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Best Buy IMPLODES: 400 Layoffs, 50 stores closing
- Thread starter Ghost_Protocol
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polyh3dron
Banned
I rely on reviews and places like AVS forum for AV electronics
BakedPigeon
Banned
The Elite
BOSS
Nothing beats hands on.
a Master Ninja
Member
Tech savvy young people won't be affected by store closings at all. Hell, they've been shopping online for years and like others said might use Best Buy as a showroom at most. It's the tech illiterate middle-aged and elderly people that I could imagine being hurt by this. It was a place they could go to seek help from a human being about technology. Obviously expensive HDMI cables and Geek Squad services take advantage of their ignorance, but it was still a place where old people who didn't understand technology could go. Soon it will be just outsourced tech support lines, which are already being replaced by email/live chat tech support. Hell, my family is lucky they have me as their IT guy.
It seems like they are ging to have 5-6 times the mobile stores as the ones they are closing so you should be good.
pelicansurf
Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
Best Buy has higher prices + sales tax. What's your point?
I think Amazon Prime is the biggest incentive.
Regardless of whether Amazon collects sales taxes or not, the custimer is still supposed to pay them, so they can't really use that as a hook. Prime though is awesome. It's just not much of a difference maker with hardware for me.
BattleMonkey
Member
As noted in the post you quoted, others seem to make the claim that having to collect taxes would be a game changer, that is obviously not true. Whenever amazon is brought up people like to make a point of them not collecting tax as if it's going to have a huge impact or somthing.
pelicansurf
Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
Oh okay, I thought you were trying to argue that it would have a huge impact.
faceless007
Member
Revenue growing 3%, closing 50/1000 stores, firing 400/180,000 employees = implodes?
Yay hyperbole
Yay hyperbole
The problem is that best Buy is so much more ginormous than them that Fry's can't enter outr mind. Tell them to grow or else they mean absolutely nothing to me.
That's the one that specially made me think "everyone hates this place" and was the inspiration for my post. It's funny that that would be the one store you mention.
Angry Fork
Member
They sell hard drives for 40-50 bucks more than on newegg and with nowhere near the same options. The same applies for seemingly all other products. You can get more for cheaper online.
Best Buy Pros and Cons
Pros
- Can walk out with a product right now
- You can return an item if it's broken to the store and don't have to mail an item back
- Best Buy reward zone points (nullified by Taxes)
- Chance to see some products in person (TV's, computers etc.)
- Cute girl with the triforce tattoo works there
Cons
- Taxes
- Sales people try to upsell you dumb shit
- 100$ HDMI Cable
- Puts Vanquish on sale for $5 and then says they're out of stock a week later
- Geek Squad
- Takes a while to check out if busy
- Hard to find stuff sometimes
Pros
- Can walk out with a product right now
- You can return an item if it's broken to the store and don't have to mail an item back
- Best Buy reward zone points (nullified by Taxes)
- Chance to see some products in person (TV's, computers etc.)
- Cute girl with the triforce tattoo works there
Cons
- Taxes
- Sales people try to upsell you dumb shit
- 100$ HDMI Cable
- Puts Vanquish on sale for $5 and then says they're out of stock a week later
- Geek Squad
- Takes a while to check out if busy
- Hard to find stuff sometimes
cartoon_soldier
Member
wtf are mobile locations?
Lasthope106
Member
During my college years, I used BestBuy as the place of last resort for electronics and computer parts. The prices were ridiculous; for example a hard drive at their store was $100+ when the same was sold for about $60 on newegg.com. Not to mention Best Buy never stocks high end equipment. In 2009 you still couldn't find a graphics card of equivalent power to an 8800GT - that was two years after it was released!
The only times I was glad I had a Best Buy nearby was during a sale where games went as low as $1. That time I made a killing by buying tens of PS2 games for less than $30. Maybe for TVs and appliances I would still consider buying stuff from them, but for everything else is Amazon or bust.
The only times I was glad I had a Best Buy nearby was during a sale where games went as low as $1. That time I made a killing by buying tens of PS2 games for less than $30. Maybe for TVs and appliances I would still consider buying stuff from them, but for everything else is Amazon or bust.
DeathbyVolcano
Banned
I would imagine a lot of the employees at the stores that were considered good at their job will have the opportunity to transfer to another store. I would guess a lot of the cashiers/low-level sales associates got the ax.
