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The contents of Circuit City's coffin are likely to be snapped up by a sharp-eyed operator called Systemax.

Who is Systemax? In business since 1949, it's the company that founded TigerDirect in 2003 and acquired the assets of CompUSA when it went out of business in 2008.

Soon it will be the proud owner of Circuit City's brandname, trademarks, domain names, web content, customer data, and toll-free numbers, among other things. One likely result is that Circuit may have a web presence comparable to that of CompUSA. Also, given that Systemax has opened 30 new CompUSA stores, it's not inconceivable that Circuit may regain at least a little of its former brick-and-mortar presence.

Could this mark a turning point for the consumer electronics industry in the rocky economy? Till now, the losers have gotten all the attention, especially in retail. But now the winners are stepping into the spotlight. They include Amazon, Walmart, and quite possibly Systemax.

Before Circuit becomes a subsidiary of Systemax, the deal will have to clear the bankruptcy courts and an auction process, according to This Week In Consumer Electronics.

In other Circuit City news, its gift cards are being redeemed by hhgregg, and its credit card operation will be taken over by Best Buy.