[Lomac]

Bit of a long read:

Why Best Buy is Going out of Business...Gradually - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes/2012/01/02/why-best-buy-is-going-out-of-business-gradually/)

Clearly this editorial is heavily biased based upon a couple of poor customer service experiences, but he brings up an interesting possibility. We've all seen large box store companies go out of business (Circuit City, etc), but with the popularity of online-only companies like Amazon and boutique stores like NCIX and ME, do you think the near future will have any impact on electronic places like Best Buy?

I'll admit, I've never had a problem with BB... it's always Future Shop that's caused me grief with customer service issues. And I know there will always be people that will want to go into a store and physically play with an item they want to buy, but more and more people are simply buying off of the internet now. Yes, there will always be people who demand the instant gratification of buying an item and taking it home that very same day, but just as many would rather save a few dollars and wait a couple days for it to arrive.

Thoughts?

[CP.AR]

Best Buy is good if you know EXACTLY what you are looking for (Future shop it's a hit or miss... but best buy is complete crap)

Point:
I was trying to decide between two AV Receivers on Boxing day (I had both in my hand). BB Employee walks up to me and asks if I need assistance since he's in the Home Audio section. I asked him if the Sony one had 1080P upscaling for Analog and Digital input signals.

his answer: It's not a DVD player, if you want, the DVD systems are a great deal right now! I don't think this is what you are looking for...-- Of course, if you know me you know i'm too polite to interrupt someone mid-speech. Then he tries to throw in all this technical jargon (which made no sense) about how DVDs are always digital signals etc... etc...

At the end of it, I just said... "No, Signal Upscaling, not in the sense of DVD playback, but signal processing via internal processor in the receiver"

BB Employee: I actually don't know, it's quite a busy day today I better get back to my station...

:fuckthatshit:

[mos_skeeto]

I always thought Best Buy was a big reason why Circuit City went under and the same with Futureshop and A&B Sound. I usually find BB/FS prices pretty competitive with what's online at Amazon and I only buy specific items from NCIX. That said I fall under the 'want something now' type of consumer. I got my last TV at Best Buy and I cannot see myself ordering a large item online. There will always be a big chunk of customers who don't know what ncix is and will go to BB/FS to buy a computer so I think they're pretty safe for now.

[!Tigger]

best Buy and futureshop are the same company, they compete with eachother just to make it seem like you have choices.

[butter_sashimi]

My dad swapped to another sales associate walking around at Best Buy because the first one couldn't answer his questions on electronics. He told sales guy he was gonna find another person who can help since he (the first sales guy) didn't know anything. Sales guy 1 got mad, asked to "take it outside" and threatened to beat up my dad.

It was quite shocking to hear. Dad was maybe a bit cheeky about it but the sales guy honestly didnt know anything and stood around just chatting, if I recall.

[twitchyzero]

relevant


WALL STREET JOURNAL
Dec 14, 2011

Best Buy Co. may finally have found a way to defend itself against Amazon.com Inc.'s cutthroat competition—but at a steep cost.

The world's largest electronics chain used heavy Black Friday promotions and free holiday shipping on all Internet purchases to lure customers back. So sales at Best Buy stores rose for the first time in six quarters, including a 20% jump in Web sales.

But the aggressive tactics took a serious toll on the retailer's bottom line. Profit margins fell at its core U.S. business and quarterly earnings plunged 29%, leading analysts to question whether the company should speed up plans to shrink its more than 1,100 big-box stores across the country.

Best Buy, on average, made less profit on its sales than discount retailer 99 Cents Only Stores. Best Buy's margin on earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization was 6.1% in the latest quarter, compared with the 8.7% that 99 Cents booked in its quarter ended in October.

Best Buy's shares, which have lost almost a third of their value this year, plunged 15% in heavy trading Tuesday to $23.73.

The retailer and other traditional chains face the prospect of becoming showrooms for online-only competitors. Some shoppers visit a mall or big-box location to check out merchandise and then find lower prices on the Web, sometimes while using smartphones right in the store's aisles.

To fight back, Best Buy took what it admits is the costly step of offering free shipping on all online orders. Inside its stores, it is increasingly focused on selling services such as installing televisions and wireless routers in addition to electronic hardware, Chief Executive Brian Dunn said in an interview.

"While the Street has not received our news positively, we are confident in our strategy," Mr. Dunn said. "We see big pools of profit that we can grab."

