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The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Gurtholfin said:
The number of times that I wanted help and had a floor person read the tags to me made me stop bothering with Best Buy for advice. And that was at least 15 years ago.
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Yeah, I only shop at BB if their prices are the lowest or simply for convenience if I don't feel like waiting for shipping. I used to shop there often back in the '90s but then I became more knowledgeable about computers than the people who work there. Sometimes I go in and ask a question just to see the blank looks on their faces when none of them know the answer :p What's really amusing is when they try to bluff and give me a BS answer that's wrong....

People who have the know-how to do the job at BB usually can get a better job than working at BB.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

I still like hard copies of my media, so I'm still a sucker for the big box stores. Still, I'm in the minority in my generation- most of whom trust their benevolent Internet overlords enough that they aren't bothered by the inability to see or hold something that they buy.

As a Richfield MN native, this is a bit of a slow but sure Death of my Hometown.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

FlagDUDE08 said:
This is even a trend with department stores as well. How do they determine the worthiness of their cashiers? It's not through their service, but through how many store credit cards they are able to sell.
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No, it isn't. It's still through service first. They push the cards, yes, but good service will outweigh how many cards they get all day, everyday.

Don't get me wrong, the card thing is tracked like you wouldn't believe (too much, IMHO). At my old company, rumors were going around that raises next year were going to be based on the card score...for the entire store. Meaning someone who worked in the stockroom, whose job had nothing to do with getting the cards, would have their raise determined by another area.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

I stopped by Best Buy after work...maybe if they didn't blare ****ty ghetto gangbanger music way too ****ing loud throughout the entire store they'd get people to want to come back.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Shirtless Guy said:
Just a couple weeks ago Best Buy announced they would be closing 50 stores and they laid off about 400 people. This isn't the first that has happened in the last 5 years. Now today, Brian Dunn has announced that he has resigned as CEO of Best Buy. Thoughts?
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Best Buy is in a slow death spiral, they are not going away tomorrow, but they will eventually file for bankruptcy and liquidate. The (major) problem with Best Buy is that they have no "moat" around what they do: anything that you can get at Best Buy you can get at Target/Walmart or order online. A big part of the issue is that the largest consumers of electronics are the most comfortable buying things online.

Barnes & Noble and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are in a similar situation where short of a dramatic change, it isn't a question of IF they die, but WHEN. They might be able to hang on for 10 or 15 more years, but they won't have a ton of leeway when it comes to mistakes.

If anything, Dunn leaving might be the best thing that could have happened for Best Buy, I'm not convinced that he had the talent or vision to turn the company around.
 
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Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Almington said:
Best Buy is in a slow death spiral, they are not going away tomorrow, but they will eventually file for bankruptcy and liquidate. The (major) problem with Best Buy is that they have no "moat" around what they do: anything that you can get at Best Buy you can get at Target/Walmart or order online. A big part of the issue is that the largest consumers of electronics are the most comfortable buying things online.

Barnes & Noble and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are in a similar situation where short of a dramatic change, it isn't a question of IF they die, but WHEN. They might be able to hang on for 10 or 15 more years, but they won't have a ton of leeway when it comes to mistakes.

If anything, Dunn leaving might be the best thing that could have happened for Best Buy, I'm not convinced that he had the talent or vision to turn the company around.
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There certainly is room for Best Buy to find a way to rejuvenate itself and maybe Brian Dunn wasn't the guy to do it...this is an interesting read about who should replace Dunn:http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2012/04/10/who-should-replace-brian-dunn-as-ceo-of-best-buy/
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

I've never had a problem shopping there so I can't identify with the all the angst exhibited by so many, but I get why they're on a decline.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

When I read the thread first, I thought it was interesting, probably had some legs. Shirtless started just this morning....

Ok.

Then on a completely different board I read, a personal story about Best Buy...
I have been looking at the Android tablets to replace my netbook. My netbook is a Asus. It's been outstanding but having to get out my big laptop to watch videos is driving me nuts. It's getting worse as most of the videos are now HD. The net book just won't play them.

