only 364 votes in the 2012 presidential election. Costa Mesa flipped back to Democratic in 2016, voting for Hillary Clinton by a 10.2% margin, and for Joe Biden by a 14.6% margin in 2020. In 2008, Costa Mesa was one of four cities in Orange County to vote against Proposition 8 (along with Aliso Viejo, Irvine, and Laguna Beach), a statewide ballot measure that banned same-sex marriages. Institutions of higher learning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College , and Vanguard University (affiliated with
2244-450: The city was $ 23,342. About 8.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over. Measure Y is a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2016 . It requires public approval of projects that have a general plan amendment or zoning change and would add 40 or more dwelling units or 10,000 or more square feet of commercial space. The median housing price
2310-513: The city. The 9.5 acres (3.8 hectares; 38 thousand square metres) Costa Mesa Civic Center is located at 77 Fair Drive. City hall is a five-story building where the primary administrative functions of the city are conducted. Also contained in the Civic Center complex are Council Chambers, the Police facility, Communications building and Fire Station No. 5. Fire protection is provided by
2376-443: The computer departments of Incredible Universe were changed to Computer City. The Westbury, New York, Incredible Universe was also within three miles of the above-mentioned CompUSA and Computer City. This may have hurt both of these Tandy divisions. One hallmark of Computer City's retail concept is that the store operated much like a grocery store; customers could not only browse, but select and purchase almost all merchandise without
2442-562: The decades that followed. On September 8, 1974, Crosby, Stills & Nash performed at the Roosevelt Raceway. As the birth rate declined, people married at a later age and the high cost of buying a home prevented many people from assuming a mortgage in the 1970s, Westbury again underwent change, becoming more urban and city-like over time. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has
2508-535: The facility became the training camp home of the Las Vegas Raiders . Decades prior, the facility was a lima bean farm owned by a Swedish immigrant family who became prominent developers in Orange County. A general law city, Costa Mesa has a council-manager form of government . In November 2016 , voters approved changing the City Council seats from five at-large seats to six voting districts and
2574-477: The first quarter of the 20th century. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field, a couple of hundred yards south of downtown, for the history-making flight to Paris, marking probably the most famous event tied to Westbury. In response to a rumor that northern Westbury planned to incorporate, thereby leaving the southern part without a name, residents collected enough petitions for third class incorporation in 1932. The Village included Grantsville,
2640-474: The first year, Computer City had added stores in Brea and Pasadena, California , and with the help of managers Mike Mostyn, Gordon Klatt and Greg Gadbois, Computer City expanded to San Diego , Beverly Hills , Encino , Cerritos , and Torrance, California . Computer City was the first independent Los Angeles computer retailers to offer the original IBM 5150 PC along with Sears and ComputerLand . Computer City
2706-471: The highest percentage of any comparable community in the United States. In the mid-1950s, Westbury virtually ran out of undeveloped land and with it came the end of the building boom. In 1940, Westbury listed its population at 4,525. By 1960, Westbury's population had grown to 14,757, according to the census data for that year. Many Caribbean and Latin American families began to settle during this time and in
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2772-403: The highest volume regional shopping centers in the nation. It generates more than $ 1 billion per year in revenue. South Coast Metro is a commercial, cultural, and residential district surrounding South Coast Plaza in northern Costa Mesa and southern Santa Ana, itself part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city . Some manufacturing activity also takes place in the city, mostly in
2838-484: The industrial, southwestern quarter, which is home to a number of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics firms. Business services company Experian is the largest employer in the city, and has its North American headquarters in Costa Mesa. Ceradyne , El Pollo Loco , Emulex , Hurley , RVCA , Toyota Racing Development , the Trinity Broadcasting Network , Vans , and Volcom are among
2904-481: The name of the Los Angeles retailer they had purchased two years earlier, Rick, Vee, and Joe Inatome gave rise to the first big-box merchandising concept – Computer City. With an investment from Mitsubishi , Joe leveraged his vendor relationships at Inacomp to bring IBM , Apple , and Compaq to their first big-box merchandised store, initially privately held by Inatome and Mitsubishi. Computer City innovated