The company, which last year had revenue of more than $50 billion, is alone among major U.S. retailers in reporting earnings midway through the holiday season, and its results are an early window into how store chains are performing during their most crucial time of year.

The company's results for the three months ended Nov. 26 support the views of retail-industry skeptics who predicted a strong post-Thanksgiving weekend didn't necessarily presage healthy profit growth for store chains.

Like other retailers, including Macy's Inc. and Target Corp., Best Buy opened at midnight on Black Friday for the first time ever, and saw an unusually high portion of its quarterly sales come from the weekend, "which is more promotional by nature," said its chief financial officer, Jim Muehlbauer.

Its sales were up 7% on Black Friday, compared with a year ago, Mr. Dunn said. For the quarter, domestic sales of appliances jumped 13.7%, and mobile phones rose 9%, more than offsetting 9% declines in videogames and other entertainment.

But earnings dropped to $154 million from $217 million a year earlier, as Best Buy's overall gross profit margin dropped to 24.2% from 25.1%. That included charges related to closing the company's underperforming big-box business in the U.K.

Best Buy's lower profit rates will be a trend for store chains, not just those selling electronics, "as the Internet, a lower-margin sales channel, continues to hurt margins," analyst David Strasser of Janney Montgomery Scott wrote Tuesday in a note to investors.

Amazon upped the ante on that competition this month when it offered customers an additional discount of as much as 5% if they used its Price Check app to compare offers inside a physical store.

The deal outraged retail-industry trade groups, who cited it as an example for why Congress should pass legislation forcing online merchants to collect sales taxes as a way to level the playing field.

Best Buy has set plans to reduce its store square footage by 10% in the next five years. It's an acknowledgment that many of its big-box stores are too large for modern electronics retailing, as former top sellers, such as music and movie discs, give way to digital downloads.

But in light of the online competition, analysts questioned company executives during an earnings conference call Tuesday on whether Best Buy should accelerate efforts to slim down its store fleet to reduce operating costs and preserve profit margins. Best Buy reiterated that it expects fiscal year revenue to come in at between $51 billion and $52.5 billion, but narrowed its earnings guidance to $3.35 to $3.65 a share and said it now expected annual gross margins to decline by a percentage point.

Best Buy's Profit Tumbles - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203518404577096160252527328.html)

coles:
- Amazon is lighting a fire under Best Buy's ass
- Best Buy counter attacks by offering free shipping on ALL orders throughout the holidays and discounted some items heavily during Black Friday
- their online sales went up 20% but profits ended up averaging out at 6%..which is slightly worse than profit margins at a dollar store.

here's what jumped out at me: Amazon offered customers 5% off if they used its Price Check app to compare offers inside a physical store.
OUCH lol

I'm not sure if Bestbuy will go away in the next 10 years...but they will for sure be downsizing by shit tons. I noticed their online phone support in canada used to be 24/7...it's now regular office hours.

[jpark]

My dad swapped to another sales associate walking around at Best Buy because the first one couldn't answer his questions on electronics. He told sales guy he was gonna find another person who can help since he (the first sales guy) didn't know anything. Sales guy 1 got mad, asked to "take it outside" and threatened to beat up my dad.

It was quite shocking to hear. Dad was maybe a bit cheeky about it but the sales guy honestly didnt know anything and stood around just chatting, if I recall.

wutta dick, i've encountered through a similiar situation before as well, but didnt go as far as 'threatening to beat up'..
did you at least let the mangement know about this guy? he should be terminated right off the bat

[dinamix]

best Buy and futureshop are the same company, they compete with eachother just to make it seem like you have choices.

Wat he said
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Great68]

I pretty much don't ask the sales staff of Future Shop or Bestbuy any questions, none of them really seem to have any real knowledge of the products they sell. They seem to read the info card and that's it.
I once had an argument with a Best Buy employee who didn't understand that Optical and Coax audio outputs are the same signal.

That being said, I'm not a fan of online shopping. I hate having to order it, wait days for it to arrive, deal with picking it up at the post office. And if something's wrong with it I hate having to deal with shipping it back.

When I want something I like to drive to the store, buy it, drive home and then use it that same day.

[Gridlock]

Well come on guys. I`m the first to jump over shit service, but you need to keep in mind the store you are in.

If you want someone that can give you every technical spec on the item you are buying and guide you through the process, then you need to go to a smaller store, with a commission sales person that knows what they are doing. Unfortunately, that sales guy needs to make money, and so does the store, and you pay for it.

