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Tech District · VIDEO ESSAY

The Rise and Fall of Circuit City, the Richmond Electronics Superstore America Loved to Explore

Circuit City was once one of America’s biggest electronics retailers—a Richmond, Virginia company where customers could spend hours browsing televisions, computers, stereos, appliances, and the latest technology. But behind its massive stores and rapid expansion was a business struggling to keep up with a changing retail world. This is the story of Circuit City’s rise, its dominance in American electronics, the decisions that weakened the company, and its eventual collapse. From the golden age of big-box electronics to the rise of Best Buy and online shopping, discover what really happened to Circuit City—and why one of America’s most recognizable retailers disappeared.

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Circuit City was once one of America’s biggest electronics retailers—a Richmond, Virginia company where customers could spend hours browsing televisions, computers, stereos, appliances, and the latest technology.

But behind its massive stores and rapid expansion was a business struggling to keep up with a changing retail world. This is the story of Circuit City’s rise, its dominance in American electronics, the decisions that weakened the company, and its eventual collapse.

From the golden age of big-box electronics to the rise of Best Buy and online shopping, discover what really happened to Circuit City—and why one of America’s most recognizable retailers disappeared.

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