Too bad this mystical Fry's is only in about 3 states.
nVidiot_Whore
Banned
It's a Best Buy branded store that sells mobile phones and accessories/contracts/etc.
They are mostly in malls from what I know.. small mall stores.
BattleMonkey
Member
They are little retail stores, bout size of most phone retailers. They focus on mobile products and often found in malls.
Duane Cunningham
Member
Coming soon to a shopping strip near you:
I like how the smile and the raised eyebrow over the o looks like a trollface
Ichabod
Banned
Every time I go into my local BB, the video game and blu-ray sections are total wastelands. The selections they do have are often overpriced, horribly organized, and pitifully underwhelming. I have a hard time giving them my money when its easier to search from a nearly limitless selection of items that cost less on Amazon.
Yeah, but they're regional. How many stores do they have any way?
Note to Fry's, get your ass to the east!
I think the last time I was in a best buy was a couple of years ago when they were having a B2G1 on games, and there was a glitch where you could buy 2 $5 games and get a $50-$60 game for free. I remember getting Ratchet Crack in Time and a couple of others for like $30 total, then getting about $10 back for trading in all the shitty $5 games.
Good times there. I'd probably go more if the closest one wasn't 40 minutes from me.
Good times there. I'd probably go more if the closest one wasn't 40 minutes from me.
stafford 59, i45 north, and that one by NASA. /awesome sauce
I remember when it was just the i45 north one, such a long ass drive.
BattleMonkey
Member
I no longer buy games at best buy since they put them all behind a cage. Miss the days of just picking up the game and checking out real quick.
In regards to best buy I'll never understand this, what hands on? Tvs set to max brightness/shitty motion blur? Chained down laptop/tablets that have been abused to hell and back?
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
I45 one is my closest. Love the banner on the front of the store that says "Your Best Buys are always at Fry's"
$600 dollar HDMI cable "Reviews"
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/AudioQu...67646&id=1218245470758#tabbed-customerreviews
Some real gems...
"My father was a cruel man. Cruel, but fair. His face was stern, almost austere; a countenance cut from solid granite. When I was a child, he gave me $5 and said, "Norma, the cupboard is bare. I want you to go buy some magic beans." Flash forward to today, the Year of Pain: 2011, and I am absolutely delighted with this cable. It is a splendid product crafted by one thousand hands, harnessed from the power of Fnord, and is able to restratregaze 4.1 jumbo-ohms on a mag scale of 14-40 synth-ops per second. You can't beat that! 25 years ago, I was a giant foam hand vendor, now I am an entrepreneur, stay-at-home mom, and part-time vomit coach. Get ready to rock with the AudioQuest Coffee 6.6' HDMI Cable - Brown/Black! Do not be afraid to dive into the plasma pool.
Thanks,
"Lisa" Left-Eye "Lopes""
"After seeing that this cable contains a 72V Dielectric-Bias System (DBS) saturates and polarizes insulation, which for the ones wondering what I just said, it greatly reduces digital-audio distortion. Let me tell you I am no a fan of digital to audio disortion, with previous cables I couldnt even watch T.V. without being constantly plagued with these so called disortions , I was tormented and went into a state of post dramatic phonophobia, It wasn't until some good man out there came up with such a cable, that greatly changed my life, I am a new man now and can enjoy some quality T.V."
"This cable is simply out of this world. It will transform your movie viewing experience and your life. I used to pick up decent girls that were about a 5 or a 6 and after I've purchased this HDMI cable I've been dating super models. I have no idea what kind of metal is used to manufacture this cable but it must be an unknown element that does not exist on the periodic table as it has given the true powers, the power to attract stunning women. Just the other day I've noticed that my hair has grown fuller just above my forehead, my waistline went from a 38 down to a 31, grown bigger muscles in certain places, and the best of all is I'm already engaged to a hot young blonde girl who is filthy rich, all in a matter of two weeks. This cable get an 5/5 in all aspects because it will make you: beautiful, skinnier, and richer. I can't help it but share this amazing life-changing experience after I purchased this HDMI cable."
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/AudioQu...67646&id=1218245470758#tabbed-customerreviews
Some real gems...