When I go into Best Buy, I`m looking for a TV. I`m looking for good, better or best. The sales guy is there to justify why this 40`tv is 300 more than that 40 inch tv, and how that $300 is going to rock my world, tv wise. That`s it! I don`t expect that he`ll be able to tell me the wattage rating on the carrier signal that powers the flux capacitor that makes time travel possible with the tv.

It`s the same as my arch-nemesis, Home Depot. You have some person wanting to guide you through your project, that has sat in front of a computer for a few hours getting `trained`and by training I mean they guide them through the products that they carry that will meet your needs. If I need something that they don`t carry, you get a `uhhh`look on their face, unless they are one of the people that come in with outside knowledge.

And its the same thing...if I want someone thats been doing it for 30 years, I need to go to a specialty store, which is a separate trip to a different place. In my case though, I save money because they are usually cheaper ;)

[taylor192]

We've all seen large box store companies go out of business (Circuit City, etc), but with the popularity of online-only companies like Amazon and boutique stores like NCIX and ME, do you think the near future will have any impact on electronic places like Best Buy?
Yes, the future of the big box store is not great. I've read other articles explaining the demise of the big box store and how some companies have already chosen to downsize.

It costs a lot of money to keep that much inventory in prime retail locations. Office Depot found this out and downsized to boutique sized stores with only the most popular items, and everything else is shipped same day from a warehouse nearby that costs pennies compared to the prime retail space.

I think its smart, especially as we move to a more dense urban society with smaller cars, no cars or car sharing - its increasing hard to bring big items home when you shop. If a store can offer same day shipping, hell even free shipping if they are saving enough by using cheaper warehouse space, then that would work better for me.

[taylor192]

It`s the same as my arch-nemesis, Home Depot.
Go to Home Depot during the middle of a weekday, not on a weekend. The older more experienced staff work the weekdays and will have more time to spend with you.

I hate going on weekends, its just a bunch of kids working that don't know much.

[Gridlock]

Go to Home Depot during the middle of a weekday, not on a weekend. The older more experienced staff work the weekdays and will have more time to spend with you.

I hate going on weekends, its just a bunch of kids working that don't know much.

Lol...I go to Home Depot enough that they cheered when I was the first customer of 2012 at the North Surrey location. How much does it suck when you are the first customer on New Year's Day?

Like, this>>>>>>>>>>>much.

Unfortunately, tenants move in on the first regardless of what holiday it is.

I actually prefer going when they are busy, as they leave me alone.

[TheNewGirl]

Here in Canada Best Buy and Future Shop are owned by the same parent company (which makes the bestbuy across the street from and directly competing with the coquitlam center future shop a little mind boggling).

Personally I prefer to shop at Best Buy because I always know what I want before I even get to the store and the sales people aren't as pushy. Mean while Future Shop generally appeals to an older or less tech savvy demographic that needs staff input on their purchases (and is more often up sold).

Now, down in the states, I think Walmart is presenting a big competition for Best Buy, as they have extensive electronics departments that cater well to thrifty shoppers - and given the economic climate in the states these last few years, a good bulk of their population are thrifty shoppers. Currently up here we don't have any thing akin to that (yet) except maybe Costco and their product range is pretty limited, Staples as well carries some great deals on electronics but at such a limited range that I can't imagine it's going to make a wide spread difference.

Now, when Target moves up here and Walmart starts to expand to more and more mega stores, then we might see Best Buy taking a greater hit, but I think at the moment they're more stable then their sibling company Future Shop.

[murd0c]

Why do you even have to ask best buy employee’s for advice? I’m sure mostly everyone these days will look at all the details for what they want online first then they will cost compare for the best deal then they will go to the store with all the info but will ask for advice anyways just to hear what they say even tho you already know what you want. I’m talking about us in general since we are on forms and if we have questions we will prob make a post for the best advice. Bestbuy will never go out of business a name change could happen or a buy out but we need companies like that out there.

[El Bastardo]

Future Shop is forever soured on me as a result of the boxing day sale from a few years ago.
I was at the one in Courtenay and, obviously in Courtenay technology more advanced than a calculator is black magic, so I was on my own in talking about specs.

The problem was that they positioned their sales staff in such a way that once the doors were opened the sales staff were acting as a group of linebackers trying to keep us from the 10 yard line. On my way to the PC deals I had one guy block my way and try to direct me to the portable DVD players.

