Chicago is a-buzz about the forthcoming CompUSA to be located in the downtown area of Chicago. This store is not your average CompUSA, it’s going to be nearly 35,000 sq. feet in size and will feature Retail 2.0 technology throughout. The Chicago Tribune visited the CompUSA Retail 2.0 demo during CES 2010 and reported on the upcoming store opening and Retail 2.0.

CompUSA … is rebooting the stores through an interactive shopping concept called Retail 2.0 and will be opening its biggest location in the country in Chicago next month.

At the new stores, in-aisle displays come with scanners, monitors and keyboards. When a shopper scans a product, a Web page appears with detailed product information and recommendations based on local inventory and what’s physically available at that store. The terminals also are open to the full Web, allowing shoppers to check their e-mail, update their Facebook account and check competitors’ sites for better deals. The retailer is ready to take that risk.

Read the rest of this entry »