CompUSA plans to permanently shut down corporate operations by March 14, resulting in 638 people losing their jobs, the Dallas-based company wrote to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Some employees will start leaving Feb. 8 as workloads decline, according to a notice from Ed Coder, CompUSA's senior director of human resources. The notice was released Thursday by the Workforce Commission.
CompUSA is in the process of closing its 103 stores after the chain was purchased Dec. 7 by Gordon Brothers Group LLC.
The job losses referred to in the letter are at corporate offices at 14951 North Dallas Parkway in Dallas, 1301 Avenue T in Grand Prairie and 1001 Nolen Drive in Grapevine.
The letter is the first time that CompUSA officials confirmed the number of corporate job losses, but it didn't mention store employees. CompUSA's stores are in 68 markets, including one in Plano and one in Frisco.
Stores are holding going-out-of-business sales. The company said Dec. 14 that stores would close within eight weeks.
Boston-based Gordon Brothers, which specializes in retail restructurings and liquidations, is trying to sell some stores; CompUSA TechPro, the technical services unit; and CompUSA.com, its Internet sales operation.
A spokesman for CompUSA didn't return messages requesting comment.
The consumer electronics retailer struggled to find a profitable position in a market dominated by discounters such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and Fry's, and online sellers Tiger Direct and Newegg.
It shifted strategies to sell flat-panel TVs and focus on the small-business customer, and it closed more than half its stores last winter.
In 2006, its Mexican parent company, Grupo Carso SA, hired Credit Suisse to explore alternatives for the chain.
Grupo Carso is controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú.
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