After being told that I was only looking for a computer he replied "But it plays DVDs in your car!"


Aggressive bastards.

Best Buy isn't much better. The Best Buy in South Surrey seems to be where they put the company's worst employees so they're not at risk of being in other stores. I fucking hate that place.

[Gridlock]

Yes, the future of the big box store is not great. I've read other articles explaining the demise of the big box store and how some companies have already chosen to downsize.

It costs a lot of money to keep that much inventory in prime retail locations. Office Depot found this out and downsized to boutique sized stores with only the most popular items, and everything else is shipped same day from a warehouse nearby that costs pennies compared to the prime retail space.

I think its smart, especially as we move to a more dense urban society with smaller cars, no cars or car sharing - its increasing hard to bring big items home when you shop. If a store can offer same day shipping, hell even free shipping if they are saving enough by using cheaper warehouse space, then that would work better for me.

And thus, we set ourselves up for the next new urban blight...huge, empty big box stores.

[Glove]

I pretty much order everything online now, its just that much cheaper. Even best buy and futureshop online have better prices than in-store. But prices in the states are dirt cheap compared to here, so I order everything and anything over there, I even buy all my gas and groceries over there.

and the nice thing is you can return your online purchase at any store location.

The major problem with NCIX is they never back up their shit, meaning if you have any issues with your purchase they will always tell you to contact the manufactorer, or if you want to return it they will charge you a 15% restocking fee, they have the worst customer service.

I know many people that have turned away from NCIX because of this, and went to memory express, because they dont have these policies.

[TheNewGirl]

And thus, we set ourselves up for the next new urban blight...huge, empty big box stores.

This is what Southern California looks like right now. It's really, really weird.

[InvisibleSoul]

The retailer and other traditional chains face the prospect of becoming showrooms for online-only competitors. Some shoppers visit a mall or big-box location to check out merchandise and then find lower prices on the Web, sometimes while using smartphones right in the store's aisles.
While this is true, and I've done this, there definitely still exists a population of people that like buying stuff in person, or maybe rather haven't started buying things online. So as long as those types of people are still around, I think Best Buy won't go out of business.

[SumAznGuy]

That being said, I'm not a fan of online shopping. I hate having to order it, wait days for it to arrive, deal with picking it up at the post office. And if something's wrong with it I hate having to deal with shipping it back.

Had that happen once. They tried to argue the 30 day return period started when the order was placed even though it took them 5 days to ship me the item. :suspicious:

[Gridlock]

I pretty much order everything online now, its just that much cheaper. Even best buy and futureshop online have better prices than in-store. But prices in the states are dirt cheap compared to here, so I order everything and anything over there, I even buy all my gas and groceries over there.

and the nice thing is you can return your online purchase at any store location.

The major problem with NCIX is they never back up their shit, meaning if you have any issues with your purchase they will always tell you to contact the manufactorer, or if you want to return it they will charge you a 15% restocking fee, they have the worst customer service.

I know many people that have turned away from NCIX because of this, and went to memory express, because they dont have these policies.

Well, here's the problem.

"We" as consumers want: Online pricing, with NCIX service, with Costco's return policy.

So go ahead and conduct business in that environment.

I can see a day when retail is no longer "the" way to sell. I want a Samsung TV. I go to Samsung's website and order me a tv. Straight from the manufacturer.

It cuts several steps in distribution, it goes from place of origin to manufacturers DC to a truck heading to somewhere close to me, to me. Obviously, a bit of that would need to be built out, because that would be a logistics nightmare for 1000 customers a day, but its not outside the realm of possibility.

[ilvtofu]

lmao guy in the article is such a self fulfilling prophecy over that one stupid incident.

Personally I don't ever buy anything at best buy/FS before checking online what the best price is, often when they have clearance/sales they DO in fact have the best price (locally at least) I could care less about customer service when I can save $10+, it is such a hassle in my experience to get something price matched at London Drugs/FS/BB, Memory express simply googles the store looks at the inventory online and OK's the price beat.

But assuming that service is better in a smaller store, a price match guarantee/10% of the difference from these big box stores isn't enough and personally I've never successfully used it at any big box store. :/

[taylor192]

Why do you even have to ask best buy employee’s for advice? I’m sure mostly everyone these days will look at all the details for what they want online first then they will cost compare for the best deal then they will go to the store with all the info but will ask for advice anyways just to hear what they say even tho you already know what you want.
Nope.

