Doors open at hhgregg
By Bob Lowry
Montgomery Advertiser
Managers and employees of hhgregg gave a "Hey, Montgomery" shoutout Thursday afternoon when they opened the doors to about 400 shoppers at the chain's new appliance and consumer electronics store in the Capital City.
Customers lined up outside the store with yellow hhgregg shopping carts while a solo guitarist entertained them. After a ribbon-cutting ceremony, they streamed into the 30,000-square-foot store at 2645 East Blvd.
Long checkout lines immediately formed, with many shoppers saying they were getting an early jump on Christmas shopping because of the opening day specials. Broksonic televisions stacked at the front of the store were priced at $69.97 for 19-inch models and $189.97 for 27-inch versions.
"I came down here for Christmas presents and a small DVD player for a gift -- $19, you can't beat that," said Ulysses White of Tuskegee. White also was interested in a 13-inch TV for his car that was selling for $39.97.
Gayle Loyd, 55, of Montgomery toured the new store with her husband.
"We're just basically here to see the grand opening and do some price comparisons with the holiday season coming up," she said.
Loyd said she checked the store's prices in an advertising flier Thursday morning and was impressed. "I think they'll do well here," she said. "I think that's why there are so many people here."
The Indianapolis-based appliance and consumer electronics chain jumped into competition in the tri-county area against much larger national competitors such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Wal-Mart.
Mike Kerlik of Atlanta, vice president of sales and store operations for hhgregg's Southern Division, said his company successfully competes against major competitors because of customer service.
"We're a value-added retailer," he said. "Everybody has prices. We guarantee the lowest price as well, but we deliver on the service, both on the front end and the back end. We do installations, we do deliveries, we come to your house. We give white-glove service."
The Montgomery store is configured about two-thirds with television, home video and audio systems. The rest is appliances and Serta bedding products.
The company has a store in Huntsville and soon will open a third Alabama location in Birmingham, said Kerlik.
Managers and sales associates from other hhgregg stores were brought in to assist in the grand opening of the Montgomery store, which will be managed by Don Barnes from hhgregg's Nashville, Tenn., store.
Kerlik said the store has hired about 50 employees, all from the Montgomery area.
The chain is the nation's seventh-largest appliance retailer and the 24th-largest consumer electronics company.
The Montgomery store is the 73rd location in the chain, which has stores in eight states including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The company also sells merchandise, in partnership with GEOnlineService.com, from its Web site at
http://www.hhgregg.com.