Circuit City Stores (CarMax Group) Reports Record October Sales

5 November 1999

    RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 4 -- Circuit City Stores, Inc. today
reported October 1999 sales for the company, the Circuit City Group
and the CarMax Group .

    Circuit City Stores, Inc.
    For the month, total sales for Circuit City Stores, Inc. rose 19 percent
to $926.6 million from $781.2 million in October 1998.

    Circuit City Group
    Total sales for the Circuit City Group were $758.5 million, which
represents a 14 percent increase from October 1998 sales of $663.9 million and
an 8 percent increase in comparable store sales.

    "Circuit City's October sales reflect continued healthy growth across all
our major product categories," said Richard L. Sharp, Circuit City's chairman
and chief executive officer. "Personal computers and newer technologies remain
the fastest growing product areas."
    Sharp also announced that Ann-Marie Stephens has joined Circuit City
Stores, Inc. as vice president, strategic planning.  Most recently, Stephens
served as director, technology and marketing, with The Frito-Lay Company.  She
also has an extensive background in consumer and market research, program
strategy and management, product development and organizational development
with The Procter & Gamble Company.  "We believe that Ann-Marie's broad
consumer marketing background will contribute to Circuit City's continued
development," said Sharp.
    During the month, Circuit City opened nine Superstores, entering the
markets of Abilene, Texas; Texarkana/Shreveport, La.; Tupelo, Miss.; Erie,
Pa.; and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and adding Superstores in the Los Angeles, Calif.;
Orlando, Fla.; and Wheeling, W. Va., markets.  The company replaced an
existing electronics-only store with a Superstore in the Huntington, W. Va.,
market.

    CarMax Group
    Total sales for the CarMax Group were $168.1 million, which represents a
43 percent increase from October 1998 sales of $117.3 million and a 4 percent
increase in comparable store sales.
    "We are pleased that comparable store sales have strengthened, driven
primarily by improvements in our used-car business," said Sharp.
"Nevertheless, our five stand-alone new-car stores continued to ramp at a
slower pace than initial expectations, and the overall new-car sales pace
moderated slightly."
    Circuit City is a leading national retailer of brand-name consumer
electronics, personal computers, major appliances and entertainment software.
CarMax is the nation's leading specialty retailer of used cars and a rapidly
growing new-car retailer.  With headquarters in Richmond, Va., Circuit City
Stores, Inc. at the end of October operated 560 Circuit City Superstores, one
consumer electronics-only store, 45 mall-based Circuit City Express stores and
37 CarMax locations, including 32 used-car superstores and 19 new-car
franchises.

    This release may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to
risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks associated with
the development of new business concepts and risks associated with year 2000
issues.  Additional discussion of factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and
expectations is contained in the company's SEC filings.