So, I go in Best Buy today to see what they have. The Asus Transformer and the Asus Transformer Prime are both on display. I study, fiddle, and fend off the sales girl for 20 minutes. I walk up to the counter and asked the girl a couple of questions and tell her I want the Prime and the keyboard dock. Her response, we don't stock those and have to order them. It only takes a week to get them.

I ask about the regular Transformer. Nope, order only.

My response, If I wanted to order them I wouldn't have come here. I can do that online from home.

Circuit City did that to me with my Sony Vaio six months before they went out of business. I bought it at Best Buy. I guess Best Buy is next. Online is going to be the only way to get stuff before long. Kind of sucks, I like to fondle things before I buy them.
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One would think reading one is interesting, both- wow. Both the SAME DAY. geez.

Some serious legs to the Shirtless's theory.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Shirtless Guy said:
Just a couple weeks ago Best Buy announced they would be closing 50 stores and they laid off about 400 people. This isn't the first that has happened in the last 5 years. Now today, Brian Dunn has announced that he has resigned as CEO of Best Buy. Thoughts?
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They were too slow to react to Amazon and couldn't capitalize on the market that was once held by Circuit City. Further, when their business model seems to be built on "how many ways can we provide ****-poor service and screw our customers today", it should not be a big shock they are struggling. I give them, on the high end, five years before they go the way of Circuit City and other failed retailers.
 
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Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

I use the net to research electronics, then preferably buy it at Best Buy, etc. I want to physically try them out. Get a feel for them. You can't do that with online purchases (from what I hear, returns are usually a hassle).

However, Best Buy is not organized within the store. It's chaotic. Crap is everywhere. It's a swap meet. They have been slow to change, and it's biting them in the arse. As for prices, they obviously have more costs, but they also can't use CDs as loss-leaders anymore (and the like). Amazon can.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Shirtless Guy said:
wow, what crawled up your butt?
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We tried to use the rewards points once and it was such a hassle, that we basically told the customer service person to close the account, keep the points, and then go F themselves (only in a professional manner). I think the exact words were, "these points are no longer worth my time to collect or to redeem. Please close the account and keep the points because I have no intention on shopping with you again."

On a related note, I don't like BB for this reason: Every time I've been in that store, I feel like they are trying to take me for a ride. I haven't shopped there in years for this reason. I can get electronics on Amazon, Apple Store, or at Target for cheaper and less bs. I have examples of BB customer service at it's finest below:

1. Bought a new car stereo at BB. Wanted them to install it. Guy said it would be $30ish for the install. Thought that was a bit strange because it just dropped $300 on a stereo and now they want more to install it. So I called another BB store in a different city. Kid doing stereos said, "We never charge for installs as long as you buy the stereos from us." Good thing I called around.

2. Friend buys a new TV on Black Friday. He is told that it will be an extra $100 to "program" the TV so the picture quality is at it's best. Whatever, it's sounds like bs so friend declines the service. Takes the TV home, opens the box. Finds a note saying the TV has already been "programed." Basically, they were charging people $100 for a service that was already done.

3. Went to BB with gf (now my wife) to buy a new stereo. They had a deal in the weekly mailer where if you bought X brand, they gave you a free iPhone/iPod input cable. Get to the store, buy the stereo, and they try and charge her $60 for this iPhone cable. She throws the bs flag and shows them, not only the mailer, but the sign in their store stating the cable is free. Guy say, "I guess it's free then" and then proceeds to rip down the in-store sign. Conclusion - they charged people (again) for something that was free.

Do I need to keep going?
 
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Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

Just biting my tongue here...this one's waay too close to my work.
 
Re: The end of the big box store, is Best Buy dying?

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
I still like hard copies of my media, so I'm still a sucker for the big box stores. Still, I'm in the minority in my generation- most of whom trust their benevolent Internet overlords enough that they aren't bothered by the inability to see or hold something that they buy.

As a Richfield MN native, this is a bit of a slow but sure Death of my Hometown.
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I like hard copies too. This doesn't make me want to go to Best Buy, or any other huge, awful store.
 
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