We think that way cause we're savy geeks who live on the interwebz. My GF wanted a laptop for her daughter so she just headed to a big box store to look at laptops, only to be thoroughly confused by the sales idiot there.

More and more are joining our geeky ranks, yet there's still a large group of people that don't scour the interwebs for the best reviews and deals.

[taylor192]

lmao guy in the article is such a self fulfilling prophecy over that one stupid incident.
The constant sales pressure incident? I get this everytime I'm in FS and BB and I hate it. I completely agree with the author that I cannot shop at either store without getting mad.

But assuming that service is better in a smaller store, a price match guarantee from these big box stores isn't enough and personally I've never successfully used it at any big box store. :/
I used it at FS to price match NCIX. Brought up the ad on my phone, super easy.

[taylor192]

And thus, we set ourselves up for the next new SUBurban blight...huge, empty big box stores.

Corrected.

Some cities planned to start taxing parking spaces at these big box stores to discourage building these large blights on society.

[taylor192]

The major problem with NCIX is they never back up their shit, meaning if you have any issues with your purchase they will always tell you to contact the manufactorer, or if you want to return it they will charge you a 15% restocking fee, they have the worst customer service.
What specifically does NCIX hassle you for? I recently had issues with my computer rejecting the RAM I bought. I was able to exchange it for another brand without issue or penalty and thought customer service was awesome especially that I opened the package the problem was not the RAM, it was my machine not accepting that type of RAM.

[freakshow]

"We" as consumers want: Online pricing, with NCIX service, with Costco's return policy.
:heckno:

I hate the service at NCIX.. they always give me irrelevant or incorrect information.

[taylor192]

While this is true, and I've done this
I've done it, and will not buy shoes in Canada anymore. The markup on sneakers is silly. Kobe VIs were $179 here, and $119 in the US. I try them on in Sportchek, then order online. If Sportchek sold for $129 or even $139 I'd be inclined to buy locally, yet not for 50% more.

[freakshow]

I recently had issues with my computer rejecting the RAM I bought. I was able to exchange it for another brand without issue or penalty and thought customer service was awesome especially that I opened the package the problem was not the RAM, it was my machine not accepting that type of RAM.
They used to have a 15% restocking fee, and, according to their website, they still do. So I avoid them because I don't exactly want to take the chance that they hit me for 15% if I need to return something.

[donjalapeno]

I used to work at BB and I didn't know shit :fuckthatshit:

[Hondaracer]

The average consumer doesn't understand how Ncix works and would rather see and hold a product than give a rep a SKU and buy it
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Great68]

The average consumer doesn't understand how Ncix works and would rather see and hold a product than give a rep a SKU and buy it
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

Sometimes being able to see and hold a product is extremely valuable. It depends on the product. For computer parts like hard drives, Ram, etc the physical characteristics are meaningless.

But for things like TV's, being able to see the picture on a TV that's actually running is helpful. And I wouldn't buy any car without test-driving it first.

[Glove]

Well, here's the problem.

"We" as consumers want: Online pricing, with NCIX service, with Costco's return policy.

So go ahead and conduct business in that environment.

I can see a day when retail is no longer "the" way to sell. I want a Samsung TV. I go to Samsung's website and order me a tv. Straight from the manufacturer.

It cuts several steps in distribution, it goes from place of origin to manufacturers DC to a truck heading to somewhere close to me, to me. Obviously, a bit of that would need to be built out, because that would be a logistics nightmare for 1000 customers a day, but its not outside the realm of possibility.

I couldnt agree with you more,

I would love to just purchase straight from manufactorer and deal with them, that way my invoice is straight in their system, and it makes it much easier for warranty because all warranty claims go to manufactorer anyway. Cut out the middle man. Also pricing would be cheaper,

thats also why I buy a lot from newegg and tiger direct, online pricing, excellent return policies, excellent customer service. if I need something right away I will try and make the trip to memory express, they are just like ncix, but dont rape you on returns.

imo stores are definitly becoming obsolete, in my case anyway. I havent bought something from a big chain store in a loooong time, they are doing it to themselves, charging 100 dollars for a ram stick, when ncix is selling for 30, and online for 20.

[taylor192]

But for things like TV's, being able to see the picture on a TV that's actually running is helpful.
To most people its actually a disservice as it makes picking a TV instore very hard.

While in the store you'll nit pick darker blacks, brighter whites, colour depth ... which you'll forget about once the TV is home and there's not 10 others beside it to compare to.

