CarMax(R) Welcomes First Garland Customer
18 May 1998
CarMax(R) Welcomes First Garland CustomerRICHMOND, Va., May 18 -- CarMax Auto Superstores, the pioneer of the used-car superstore concept, kicked off grand opening ceremonies at its Garland location this morning by recognizing the store's first customer, Patti Barclay of Garland. This morning's Grand Opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m. continues a series of Grand Opening activities that began May 16 with a "CarMax Country Barbecue." CarMax Vice President Mark O'Neil welcomed Barclay and numerous local dignitaries, including Texas State Representative Joe Driver and Mayor Jim Spence, to the new Superstore. Festivities also included remarks from attending dignitaries, presentation of keys to the first customer and continental breakfast. The Garland Superstore is located at 12715 Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Freeway at Northwest Highway in Garland. To commemorate the store's first sale, Barclay was presented with a Kenwood multi-disc compact disc player for her newly purchased 1996 Honda Passport. The Kenwood CD player that Barclay received, as well as numerous other vehicle accessories, are sold at all CarMax locations. Installation is available at no additional charge through in-store "Roadshops" at Circuit City Superstores. CarMax is a subsidiary of Circuit City Stores, Inc., the nation's leading retailer of brand-name consumer electronics and major appliances and a leading retailer of personal computers and music software. Barclay purchased the first vehicle sold at the Garland location when the store opened Friday. She decided to visit the new CarMax because she was shopping for something to replace her previous vehicle. She heard about the Garland CarMax from a friend who works at the new superstore. "My friend told me they had a 'no-haggle' policy that made it easy and comfortable to shop," Barclay said. Before visiting CarMax, she browsed at other area dealerships and looked in the local classified ads but could not locate a vehicle that she was interested in purchasing. "I had been looking for a sport utility vehicle for several days...I was about to give up because I didn't think I could afford one," Barclay said. "So I went to CarMax planning to buy a car, but when I started looking at their prices, I realized I would be able to afford a sport utility vehicle." "It was really simple. I didn't have to negotiate the price or anything. And I didn't run into the hassle I had found at other dealerships," Barclay said. "I will recommend CarMax to my friends." CarMax has been revolutionizing the way consumers think about automobile purchases since opening its first store in 1993. CarMax locations offer hundreds of top-quality used cars and trucks; low prices with no negotiating; and customer-friendly service throughout the buying experience. The company began development of the auto superstore concept in 1991 and opened the first store of its kind in Richmond, Va. With headquarters in Richmond, Va., Circuit City Stores, Inc. operates 20 CarMax Auto Superstores, including the Garland location; 502 Circuit City Superstores; four consumer electronics-only stores; and 52 mall-based Circuit City Express stores. The company's CarMax Group common stock trades under the symbol "KMX." Additional CarMax information is available at http://www.carmax.com. The Circuit City Group common stock trades under the symbol "CC." Additional Circuit City information is available at http://www.circuitcity.com.