"My father was a cruel man. Cruel, but fair. His face was stern, almost austere; a countenance cut from solid granite. When I was a child, he gave me $5 and said, "Norma, the cupboard is bare. I want you to go buy some magic beans." Flash forward to today, the Year of Pain: 2011, and I am absolutely delighted with this cable. It is a splendid product crafted by one thousand hands, harnessed from the power of Fnord, and is able to restratregaze 4.1 jumbo-ohms on a mag scale of 14-40 synth-ops per second. You can't beat that! 25 years ago, I was a giant foam hand vendor, now I am an entrepreneur, stay-at-home mom, and part-time vomit coach. Get ready to rock with the AudioQuest Coffee 6.6' HDMI Cable - Brown/Black! Do not be afraid to dive into the plasma pool.
Thanks,
"Lisa" Left-Eye "Lopes""
"After seeing that this cable contains a 72V Dielectric-Bias System (DBS) saturates and polarizes insulation, which for the ones wondering what I just said, it greatly reduces digital-audio distortion. Let me tell you I am no a fan of digital to audio disortion, with previous cables I couldnt even watch T.V. without being constantly plagued with these so called disortions , I was tormented and went into a state of post dramatic phonophobia, It wasn't until some good man out there came up with such a cable, that greatly changed my life, I am a new man now and can enjoy some quality T.V."
"This cable is simply out of this world. It will transform your movie viewing experience and your life. I used to pick up decent girls that were about a 5 or a 6 and after I've purchased this HDMI cable I've been dating super models. I have no idea what kind of metal is used to manufacture this cable but it must be an unknown element that does not exist on the periodic table as it has given the true powers, the power to attract stunning women. Just the other day I've noticed that my hair has grown fuller just above my forehead, my waistline went from a 38 down to a 31, grown bigger muscles in certain places, and the best of all is I'm already engaged to a hot young blonde girl who is filthy rich, all in a matter of two weeks. This cable get an 5/5 in all aspects because it will make you: beautiful, skinnier, and richer. I can't help it but share this amazing life-changing experience after I purchased this HDMI cable."
I really wish there was a Fry's or Microcenter in my state. Best Buy doesn't stock half the shit I need at any given time.
Got a Microcenter here too. Never been too impressed with their stuff. I can see how you could be if you built your own PC's and such. They have TONS of components.
I walked into a Best Buy once. Was short on blank DVD-Rs. Found the section for their blank media and saw a 25-pack of Verbatims selling for $15. Turned around and walked right out.
When I got home, I went on newegg and got a 100-pack, Verbatims still, for $20 with FREE SHIPPING.
No idea how they manage to stay in business. Must be suckering a lot of people with extended warranty plans or something.
When I got home, I went on newegg and got a 100-pack, Verbatims still, for $20 with FREE SHIPPING.
No idea how they manage to stay in business. Must be suckering a lot of people with extended warranty plans or something.
I've found Microcenter is cheaper (ESPECIALLY processors, I got my i7 $40 less than newegg and that's with tax) in some regards. Believe me, I was surprised. Look em up if you got one local.
Here_Try_This
Member
Sooo... it looks like china is getting those 50 stores?
china getting 50 new best buys
From the article:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Best Buy's stock took a dive on Thursday after the retailer reported quarterly results that included plans to close 50 big- box stores in the U.S. by 2013.
The company said it plans to open the same number of stores in China during the same time period.
china getting 50 new best buys
From the article:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Best Buy's stock took a dive on Thursday after the retailer reported quarterly results that included plans to close 50 big- box stores in the U.S. by 2013.
The company said it plans to open the same number of stores in China during the same time period.
outunderthestars
Banned
Yea, god forbid a paid employee actually know the layout of their store.
yea awesome marketing.
Moving near the one on 59 in the next few weeks.
oh yea, got a microcenter too right by the galleria. Its convienenant during the day when there isnt traffic, my employer has an account with them so we go they're frequently, i think its like a poor man's frys.
I should really go more often but best buy is just so close
Sure 50 stores and 400 employees isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but bigger problems always stem from smaller things like this.
I used to work for Best Buy. From my experience, most employees knew very much that they products and services they sell are overpriced, but they have to try to sell them anyway because that's their job. The saddest part is that a fair number of people do actually buy the overpriced accessories and services, although clearly as Amazon (among other options) become more and more universally used, more and more will notice Best Buy's scummy practices.
I used to work for Best Buy. From my experience, most employees knew very much that they products and services they sell are overpriced, but they have to try to sell them anyway because that's their job. The saddest part is that a fair number of people do actually buy the overpriced accessories and services, although clearly as Amazon (among other options) become more and more universally used, more and more will notice Best Buy's scummy practices.
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