20 Ga. stores among 155 Circuit City is closing

RICHMOND, Va. - Circuit City says it's closing about 20 percent of its U.S. stores in an effort to return the nation's second-largest consumer electronics retailer to profitability... including 20 in Georgia

The Richmond, Va.-based company said Monday it will shutter 155 of its more than 700 stores in 12 markets by Dec. 31, laying off thousands of employees.

Circuit City has had only one profitable quarter in the past year, posting a wider second-quarter loss in September with a 13.3 percent decline in sales at stores open at least a year. Its results have weakened amid a deteriorating retail environment and heightened competition from rival Best Buy Co. and others.

The company is reviewing its operations while exploring strategic alternatives.

Among the Georgia stores that will close are four in the Gainesville area in Buford (Mall of Georgia), Athens, Cumming and the one at Gwinnett Place Mall.

See the link below for a list of all the stores that will close.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)

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On the Net:

Circuit City. http://investor.circuitcity.com/announcement.cfm

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/11/214855