Best Buy is Going out of Business...Gradually

[LeMansX5]

Nice article about what people experience at Best(Worst) Buy and thier future.

I have not stepped into Worst Buy since 2008.

Why Best Buy is Going out of Business...Gradually - Forbes

This details the usual Best Buy customer experience:

A few days ago, I visited a Best Buy store in Pinole, CA with a friend. He’s a devoted consumer electronics and media shopper, and wanted to buy the 3D blu ray of “How to Train Your Dragon,” which Best Buy sells exclusively. According to the company’s website, it’s backordered but available for pickup at the store we visited. The item wasn’t there, however, and the sales staff had no information.

But my friend decided to buy some other blu-ray discs. Or at least he tried to, until we were “assisted” by a young, poorly groomed sales clerk from the TV department, who wandered over to interrogate us. What kind of TV do you have? Do you have a cable service, or a satellite service? Do you have a triple play service plan?

He was clearly—and clumsily–trying to sell some alternative. (My guess is CinemaNow, Best Buy’s private label on-demand content service.) My friend politely but firmly told him he was not interested in switching his service from Comcast. I tried to change the subject by asking if there was a separate bin for 3D blu rays; he didn’t know.

The used car style questions continued. “I have just one last question for you,” he finally said to my friend. “How much do you pay Comcast every month?”

My friend is too polite. “How is that any of your business?” I asked him. “All right then,” he said, the fake smile unaffected, “You folks have a nice day.” He slinked back to his pit.

[PersonaNonGrata]

I hate Worst Buy. I can't remember the last time I even went in but it was assuredly an unpleasant experience. I am sort of glad they are dying but at the same time, the more competition, or perceived competition, that is eliminated, the worse it gets for us consumers. I was never a fan of Circuit City or Good Guys but at least it forced competition for our consumer dollars.

Some of my experiences from Worst Buy:

• I went to handle some Canon DSLR cameras prior to an online order with B&H. I just wanted to feel how one model felt versus another. I asked the department manager (in a tie, not a blue polo shirt) what the difference between the cheaper Rebel and the 40D was, he paused, tried to think, and responded "uh, this one (the 40D) is heavier". Thanks Captain Obvious!
• I went to look at TVs with a friend. Every set they had on display had giant bright paper tags with prices on them as if they were on sale. None of them were on sale. There sales methods are based on misleading the consumer.
• A friend I was with asked what the difference between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray movies (I said I don't remember the last time I was in) was and the pimply faced kid looked at the prices of the respective price tags and declared Blu-Ray better because it cost more.

I drive by a Worst Buy fairly often and always shake my head when I see the people walking in like lambs to the slaughter, to be misled and taken by uninformed sales people who don't care what you buy as long as you buy something. God forbid anyone takes their computer into the "Geek Squad" for repairs. They will wind up causing you to buy a new computer or wind up with a bill equal to the cost of a newer computer. Frightening.

[FSETH]

I don't think Best Buy is horrible. However, I don't rely on the sales people one bit. I research what I want online, then just go in and buy it. They have decent prices for the most part. I did get hit up by someone pushing Direct TV when I was in there last though.

[jimbopa]

And of course, the inevitable pimping of the monster cable upgrades, the only reasonably priced HDMI cable they sell is online only, because if you're shopping online, you'll probably see the prices at amazon and the rest.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by FSETH

I don't think Best Buy is horrible. However, I don't rely on the sales people one bit. I research what I want online, then just go in and buy it. ...

Agree on not horrible, but the 'staff' at the couple of locations I wander into, (western NC & SW FLA), are generally a parody of used car lot wannabes, and not very knowledgeable even for this low tech idiot.

Their site is decent, as are occasional prices on an item, but the store(s) I am near have little inventory, and seldom have 'that item' I am looking for, in stock.

BB built and opened a new store in our lil' town of Waynesville, NC, though the demographics would give it very little support; it is a literal ghost town, with a couple of 'workers', and seldom any shopper in the joint.

I don't see how most of their brick buildings will survive in the next few years, with only WalmartNation type shoppers actually walking into a BB to buy 'something'.
GL, mD

[Price]

Not to defend BB, but are there any B&M alternatives that provide the same level of variety, prices & # of locations combined with better sales staff? With 99% of electronics/computers being commodity and very thin profit margins, it's hard to expect boutique kind of service from BB or an other big retailer.

[PersonaNonGrata]

Originally Posted by Price

Not to defend BB, but are there any B&M alternatives that provide the same level of variety, prices & # of locations combined with better sales staff? With 99% of electronics/computers being commodity and very thin profit margins, it's hard to expect boutique kind of service from BB or an other big retailer.

There are not. It is totally up to the consumer to be educated and shop around. Thank goodness for online e-tailers like Amazon, B&H Photo Video, and several others. Costco and Sam's Club are nice too for TVs.

I don't expect boutique service but the base level of knowledge of the sales staff at Worst Buy is frightening. Like I stated, with competition being whittled down from Circuit City, Good Guys, and Worst Buy, there is even less incentive to provide that better level of service.

[rayxi]

I don't go to BustBuy to shop. I go there to buy. If I don't know exactly what I want before I enter the store I don't go there at all.

For me they are conveniently located and have decent sales regularly, sometimes better than buying online once you factor in shipping, currency exchange, etc.

The sales staff are morons. If you go there prepared for that you'll have a more tolerable experience. If you expect information or real customer service then you'll be disapponted.

[Meiac09]

Originally Posted by PersonaNonGrata

There are not. It is totally up to the consumer to be educated and shop around. Thank goodness for online e-tailers like Amazon, B&H Photo Video, and several others. Costco and Sam's Club are nice too for TVs.

Amazon Prime + No SC tax makes that a no-brainer. I haven't even gone on the big-box-shopping-hell street since I got back to South Carolina and honestly I think that I won't need to ever go back!

[E61Silver]

I needed a new canister vac and order a Dyson D23 from Amazon.

When I got it I saw that it did not have a power beater bar and returned it. Amazon charged me $20 for shipping!

I then went to BB and all of the vacs were on display. I was able to see them and tough them. I went with a LG that looked really nice. The LG at BB was no more than Amazon and Amazon also charges sales tax.