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"Well, the deals seem OK, but I think if I wait a little longer I can get a much better price," Martin Kramer of eastern Henrico County said yesterday.
Kramer was shopping for a digital camera at the Circuit City store in The Shops at White Oak Village. The Olympus he had his eye on was 30 percent off, selling for $209.99, discounted from $299.99.
Kramer said he was told the store had several more in stock, so he would risk losing it to save a few more dollars.
"I can afford it now, but man, 20 bucks is 20 bucks," he said.
Many customers out shopping yesterday felt the same way, saying there was plenty of merchandise on the shelves and that they felt comfortable waiting a few more days.
"I've been coming in on my lunch hour for about a week waiting to see how far prices drop," said Sara Wolgemuth, standing outside the Chesterfield County store off Huguenot Road.
Wolgemuth is looking at DVD collections of some of her favorite TV shows, but is waiting for a bigger discount than the 25 percent she can get now.
She isn't sure how much prices would have to drop for her to buy, but says "I'll know when the price is right."
How that mentality is affecting sales at Circuit City's 567 stores is unclear.
The Henrico retailer, which filed for bankruptcy in November and announced last month that it would go out of business, would not comment on performance.
Sandy Feldman, vice president of Great American Group, one of four liquidators charged with selling off store merchandise, would say only that the liquidation is "going as planned." The liquidators have said the discounts will increase as the amount of merchandise dwindles. The stores are set to close by March 31 at the latest.
On street corners yesterday, bundled-up hawkers stood with signs proclaiming 50 percent discounts at Circuit City.
But inside the Circuit City on West Broad Street at Gaskins Road, the only items marked 50 percent off were radio installation kits and harnesses in the rear of the store.
Other discounts ranged from 30 percent off cameras to 20 percent off TV sets.
But even at that, some prices were still higher at Circuit City than at its competitors.
A 40-inch Sony Bravia HDTV at the store in eastern Henrico was selling for $1,039.99, discounted from $1,299.99.
The same set was selling at the Target next door for $999.99. There was an additional $100 discount for customers opening credit card accounts.
The set was also on sale for $999.99 at the Best Buy across Laburnum Avenue.
But there are deals to be had.
The camera Kramer was holding out on, an Olympus Stylus 1050, was selling yesterday for $299.99 on OlympusAmerica.com. CNET, a Web site specializing in technology products, listed 10 online stores selling the camera at prices ranging from $228 to $299.99.
David Urban, a professor of marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the problem isn't the prices, but customer expectations.
"The problem with customer perceptions of liquidation sales is that people assume they are going to get once-in-a-lifetime deals on the items in the store," he said. "So, they are disappointed if they walk in and prices are not as low as they thought they would be."
Urban said customers need to realize that even though Circuit City is in its final throes, it still needs money.
"The objective of a liquidation sale is not merely to get rid of merchandise -- it is to do so and still be able to get some get some sort of financial return -- especially at the outset," he said.
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Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or LLLovio@timesdispatch.com.
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