Bargain Computer moves into Cheyenne with new retail outlet

LOVELAND — Noel Aungst found a niche in the computer industry, and now he’s expanding his business.

Four years ago, Aungst founded Bargain Computer Advisor, a computer retailer located in Loveland. Since its opening, the company has doubled its sales each year, and now Aungst plans to open a second store in Cheyenne.

The business is both a mail-order outlet and a local retail store. Aungst sells computers and computer products at mail-order prices, and he offers personal service.

“People are interested in pricing, but mail-order outlets don’t have good support,” he said. “We try to combine the two.”

When Aungst opened the store, he targeted local retirees and families buying computers for their children. Though he still works with these clients, the business expanded quickly, and now Bargain sends computers across the country and all over the world.

The store’s retail outlet serves several purposes. While about half of his customers’ problems can be solved over the phone or via e-mail, the other half requires personal assistance, Aungst said. Typically, when a problem occurs with a mail-order computer, the owner must send his or her computer back for repairs, and that process can take time — several weeks or more.

With a shop nearby where people can drop off their computers, Bargain Computer can turn around repairs in a couple of days, Aungst said.

Several customers who bought their computers at chain stores have brought them to Bargain for repairs, because the store can turn them around so quickly, Aungst said. He attributes about one-quarter of the company’s business to repairs.

Other problems can arise when people try to solve computer problems over the phone, especially if they don’t understand computer jargon, Aungst said.

“When you’re face to face, you can give examples without words getting in the way,” he said. “People need support, and the telephone does not always cut it.”

Aungst hopes to open more stores across the country so that customers can physically go in for assistance. A couple of stores in every state would be appropriate, he said.

Opening a location in Cheyenne is the first step. Aungst wants to expand the Wyoming market by having a direct outlet in Cheyenne. Although he has not yet picked a site for the new location, he is training a new manager.

The presence of another computer retailer and service provider in Cheyenne will stiffen competition significantly, said Roy Greathouse, general manager of Connecting Point, a computer retailer in Cheyenne.

“If another competitor comes to town, someone will suffer,” Greathouse said.

For the size of the population, a surplus of computer dealers already exists, he said.

As Bargain Computer expands its retail business, the company’s mail-order business will remain in Loveland.

“We have a good reputation in town,” Aungst said. “People want someone who can reliably help them.”

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