2970-406: The occupied units 15,799 (39.6%) were owner-occupied and 24,147 (60.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 42,517 people (38.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 64,473 people (58.6%) lived in rental housing units. During 2009–2013, Costa Mesa had a median household income of $ 65,830, with 15.1% of the population living below
3036-408: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 39,206 households 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 6.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size
3102-632: The population) lived in households, 2,232 (2.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 738 (0.7%) were institutionalized. There were 39,946 households, 12,298 (30.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 16,478 (41.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,369 (10.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,392 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,013 (7.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 281 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 10,963 households (27.4%) were one person and 2,775 (6.9%) had someone living alone who
3168-406: The population. There were 5,078 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.0 and
3234-530: The poverty line. At the 2000 census there were 108,724 people in 39,206 households, including 22,778 families, in the city. The population density was 6,956.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,685.8/km ). There were 40,406 housing units at an average density of 2,585.2 units per square mile (998.2 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 69.48% White, 1.40% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 6.90% Asian, 0.60% Pacific Islander, 16.57% from other races, and 4.27% from two or more races. 31.75% of
3300-781: The same campus, Back Bay High School and Monte Vista High School and another, Coastline Early College High School which is on its own facility. These are located in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District . Costa Mesa is served by several bus lines of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), but most transportation is by automobile. Two state highways, State Route 55 (Costa Mesa Freeway) and State Route 73 (Corona del Mar Freeway), have their respective southern and northern terminus points within Costa Mesa. The San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) also runs through
3366-665: The same name; it was independently founded in January 2000 and closed in December 2012. It was never related to the US or Canadian stores. Until around 2015 there were stores in Denmark (10 stores) and Sweden (2 stores) using the original logo. There are also active stores by this name in other parts of the world. Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa ( / ˌ k oʊ s t ə ˈ m eɪ s ə / ; Spanish for "coastal tableland")
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#17327798413803432-485: The same. These settlers, like many other landowners throughout the colonies, owned slaves. In 1775, compelled by their religious beliefs, the Quakers freed all 154 African-Americans that they owned. Many of these freed men and women built their own homesteads on the open land near the sheep grazing pastures. Their new community consisted of farms and dairies. In 1834, with Quaker assistance, they and their descendants built
3498-619: The section south of Union Avenue around A.M.E. Zion church, but did not take in New Cassel, since the few families that lived there thought it would only unnecessarily increase their taxes. In 1938, the Northern State Parkway was constructed and in 1940, Roosevelt Raceway. In 1941, the Second World War began. Westbury sent 1,400 persons to serve the country. This was 20% of the community's population, making it
3564-407: The store, when training wasn't in session. The store also made heavy use of vendor-managed inventory , vendor shops, and CO-OP funded retail displays which are now common practice throughout the retail industry. Ultimately, Tandy bought the Computer City concept and store in 1991 and launched Computer City as a national chain (as well as Incredible Universe ). Alan Bush, a Radio Shack executive,
3630-481: The stores outright, and transitioned the remainders into CompUSA locations. In some states, warranties on items that had been purchased at Computer City were taken over by CompUSA, in other states they were taken over by Radio Shack. In Canada, Computer City Canada stores were sold by CompUSA to Future Shop who, in the end, liquidated all Canadian Computer City locations. There was an active store in Bermuda by
3696-690: The top employers in the city are: The Orange County Fair takes place at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa each July. The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year. The Annual Scarecrow & Pumpkin Festival was first held in 1938, went on hiatus for seven decades, and then was restarted in 2013. Adjacent to the Fairgrounds is the Pacific Amphitheatre , which has hosted acts such as Madonna , Jessica Simpson , Steppenwolf , and Kelly Clarkson . The Segerstrom Center for
