HHGregg to add 900 jobs, 20 stores and more here this fall
HHGregg Inc., an appliance and electronics retailer, will hire more than 900 workers to staff at least 20 new stores and a distribution center that are expected to open here this fall, a company executive said Wednesday.
Gregg Throgmartin, chief operating officer and grandson of HHGregg’s founder, Fansy Gregg, told the Daily Herald that the Indianapolis-based retailer plans an aggressive expansion here and will cater to consumers with a different strategy.
He said the store locations will include the Woodfield Village Green, 1470 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg; Townline Commons, 555 E. Townline Road, Vernon Hills; and 5701 W. Touhy Ave., Niles. Other possible locations include Naperville, Gurnee, Bloomingdale, Geneva and Joliet. The company is still in the midst of signing leases.
The retailer already has opened 43 stores since last April. More are planned for Pittsburgh, Miami and elsewhere, Throgmartin said.
“You won’t pay any more than, say, Walmart or Best Buy, but the difference is our people,” Throgmartin said. “We put them through 200 hours of training, and they’ll be the most knowledgeable sales associates you’ll ever have.”
Founded in 1955, HHGregg now has 174 stores in 15 states. Each store carries the same merchandise, including mobile phones, tablets and PCs, along with an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless. Other products include TVs, mattresses, washers, dryers and other appliances.
“The consumers will vote with their wallets,” Throgmartin said. “They all want an alternative and they’re driving our expansion.”
HHGregg intends to open at least 20 stores here, all on the same day this fall. Throgmartin said the grand opening date will be announced later. But more stores likely will be added here in the future.
Some stores will occupy former Circuit City sites. Others likely are former Linen’s N Things and Wickes Furniture stores, now empty after their bankruptcies.
“I think they’ll do great here,” said John Melaniphy Sr., principal and retail analyst with Chicago-based Melaniphy & Associates. “They’ll fill the gap left by Circuit City and provide competition against Best Buy, which has had some difficulties. HHGregg is a very aggressive merchant.”
The depressed real estate market and many people seeking jobs also offer the company some opportunities here, Throgmartin said.
They will all have “a more mature, professional work force, people who want to build a career with us and build a clientele in this market,” Throgmartin said.
“This is their profession, not a pass-through job,” he said.
The brightly colored stores are geared more toward women shoppers, because studies indicate more women make the decisions on purchases, said Throgmartin, an MBA graduate of the University of Chicago.
Unlike other retailers, HHGregg allows customers 30 days to return products without restocking fees, he said.
“We will empower our managers to use common sense and serve our customers,” Throgmartin said. He said he is personally involved with the hiring process.