Circuit City announces February relaunch, enlists IBM Watson as shopping assistant

Fans of the electronics store "where service is state of the art" will soon get to shop at Circuit City once again.

The electronics store, which has been out of business for nearly a decade, will come back online and launch "innovative retail stores," according to a press release on the company's website.

The relaunch will begin Feb. 15, reports consumer electronics magazine Twice, who attended the press briefing at the Consumer Electronics Show. The company will first launch a website and then will expand to kiosks, stores-in-stores and finally showrooms.

CEO Ronny Shmoel said at the briefing that the experiential site will have videos, virtual vignettes, search-by-photo, augmented reality and real-time tech support via video chat, Twice reported. The goal of the site is to transform the online shopping experience from "search-find-buy" to "play-explore-learn."

To guide this experience, the company has enlisted IBM Watson as a personal shopping assistant.

"After evaluating other options Circuit City selected IBM because of its aligned vision with AI and how this technology can ultimately transform how clients shop for electronics. The IBM web commerce platform will allow Circuit City to expand offerings for a personalized shopping experience and enhance the product discovery journey," reads the press release.

The relaunch had been in the works since two years ago, when the company told Twice that they had plans to revive but were taking their time to "get it right."