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Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

nytimes.com

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Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#81

Post by diminoten »

general8bitso wrote: post #23

Not a fan. Used to work there during college. If we didn’t sell enough PSPs (extended warranties), we were not allowed to leave at our scheduled time. Also, we moved all the laptop inventory to the back of the store, so if a customer wanted to buy a laptop that was in stock, but did not want to purchase an extended warranty, we were instructed to lie to the customer and say it was out-of-stock. Also, the whole incent…

Moving laptops to the back was almost certainly detected by corporate when their laptop sales plummeted for that store. The fact that they didn't do anything about it (if it kept up for more than a week) is on corporate. Entirely detectable.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#82

Post by enobrev »

randomacct3847 wrote: post #11

In my experience, no other category is so heavily gamed by shady marketplace sellers on Amazon than electronics. Search for wireless headphones on both Amazon and Best Buy and it’s night and day what you see returned. I’m bullish on Best Buy simply because it’s not a free-for-all of cheap foreign knockoffs. Retail of yesteryear might stand a chance because employing buyers who actually curate merchandise to be sold w…

I agree with what you're saying, but I think the most gamed and shady category on Amazon is household products. Trying to find shampoo or toilet paper or cleaning supplies is ridiculous on Amazon. I generally go straight to Target (online) instead.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#83

Post by atombender »

balls187 wrote: post #63

BestBuy is a step down from frys, which is itself a depressing experience. Poor inventory, mislabeled items, disinterested staff. I happily shop with New Egg simply because of they stood up to patent trolls: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/07/newegg-fought-it...

Indeed, I'd like an Amazon competitor focusing on high quality and great service as much as anyone, but going into a Best Buy is depressing.

The staff act like robots. Their responses and behaviour both when you ask for help and when you go to checkout seem scripted, while at the same time they give off a tired air of mildly annoyed indifference.

A lot of US chains are like this, really. Everyone just seems so downtrodden, even surly or hostile. I'm sure the staff is paid little and not treated that great, but still, I've never encountered this in Europe, where I'm from, and I can't imagine that conditions are much better there, so it might be a cultural thing.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#84

Post by tracker1 »

Hippocrates wrote: post #55

Lately I prefer to shop at Best Buy over amazon. I have a couple nearby, so picking something up at the store is more amenable to impulse and instant gratification. It’s also fun to take a lap around a play with some stuff. Besides that, the prices are competitive, not that it matters because they price match. Sometimes you can score a deal on open box items, which are conveniently listed on their site. Returning som…

Monitors/TVs are something I've had so much bad experience with, I pretty much always buy at a physical store over mail order of any kind.

Also, Prime's 2 day shipping doesn't mean nearly as much when a lot of products don't ship for 2-3 days after you order a lot of times now. I'm not sure if it's just gaming the system, but seems to be the case a lot these days. Not to mention co-mingling inventory makes me feel less certain on whole classes of items.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#85

Post by tracker1 »

balls187 wrote: post #63

BestBuy is a step down from frys, which is itself a depressing experience. Poor inventory, mislabeled items, disinterested staff. I happily shop with New Egg simply because of they stood up to patent trolls: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/07/newegg-fought-it...

I don't know... I've had so many bad experiences with Fry's (both Phoenix locations) that I'd go to BB first.

My disappointment with newegg is they now are a store front for third parties a lot like Amazon, and it's an extra step to select newegg as the seller.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#86

Post by tracker1 »

Overtonwindow wrote: post #17

The secret to Best Buy is that you can play with things. Unfortunately I think they have kind of dropped the ball on this one. When I visit Best Buy, I often see empty product spaces, demo products that do not work, wires just dangling from a hole. This is not the Best Buy of my childhood where you went and could get your hands on things, really get to play around and know what you’re buying. I would never buy a 52 i…

It could be more of an issue with your location(s) manager... though I only really go to BB a couple times a year. Usually monitor or TV, or because I want something that day.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#88

Post by sbr464 »

Someone1234 wrote: post #12
randomacct3847 wrote: post #11

In my experience, no other category is so heavily gamed by shady marketplace sellers on Amazon than electronics. Search for wireless headphones on both Amazon and Best Buy and it’s night and day what you see returned. I’m bullish on Best Buy simply because it’s not a free-for-all of cheap foreign knockoffs. Retail of yesteryear might stand a chance because employing buyers who actually curate merchandise to be sold w…

That's why I like B&H Photo now too. All genuine products, sold by them, with real reviews. Their shipping is a little slower and they close Friday/Saturday which is frustrating but overall a good experience. They even do price guarantee if you contact CS which Amazon discontinued.

I think Best Buy price matches BH also, although BH has much more obscure/expensive choices avail.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#89

Post by Pristina »

FiveSquared wrote: post #57
lscotte wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

B&H is great, agreed. They are an extremely honest company, so taking a few days longer is worth it in my opinion - you are going to get exactly what you ordered in my experience. On Amazon, that's only guaranteed if Amazon is the seller (not to be confused with "fulfilled by Amazon", of course). B&H is also closed on all Jewish holidays.

But they are hella racists and discriminating. https://www-m.cnn.com/2016/02/29/us/bh-photo-lawsuit/index.h...

I see you are a disciple of the guilty-before-proven-innocent principle.

Re: Best Buy’s Secrets for Thriving in the Amazon Age (2017)

#90

Post by ndnxhs »

Sylamore wrote: post #73

Sometimes you want to actually check something out before you buy it and that's the value that a Best Buy can provide that Amazon can't. Recently I am needing to replace my failing 15 year old color laser printer and I've been trying to find a local store that has them models I'm researching in stock (want to print Tabloid for woodworking drawings - so not a large number of stocked options). Both Staples and Office D…

The printers are probably such low margin items that its worth losing your sale so they don't have to spend the time setting it up. Most people don't care what the quality is as long as its not terrible so they will still sell a lot.

If you were buying 100 business printers I bet they would be happy to give you a demo.

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