The bulk of the company's business was based on web and catalog computer electronics sales, where TigerDirect has carved out a niche by placing a heavy emphasis on rebate marketing as a way to offer lower prices.

[1] The company was founded as BLOC Development Corp., a publisher of utility and application software products starting with FormTool, in 1985.

Unfortunately, the new model under the leadership of Gilbert Fiorentino was unprofitable, and the company was sold in distress to Global DirectMail (now known as Systemax).

In 1996, after an aborted attempt at acquisition by Hanover House, it was acquired by Systemax (NYSE: SYX)[2] On January 6, 2008, Systemax announced the acquisition of the CompUSA brand, trademarks and e-commerce business, and as many as 16 CompUSA retail outlets in Illinois, Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

[5] On March 16, 2015, TigerDirect announced that it would close all but three of its retail stores in an effort to focus exclusively on online and business-to-business sales.

[7] In November 2015, PCM Inc. acquired Systemax's "North American Technology Group", including TigerDirect, for $14 million.

Its Canadian website closed in November 2019,[12] and in the end of March 2023 the company ceased all retail operations.

[15] InfoWorld's Robert X. Cringely reported in 2006 that "Tiger's sister company OnRebate.com, which handles payouts for the discount dealer, appears to specialize in the 'insufficient documentation' gambit,"[16][17] Consumer-reported difficulties obtaining the rebates led to an investigation by the Florida Attorney General[18][19] and a failure to maintain a satisfactory BBB rating.

[20] According to a former controller at TigerDirect, improperly unpaid rebates were intentional: "...the concept was that if the customer complains, you send them out the check to make them happy.

[21] Systemax responded that a separate class action lawsuit making similar allegations had been filed in federal court in 2007 and was dismissed on August 31, 2009.

The show featured a consumer who had purchased several computers from the retailer and subsequently gave a poor review for service.

[26] In 2014, brothers Carl and Gilbert Fiorentino were arrested and charged in federal court with scheming to obtain $9 million in kickbacks and other benefits and to hide their gains from the Internal Revenue Service while working as senior executives at Systemax Inc. and its TigerDirect Inc. unit.

The government alleged the brothers schemed to obtain kickbacks for steering company business to certain contractors between 2002 and 2011.