Comments on: Brick-And-Mortars Are In Trouble, But They Can’t (And Won’t) Die

By: dee

dee — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:45:00 +0000

I have no idea what you just wrote…

By: AmiRami

AmiRami — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:12:00 +0000

lol I once asked them for a tower with 2 NICs in it and they said they couldn’t do that because there would be an IP conflict. Facepalm and walked out.

By: AmiRami

AmiRami — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:09:00 +0000

I am an example of a buyer that likes to see what I am buying before I do. i know all about tech but as you mentioned in the article, web based videos and articles just don’t cut it. You can talk about how amazing a device’s screen is, for example, all you want, but you can’t display it because obv your own screen will not show the capabilities of a better one.
Usually best buy and other companies don’t have prices that are too much higher than online for devices. Where they rape you is the cabling. I can get an HDMI cable online for $1 – $2 and spend $20-30 at best buy. Thats where they will never get my money.

By: Michael Marczak

Michael Marczak — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:35:00 +0000

I went to bestbuy and asked them if they had any SATA cables. They stared at me like I was from another planet and then asked what’s a SATA cable used for….

By: Eleeflyguy43

Eleeflyguy43 — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 16:31:00 +0000

I don’ t do that anymore. When I went shopping for a TV, I was dumfounded that the price pointbwas taken by an Insignia house brand model. I had to go onlune to learn about what is out there. Second time was trying to find a Plantronics headset, but stuck with Rocketfish house brands. now there are even Rocketfish HEADPHONE STANDS, BBY is simple not the goto place even if it just to browse

By: JB

JB — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Every time I have gone to BestBuy .com in recent times to look for a
specific product I am considering it is not available in the store.
Often, though listed in their site search results, the products are not
even sold by Best Buy. The high end goods are only sold by “marketplace” online partners. What is the point of a Best buy retail store if 75% of the products offered are NOT available there? Retail is a 20th century trend
developed to give consumers a place to drive their vehicles to. Mail
order has always provided a better selection and will continue to.

By: Echo1284

Echo1284 — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Best buy is a great refuge for a gadget junkie. Although just like someone said a lot of times I go displays are missing and not working. Most recommend Apple over all other brands and Apple has elaborate display sections making other brands like nothing compares to Apple. I believe stores are needed to test the product and to handle it. The product description online can only go so far.

By: namikral

namikral — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:06:00 +0000

best buy could not last for 6 months in the uk

By: Eleeflyguy43

Eleeflyguy43 — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:09:00 +0000

BBY used to be my GO TO place for tech. Now it is the manufacturer’s website.

By: Eleeflyguy43

Eleeflyguy43 — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Brick and mortor is not dead. Best Buy’s downfall can only be attributed to their short term greed and not looking at cultivating long term trust and confidence in shopping in their stores.
other brick and mortors like regionals HHzgreg, PC Richards& Son, flourish by defining a differentiated IN STORE experience than online. More educated sales associates, more SELECTION, and some level of VALUE, even at higher prices, make it essier for their customers to buy with confidence that cannot be duplicated with online stores.
BEST BUY, on the other hand, has CHOSEN to throw out all of these virturs and have selected a way of driving its customer base AWAY

1) Less selection – house brands like Insignia TVs, Blue Ray players comprise of a large portion of the value price points. less room for the best of the REAL manufacturers makes me distrust Best Buy’s assortment. I now go online to others to do my research, omce I look online, the less and less I feel theneed to browse in a Best Buy.
Rocketfish cell phone accessories, cases, blutooth headsets RULE the entire section. yuck… it looks like Radio Shack from the 19080′s and Dynex generics makes me think that Best Buy is just trying to push its house brands to make extra money per sale and NOT provide the best choices to the consumer

2) Speaking of value, I was charged $10 over full MSRP for a Jawbone headphone. you burn a customer once, mistake or not, you lose theire trust.
3) Other ways that BBY has chosen to suck the blood from its customers – extended warranties and obsolescence warranties. Pat another 40% of the retail price UP FrONT and get the priveledfe of trading it back for 50% of its value later. (buy a $500 tablet tand pay $180 to get a chance to sell it back for $250 later). oh yeah, ypu can tack on another $129 for extended warranty, makimg a $500 tablet cost $810! You see what id going on here?
3) In store experience. I demoed a Wifi Blackberry Play o
ok in the laptop section of the store, but had to wait in line in MOBILE for 45 minutes as people activated their phones! it is no wonder why other tables fail next to iPad, Apple was right to take the experience out of the hands of inept retailers like BBY!

By: Steven Maas

Steven Maas — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 14:55:00 +0000

That’s never happened to me.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 14:53:00 +0000

I don’t think Best Buy is going anywhere, primarily due to the same reasons you listed. But I do think they’re going to need to streamline their business model within the next 3-5 years.

They’d also do well to work on improving their employee-training and general customer service, at least in the two stores within driving distance of my house; the employees at both locations are difficult to deal with and are my primary motivation (not saving a couple dollars) for ordering online.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 06:07:00 +0000

Turn them into homeless shelters. It`s been over 100F in many areas.

By: Paul Brice

Paul Brice — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 05:47:00 +0000

BB have legacy stores, systems, structures, financing arrangements, distribution agreements and infrastructure and management among other millstones. If Jeff Bezos took it over tomorrow, it would become a different animal overnight. In future, new enterprises in this space will be across how to make money from B&M/web hybrids. Just as BB spotted and opportunity, so will the next generation of IT re/webtailors.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I know more about tech than a pimple-faced “salesperson” at BB , etc.
I build my own or buy stuff off Amazon sans sales tax/shipping charges.
No B&M can compete with Amazon`s selection/prices.
Turn them all into 99 cent stores for all I care.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 04:58:00 +0000

WorstBuy LOL

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 04:57:00 +0000

I go in there in summer just to use the air cond. for free.
Then walk out.

By: paxmos

paxmos — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 02:17:00 +0000

If Best Buy got its stuff together, the may survive. When I walk into a BB nowdays and since I am a techie, my first place to go straight to is the gadget stuff, but unfortunately, display items are missing, not working, really unorganized and sales people lack information about the department that they work in. I think I will not need to walk into a BB store any more.

By: pepee63

pepee63 — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:28:00 +0000

What is needed, is for the internet dealers to have a few stores stocked with their wares so people can see and touch the products so they can come to a decision and then order the product from them. Best of both worlds

By: ElementGeek

ElementGeek — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:26:00 +0000

The only reason I go to Best Buy is to check the item out. I almost never purchase anything from them due to their prices. I can usually find a better deal online.

By: Adam Herbert

Adam Herbert — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 23:42:00 +0000

That’s some pretty lazy Photoshop work on the Best Buy image.

By: kasmol

kasmol — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Brick and Mortar is convenient only when the items are in stock. BestBuy seldom has the items in stock and their online store stock information is often inaccurate. As a result, customers often waste time trying to locate the item.

By: Stocklone

Stocklone — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Don, have you finally stopped writing Apple fanboy articles? This is magnificent. You didn’t mention Apple at all and wrote a reasonable article. I guess I can start reading you again. I’m so proud of you.

By: User000001

User000001 — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:47:00 +0000

The day that Worst Buy is buried in the ground will be a very good day. Good riddance.