On the Decline of Computer City

This month, for the computer DIY enthusiasts, there was a major event: the “Pacific Digital Computer City” in Zhongguancun was officially closed on July 1. As the largest gathering place of computer stores in China, this move of Zhongguancun undoubtedly has symbolic significance. This may symbolize the gradual decline of the operating unit of Computer City. I remember when the word "DIY" was popular in the streets in 2000, when people were proud of the "DIY", computer city advertisements were overwhelming and new computer cities were opened every year. Huahai 3C, 100 Brain City, Lion Computer City, Cyberspace Cyberport, Fortune China Cyberport, and so on, all the time, making computer city quickly into people's entertainment life. At that time, the installation and downtime were synonymous with fashion and professionalism, as if someone who didn't say a few words like "Voodoo" and "Front Side Bus" wouldn't appear. However, by the year of 2011, the current state of Computer City has become worrying.

In the past few years, the counters selling computers have occupied the first and second floors with the largest traffic volume in Computer City. However, except for the part of the first floor that is still left to all brands of computers and notebooks, the rest are forced. Give way to other digital products, MP3, MP4, Apple, digital cameras, video cameras, etc., DIY store has been pushed to the fourth or fifth floor. In the past, dozens of machines were installed every day. Under the current soliciting enthusiasm of shopkeepers, there are still several units that cannot be installed. This situation is embarrassing. So why did Computer City decline?

First, the pace of social life is getting faster and faster now. People have no energy to study computer hardware. The so-called "DIY" is not simply to put various accessories together, but after understanding its specific properties and the compatibility among them, it is necessary to spend a certain amount of time to accumulate knowledge by selecting the hardware suitable for its own needs. But this seems to be out of date for current consumers, and only those simple ones will win the favor of most people, such as the iPad that can be operated with only one finger.

Second, the audience for computer hardware DIY is getting smaller and smaller. The development of computer hardware relies heavily on the development of computer games. Before and after 2006, computer stand-alone games experienced a gradual transition from boom to decline. After 2009, computer stand-alone games fell to a freezing point. The reason for this is that Two: 1. The rise of online games. Online games have low hardware requirements and wide audiences. As a result, more and more people have moved from stand-alone camps to online games. They no longer care about the development of the hardware, so that now stand-alone games have become “non-mainstream” interests. 2, the growth of the game. Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's XBox360 not only have better game screens than their computer games at the same time, but also eliminate the need for hardware upgrades and hardware non-compliances that can cause problems after installation. Therefore, although the assembled computer is relatively inexpensive, it still cannot make up for its own shortcomings.

Third, Hongtusanbao, as well as Suning, Gome, Five Star appliances and other traditional appliance stores erode. Hongtusanbao is also a computer-based store. Although it does not have an advantage in price, it relies on its own brand and good after-sales service to defeat low-cost computer stores. Looking at Suning, Gome, and Five Stars, these home appliance stores have an extremely wide range of business. They are the places where people can often think of buying electrical appliances in their daily lives, because very few people will deliberately go to computer stores to sell computers that they don't understand so well.

Fourth, the e-commerce website that has developed rapidly in recent years. Many merchants sell hardware products through various e-commerce websites in China, lowering costs, reducing intermediate circulation, and the price can be further reduced. At the same time, they can deliver goods to their homes, which is much better than that of Computer City.

Fifth, peer competition and profit reduction. With the development of the Internet, the parameters of various hardware indicators are clear, prices have become more and more transparent, and consumers will decide whether or not to purchase after comparing the prices on the Internet and then returning to the computer city and the merchants; The large number of merchants brought by the expansion of Computer City in the year has also led to fierce peer competition. Now as soon as you step into the DIY building, the promoters of various businesses will enthusiasm to pull your arm and take you to your own shop. Together with the chaotic environment and the noisy voice, it will also make people Computer City has a bad impression. At the same time, it also makes the quality of service down, the author once saw a summer consumer in a big sweat holding a large chassis and went to the store to repair the machine, but in exchange for cold talk. Although the machine was later repaired, such service was not a grade worse than that of Suning.

So, how can Computer City save itself in the face of such internal and external problems?

First, we must expand the target market. At present, the vast majority of mainland computer stores are concentrated in first-tier cities, and the market is saturated, while the number of stores in second-tier and third-tier cities is very small. Businesses do not have to sell their products to grab consumers' arms to compete for customers. Well-developed second and third-tier cities may have great profit margins. Second, in the present society where people's consumption status and habits have been difficult to change, computer stores are only determined to change their image to give consumers a good impression, such as improving the store environment and improving the quality of sales staff. And the quality of service is no longer man-made, powerful arm, but for consumers who do not know to introduce their own products.