Circuit City's 2018 resurrection hits a snag

The site relaunch announced in early January has been delayed in order to prepare for a higher volume of traffic, the company says.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice

I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.

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Lori Grunin

Feb. 16, 2018 8:09 a.m. PT

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A view from the inside the Circuit City store in NYC's Union Square, the week before it died in January 2009.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Big-box retailer Circuit City died in 2009 but at last month's CES the owner of the CC brand announced that it will "relaunch with a dynamic, social-focused e-commerce site, along with various concepts of innovative retail stores, and unprecedented e-commerce technology offerings." That launch was supposed to happen Thursday.

Supposed to happen. In an interview with industry daily Twice, CEO Ronny Shmoel said the launch was delayed because "his information-only corporate site had been 'inundated with visitors' in advance of the launch, and has already received hundreds of thousands of mailing list sign-ups," and that he wanted to beef it up so it wouldn't crash under the load on day 1.

There's no new date, just "shortly" per the article.

However, this isn't the first time its relaunch has been delayed. Shmoel bought the brand from retailer Systemax in 2015 and announced a relaunch for June 2016; that month, he announced a delay because it was "taking our time to get it right." No press release was issued this time.

Buried at the bottom of the Twice interview it says "he has also received strong interest from national retailers in his plan for turn-key Circuit City tech shops that can be placed within their stores." Get ready.

The company didn't immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.