CarMax to Celebrate Grand Opening of Chicago Store
12 May 1998
CarMax Changing the Way Consumers Buy Cars
Company Provides 240 Jobs at New Hillside Location/
Offers Consumers Education Seminars on Buying/Maintaining Their Cars
RICHMOND, Va., May 11 -- CarMax(R), the pioneer of the used-
car superstore concept, will extend its "stress-free" car buying experience to
another Chicago suburb with the grand opening of its Hillside superstore on
May 19.
CarMax announced today a schedule of Grand Opening activities to welcome
Hillside and near west suburban shoppers to its new superstore, located at 101
North Wolf Road in the Hillside Shopping Plaza. Among the many events planned
is a sneak preview that includes a "Country and Western Barbecue" May 16 from
12 noon to 4:00 p.m. Consumers are encouraged to attend this preview and enjoy
food, games and family fun and witness for themselves CarMax's revolutionary
car-buying experience.
In addition, a series of special events begins on May 19 and includes
everything from stress-relieving backrubs by "The Great American Backrub(R)"
to consumer education seminars on "How to Buy a Used Car" and "Keeping Your
Car Safe for Your Family."
"CarMax looks forward to becoming part of the Hillside area and Chicago's
western suburbs," said Joe Kunkel, vice president of marketing and strategy
for CarMax. "We feel these events will help introduce the community to
CarMax's consumer-friendly car-buying experience." The 19-acre, 80,000-
square-foot Hillside sales and service facility will employ approximately
240 people and will be one of the largest locations serving Chicagoland.
"We welcome CarMax as an important and vital member of the Hillside
community," said Hillside Mayor Joseph T. Tamburino. "We wish them much
success and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership."
Used-car sales total about $300 billion a year -- as big a business as new
cars. Consumers buy three times as many used cars as new cars annually.
CarMax has been revolutionizing the way consumers buy cars since opening its
first store in 1993. CarMax locations offer hundreds of top-quality used
cars and trucks; low, no-haggle prices; 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. The company expects to operate approximately 27 locations by the end of
its fiscal year and 80 to 90 by calendar year 2001.
The Hillside location will have capacity for 650 used vehicles, including
light and full-size trucks; sport-utility vehicles; minivans; sub-compact,
compact and luxury cars. Store hours are Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to
9:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Service hours are Monday
through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Hillside location is the third CarMax store to open in the Chicagoland
area and the 21st scheduled to open in the country. CarMax entered the
Chicago market in late February with the opening of its Naperville store. Its
second store, in Tinley Park, opened in April. A fourth store at 250 East
Golf Road in Schaumburg is expected to open in June. Plans for additional
locations in the North Shore, Gurnee and Merrillville, Ind. are under
development.
"The Hillside location gives more Chicago consumers convenient access to
CarMax's consumer offer," said Kunkel.
The company's Norcross, Ga., used-car superstore, a seller of new
Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep-and-Eagle vehicles and used cars, also recently
received Chrysler Corporation's top Pacesetters Club Award as the highest
volume retail dealer among all U.S. Chrysler Pacesetters Club members. The
Norcross location received the award after qualifying for Chrysler's
prestigious Five Star rating earlier this year. To achieve membership in the
Pacesetters Club, a dealer must be one of the 100 highest volume dealers among
those who have qualified for the Five Star Award. The Five Star rating
requires that a dealer achieve specific objectives for customer satisfaction,
sales and vehicle repair, as well as employee training and facility
maintenance. In January 1998, the Stockbridge, Ga., store, which also sells
Chrysler-Plymouth-Jeep-and-Eagle vehicles, was awarded the Five Star rating.
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. With headquarters in
Richmond, Va., Circuit City operates 21 CarMax Auto Superstores, including the
Hillside location; 503 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.
Editor's Note: Joe Kunkel, vice president of marketing and strategy for
CarMax, will be available May 19, at the Hillside location, for one-on-one
interviews. Please call Susan Schneider, 847-438-4466, to schedule an
interview.
Also, see the enclosed Hillside Grand Opening Schedule of Events for
additional Grand Opening details.
CarMax(R)
Hillside Grand Opening
Schedule of Events
Pre-Opening Activities_Week of May 11, 1998
May 16, 1998
Community sneak preview "CarMax Country barbecue"
* Food and entertainment available (12 noon-2 p.m.)
* Snacks (12 noon-4 p.m.)
Children's activities
* Clown
Grand Opening_Week of May 18, 1998
Theme: Relax, it's CarMax
May 19, 1998
Grand Opening Ceremonies (10:30 a.m.)
* CarMax welcome to community
* Welcoming comments by local dignitaries
* Keys presented to first customer
* Ribbon cutting
* Coffee/Breakfast (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Coffee available (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Breakfast available (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
May 20, 1998
CarMax Consumer Series, (1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)
Topic: How to Buy a Used Car
May 21, 1998
CarMax Discussion (1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)
50 minutes presentation, 20 minutes Q&A
Topic: Tips on Relieving Stress conducted by Eric and Misty
Soderholm
May 22, 1998
Drawings for "relaxing" prizes
* Grand Geneva Resort & Spa (one certificate)
* SoderWorld Holistic Health and Wellness Center (one certificate)
May 23, 1998
Radio remote
Stress-relieving backrubs from The Great American Backrub
(12 noon-6 p.m.)
Blood pressure screening (12 noon-4 p.m.)
"Comfort" food available (12 noon-2 p.m.)
Snacks available (12 noon-4 p.m.)
Drawings for "relaxing" prizes
* One certificate for the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa
* Four certificates for SoderWorld
General children's activities
* Clown
* Face-painting
Week of May 25, 1998
Theme: CarFest Family Week
May 25, 1998
Memorial Day celebration
Snacks (12 noon-4 p.m.)
Seminar: Driving Vacation Celebration
* Family driving vacation ideas (places destinations, maps)
* "How To's" for Kids
May 27, 1998
CarMax Consumer Series (1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)
Topic: Car Maintenance
May 28, 1998
"What's your auto asset?"
Free car wash for all cars estimated at CarMax
May 30, 1998
Radio remote, TBD
Snacks (12-4 p.m.)
Family "Car"icatures (1-3 p.m.)
Children's activities_
* Tattoos
* "Draw Your Family Car" with prizes
Week of June 1, 1998
Theme: MAXimizing Safety
June 3, 1998
CarMax Consumer Series (1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)
Topic: Keeping Your Car Safe for Your Family
June 4, 1998
Car safety check from CarMax (performed free of charge)
June 6, 1998
Snacks (12 noon-4 p.m.)
Children's activities_
* Clown
* Coloring for safety
Week of June 8, 1998
Theme: MAXimizing the CarMax Advantage
June 10, 1998
CarMax Consumer series (1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)
Topic: How to Buy a Used Car
June 11, 1998
Discussion (7:30 p.m.)
Topic: Summer Driving Safety for Teens
Racing sign-up
* Stop by to enter your son/daughter in the CarMax Grand Prix
June 13, 1998
Snacks (12 noon-4 p.m.)
Remote car races on the lot for kids -- weather permitting
SOURCE CarMax