Micro Center
TypePrivate
FoundedColumbus, Ohio
1979; 44 years ago (1979)[1]
FoundersJohn Baker and Bill Bayne[2]
Headquarters
Hilliard, Ohio
,
U.S.
Key people
ProductsComputers, Consumer Electronics & Accessories
Revenue$2.4 billion (2015[6])
Number of employees
2,750 (2016[6])
ParentMicro Electronics, Inc.
Websitewww.microcenter.com
The former Micro Center store in Houston, Texas, which was replaced with a newly constructed 32,000 square foot store in 2015[7]
The Micro Center store in Columbus, Ohio
The Apple department in Micro Center Queens, New York

Micro Center is an American computer retail store, headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio. It was founded in 1979, and as of 2023, has 26 stores in 16 states.

History

Micro Center was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1979 by John Baker and Bill Bayne, two former Radio Shack employees, with a $35,000 investment.[2][8] The first Micro Center store was established in a 900 sq ft (84 m2) storefront located in the Lane Avenue Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio. The store benefited from its proximity to Ohio State University and the scientific think-tank Battelle Memorial Institute, which provided a large customer base and a source of computer-literate salespeople.[9] Their goal for the first year was $30 million in sales, and they achieved $29.9 million.[8] In 2009, Micro Center developed an "18-minute pickup" service where customers who order merchandise on their website can pick it up from the store in 18 minutes.[10]

In January 2014, the company planned to open two new New York City stores in Brooklyn and Queens.[11]

Per 2023, there are 26 Micro Center stores nationwide in 17 states, including California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. 2 future stores are planned for 2024, one of them announced for Miami, Florida and the other announced for Charlotte, North Carolina.[12]

Corporate structure

Micro Center is a subsidiary of Micro Electronics, Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio.[13]

Stores are sized up to 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2), stocking about 36,000 products across 700 categories, including major name brands and Micro Center's own brands.[14] Micro Center is an approved seller of all Apple products.[11] The company has had Apple departments in all stores since 1982, and has included "Build Your Own PC" departments, "Knowledge Bars" for service and support, and "Knowledge Theaters" for free classes on weekends since 2007.[2][15]

Public profile

Micro Center was the first retailer in the United States to sell the DJI Mavic Pro drone, launching it by hosting a three-day demonstration in their Columbus store's parking lot which was open to the press and the public.[10]

In a 2015 interview, Micro Center CEO Rick Mershad described how their product line is changing: the STEM movement is driving students and adults to make their own creations, and Micro Center is focusing on Arduino projects and Raspberry Pi, which require more consultative selling.[16]

Media reception

Joan Verdon of The Record noted that meeting customer's needs with a high level of service and skilled salespeople are Micro Center's "claim to fame". She also quoted Doug Olenick, editor at TWICE, a major consumer electronics trade publication, who said that the store's salespeople, compared to others in the industry, are extremely well trained.[9]

In 2021, the store started to offer a free solid-state drive to new customers, but Storage Review was not sold, concluding "it's free, but it's still not worth it". More generally, they noted that: "Micro Center's Inland brand is to tech what Amazon's dozens of brands are to toilet paper, shampoo, and such."[17]

Awards and rankings

In 2014, Micro Center was ranked number 93 in the list of 100 hottest retailers in the US, compiled by the National Retail Federation.[18]

In 2015, the industry trade journal Dealerscope ranked it as the 18th largest consumer electronics retailer in the United States and Canada.[19]

In 2016, Forbes magazine ranked it 195th among America's largest private companies.[6]

In October 2016, Micro Center stores won first and second prizes in Intel's annual "Score with Intel Core" competition, and donated their prize money to local schools.[20][21]

In 2019, Micro Center stores won first and third prizes, making two more prize money donations to local schools.[22][23]

See also

According to the American business research company Hoover's, the major competitors to Micro Center's parent company Micro Electronics are:[14]

References

  1. ^ Eaton, Dan (January 16, 2014). "Micro Center opening stores in Brooklyn, Queens". Columbus Business First. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Franklin, Peter D. (November 4, 1990). "The Miracle on Lane Avenue". The Columbus Dispatch.
  3. ^ "For Profit Corporation Annual Report" (PDF). www.sos.ks.gov. September 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "Peggy Wolfe at Micro Electronics, Inc.: Chief Operating Officer". leadferret.com. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  5. ^ "Trademark/Service Mark Application, Principal Register". tsdr.uspto.gov. August 16, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Micro Electronics on the Forbes America's Largest Private Companies List". Forbes. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  7. ^ "S&P selected to build new Micro Center store near Galleria". Houston Chronicle. April 21, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Columbus Dispatch DFAS Magazine, "Doing the Right Thing Right" December 1995, p.12
  9. ^ a b Verdon, Joan (March 16, 2007). "Service is their password - Computer chain to open N.J. store". The Record. Hackensack, NJ. p. B01. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Micro Center First Retailer to Host DJI Mavic Pro Experience". News Channel 10. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Eaton, Dan (January 16, 2014). "Micro Center opening stores in Brooklyn, Queens". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Avram Piltch (June 20, 2023). "Micro Center to Launch New Stores in Miami and Charlotte Next Year". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  13. ^ Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies. Hoover's, Incorporated. March 2001. ISBN 978-1-57311-067-9.
  14. ^ a b "Company Profile - Micro Electronics Inc". Hoover's (a subsidiary of Dun and Bradstreet). Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  15. ^ Verdon, Joan (April 27, 2007). "Steady as she grows". The Record. Hackensack, NJ. p. B01. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  16. ^ Adafruit Industries: Interview with Microcenter CEO Rick Mershad on YouTube
  17. ^ Beeler, Brian (August 24, 2021). "How Good is Micro Center's Free SSD?". StorageReview.com. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  18. ^ Malone, JD (August 2, 2014). "Columbus companies among top retailers". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  19. ^ Spinale, Laura (2015). "Top 101 CE Retailers: Retailers Post Modest Increases in a Turbulent Marketplace". Dealerscope. North American Publishing Co. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  20. ^ "Micro Center to Present $45,000 in Donations from Intel to Local Schools". www.prnewswire.com. October 11, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  21. ^ McGowan, Mary Kate (October 24, 2016). "Computer store to donate $10,000 to Powers Ferry Elementary". Marietta Daily Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  22. ^ Brubaker, Paul. "Intel, Micro Center Bolster District's One-to-One Device Initiative with Donation of $25,000 to Buy 40 Dell Chromebooks" (PDF). Paterson Public Schools. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  23. ^ "Score with Intel Core". East Meadow School District. Retrieved March 29, 2020.

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