3762-510: The town of Fairview in the 1880s near the modern intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue. To the south, meanwhile, the community of Harper had arisen on a siding of the Santa Ana and Newport Railway , named after a local rancher. This town prospered on its agricultural goods. On May 11, 1920, Harper changed its name to Costa Mesa, which means "coastal tableland" in Spanish. This is
3828-486: The way to Canada, but several stayed in this area after being harbored in secret rooms in the homes of the Quakers. In the years after the Civil War, until near the turn of the century, the few stores that comprised the small village around the railroad depot, were mainly black owned. The Village moved from its agricultural setting in the late 19th century when the very wealthy began to settle and build mansions. This area
3894-588: The winter months and is close to nonexistent during the summer. At the 2010 census Costa Mesa had a population of 109,960. The population density was 7,004.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,704.3/km ). The racial makeup of Costa Mesa was 75,335 (68.5%) White (51.8% Non-Hispanic White), 1,640 (1.5%) African American, 686 (0.6%) Native American, 8,654 (7.9%) Asian, 527 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 17,992 (16.4%) from other races, and 5,126 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39,403 persons (35.8%). The Census reported that 106,990 people (97.3% of
3960-656: The woods for firewood for the troops. With the close of the war, Westbury received its third group of settlers, the Hessians, mostly from Hesse-Cassel in the Holy Roman Empire , who chose not to return to their home country. Instead, they remained in an area now known as New Cassel , a name chosen in honor of the part of Hesse from which most had come. By 1837, the Long Island Rail Road had built through Westbury. Schedules from March 1837 mention
4026-545: Was 111,918 at the 2020 census . Members of the Tongva and Acjachemen nations long inhabited the area. The Tongva villages of Lupukngna , at least 3,000 years old, and the shared Tongva and Acjachemen village of Genga , at least 9,500 years old, were located in the area on the bluffs along the Santa Ana River . After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolà , a Spanish expedition led by Junípero Serra named
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#17327798413804092-464: Was 3.34. The age distribution was 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males. The median household income was $ 50,732 and the median family income was $ 55,456. Males had a median income of $ 38,670 versus $ 32,365 for females. The per capita income for
4158-595: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68. There were 23,239 families (58.2% of households); the average family size was 3.30. The age distribution was 23,682 people (21.5%) under the age of 18, 12,847 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 38,211 people (34.7%) aged 25 to 44, 25,106 people (22.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,114 people (9.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males. There were 42,120 housing units at an average density of 2,682.9 per square mile, of
4224-404: Was a take-off on the movie's title and was meant to suggest that Westbury was a good place to live, a place that stood for accepting people of all sorts, a community that embraced diversity The village is served primarily by the Westbury Union Free School District , although the westernmost portions of the village are served by the Carle Place Union Free School District . Westbury is served by
4290-506: Was acquired in 1983 by Rick and Joe Inatome and, now known as Inacomp, became the second largest computer retailer in the US with sales over $ 500 million ($ 1.29 billion in 2023) / year in computer products. By 1985, market conditions in computer retailing had changed. As computers were less of a mystery to more people, profit margins began to drop. Retailers who offered business-to-business consultative services to sell computer systems could no longer afford expensive salespeople. Taking
4356-940: Was named president of the new company. The stores resembled CompUSA 's super center concepts, but lacked the financial backing CompUSA had. CompUSA, having a larger market share , bought the company, and in the process, shut down one of its smaller competitors. Two types of store models existed, one was a full size store with an in house Tandy Repair Center similar to a freestanding Tandy Repair Center (later RadioShack Service Centers) that continued to serve RadioShack stores. These stores had sub-departments for business sales that would just handle business orders for companies and other organizations, they also offered in store customer training classes for software such as Microsoft Excel , Word , and PowerPoint . Some of these locations were as big as some Best Buy Stores. They also operated Computer City Express stores which had no service center in them, nor did they offer classes. They were closer in size to
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