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Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

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Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#11

Their prices are not too bad anymore. They usually are about the same as online prices and returns are easier in store, so I have got a few things from Best Buy. Most recently a Macbook for my wife was $50 cheaper in Best Buy vs in the Apple store.

I've often saved on Apple products over the Apple stores, and their reward program is an automatic 2% back (obviously only matters if you buy enough there to ever cash in, which I do)

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#12
You really can't beat going into a physical store for a large ticket item purchase. No waiting for shipping, easy to return, viewing the product in store.

Recently purchased a MBP from Bestbuy. The first one I received had noticeable back light bleeding near a screen corner. Walked back in the store the next day to return. The process from an online retailer would have taken weeks.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#13
Recently I've started buying small tech items (wireless mouse, laptop bag, temp cell phone, etc) from Best Buy again. Being a WA State resident, I'm paying the same 10% sales tax on Amazon purchases (or near enough to not care), and not only can I try out items before I buy - I get free, immediate delivery too, no Prime needed.

Then, after getting the product, no worries about it being counterfeit - like the pants I bought from Amazon, sold as adult pants but must have been children's pants, as my foot wouldn't fit through the leg.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#14

When I go in Best Buy, the only people in there are old Boomers and boy do they love Best Buy and talking to the workers there. That generation has nothing but problems with their devices, it's like a mini game for them.

> That generation has nothing but problems with their devices, it's like a mini game for them.

This isn't a generational thing. I know folks from all generations who have trouble with technology. Sometimes this is because things really are broken. It's not like a lot of things are high quality. Sometimes it's because stuff is hard to use. For those of us in tech we have a higher tolerance for learning pain and have enough understanding stuff is easier to pickup. For many others the UX is just painful to learn.

Poking at this as a generational thing can cause us to miss some other underlying issues worth paying attention to.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#15
Like most Americans I order a shitload from Amazon. However the last item I bought from Best Buy was a TV (my old LG just ... died).

Ordered online, chose to pick up in store.

Drive 35 min to store

Pickup process takes 10-15 min

Drive 35 min home.

Left after dinner, was watching it that evening.

The only condition that would have prevented me from using this model would be traffic, as it could extend the trip by 60-90 minutes and would also increase my stress significantly.

Whereas Amazon would take 2-3 days (maybe more) and I'd be shitting bricks worrying about it getting damaged and being forced through the horrors of shipping a return.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#17
post #9

Why should it be dead? Poor management and bad money practices of some other competitors does not mean the retail segment is dead. Just that over leveraged companies are risky. No?

Leveraged buyout failures have taken out many large retail companies recently, such as Toys R Us. These are leading many to declare the "end of the mall" as they see anchor stores closing. But there are still many opportunities in retail.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#18
post #9

Why should it be dead? Poor management and bad money practices of some other competitors does not mean the retail segment is dead. Just that over leveraged companies are risky. No?

Best Buy used to have extremely shady practices, and to some extent still does. They used to have lower prices online, and higher in store, and IIRC not match their own website, nor online competitors. As I understand it, this has changed, their policy looks sane now. Last time I walked in to purchase a laptop, the only ones available had a small packet taped to them of 'upgrades' or antivirus or whatever that cost a ton. I had to track down an employee who had to get a ladder to find the same model with no such attachment.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#19
post #10

I can't speak for the Geek Squad (as I have never needed to use them), but they price match to Amazon (and several other online stores), and will generally have what I am looking for (at least for consumer electronics). I know that I will get it that day (vs. Amazon's "two day shipping" that regularly turned into three or four days) at an Amazon price, it will certainly NOT be a counterfeit, and I don't have to give…

> vs. Amazon's "two day shipping" that regularly turned into three or four days

I find this experience interesting. Here in the UK amazon offers next day delivery (and in same cases, same day delivery), and often delivers next day even when they don't claim they will.

I have had problems with counterfeits though.

Re: Best Buy Is Thriving in the Age of Amazon

#20
post #10

I can't speak for the Geek Squad (as I have never needed to use them), but they price match to Amazon (and several other online stores), and will generally have what I am looking for (at least for consumer electronics). I know that I will get it that day (vs. Amazon's "two day shipping" that regularly turned into three or four days) at an Amazon price, it will certainly NOT be a counterfeit, and I don't have to give…

I've had a lot of "two day" Amazon shipping turn into 3 or 4... the arrival date even on Amazon will show in the past for a few days.

What used to be a sure thing from Amazon, I now just think of as "maybe".

Having said that the crazy mess (tiny isles and disorganized) and $20 USB cables were Best Buy stores made me give up on them a long time ago. I've visited a few times recently to hopefully get a look at some laptops, but they always only had a collection off odd models and wonky specs.

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