[SumAznGuy]

maybe rather haven't started buying things online.

yet there's still a large group of people that don't scour the interwebs for the best reviews and deals.

Was at a Target store in the states over the weekend and saw an older lady paying at the cashier with a cheque. The cashier asked her if she wanted a Target credit card and the lady was :heckno:

I have a feeling a big chunk of the US is exactly like this, hence why Sears is still in business down there.

Well, here's the problem.

"We" as consumers want: Online pricing, with NCIX service, with Costco's return policy.

So go ahead and conduct business in that environment.

I can see a day when retail is no longer "the" way to sell. I want a Samsung TV. I go to Samsung's website and order me a tv. Straight from the manufacturer.

It cuts several steps in distribution, it goes from place of origin to manufacturers DC to a truck heading to somewhere close to me, to me. Obviously, a bit of that would need to be built out, because that would be a logistics nightmare for 1000 customers a day, but its not outside the realm of possibility.

You can do that with Apple products right now, but their prices are the same as BB/FS and it took over a week to ship from China.

[iamon]

i worked at future shop for the holiday season in 2005 and best buy when i needed a job quick in 06, at future shop i worked the mp3 section, they gave us some product training but most things i had to learn on my own, which was ok since I was interested in that sort of thing. I tried to learn and teach people about the products instead of trying to upsell and sell Product service plan like my other co-workers did, one guy spent an hour pushing the P.S.P. on an ipod on someone who didn't buy it. I was let go since I had decent sales numbers but Product service plan was at the bottom of the barrel. When I worked at Best Buy i was put in the computer department, They threw us on the floor the 2nd day. I quit after the 3rd shift because I personally felt stupid when trying to help a customer on something I didn't know much about.

[Great68]

To most people its actually a disservice as it makes picking a TV instore very hard.

While in the store you'll nit pick darker blacks, brighter whites, colour depth ... which you'll forget about once the TV is home and there's not 10 others beside it to compare to.

What is pleasing to one person's eye may not be pleasing to the next person.

When I bought my TV, I did my research and read the reviews, b ut I still wanted to see it for myself.

I realise that they don't exactly set the TV's in the future shop showroom up for optimal comparison sometimes, but I still like having that option.

[VrrM604]

Usually have no problems with Best Buy..Future Shop on the other hand, some of their associates are annoying as hell

[GLOW]

Sales guy 1 got mad, asked to "take it outside" and threatened to beat up my dad.


i was hoping to hear that your dad said "sure lets go bitch" and the guy was all :heckno:

[MindBomber]

Go to Home Depot during the middle of a weekday, not on a weekend. The older more experienced staff work the weekdays and will have more time to spend with you.

I hate going on weekends, its just a bunch of kids working that don't know much.

Go ahead and tell yourself that they're more experienced based on age and the time they have to spend with you, but it's not the case the vast majority of the time. They're retired cops, businessmen, truck drivers and the like who took the same online course the kids did. All they have on the kids is a bit of life experience, maybe they built a deck 15 years prior and installed a door knob at some point, but that's about it.

In reality, the advice the old men give is often pretty fucked, it's just delivered differently.

[SlySi]

That original post has been circling around everywhere.
Typical blogging garbage.
Whether it will be true or not, only time will tell.
He has a little too much hate for an honest working person trying to earn a buck for Best Buy and an extra dollar for himself.

I do hope Best Buy stays around.
They employ allot of people. Not only in the retail stores, but at their corporate offices, plus everywhere else around the world. SMB relies on them. Large corporation relies on them. The consumer relies on them. The company I work for, not affiliated with Best Buy relies on them. The amount of licenses and contracts they buy bring in a hefty dollar to the company I work for.

They also provide buying power to the consumer.

Prices dont drop just because you buy direct.
Distribution/reselling has its value.
The last thing Samsung or majority of vendors wants, is every consumer in the world buying from their website.
That will simply force them to hire more people, logistics personel, larger warehouse requirements, more sales reps, etc.etc. Buying direct does not mean better pricing.

Do they need to restructure? Sure, why not. The retail space is evolving with the internet. Brick and Mortar stores have trouble surviving. But dont count them out.
Everyone still needs them.

Or else. One day.
We will all end up buying large purchases over the internet without ever even seeing the product first. How silly will that be?
I personally would never buy a TV without actually seeing the product in person.

Plus, where else am I go, while my wife drags me out to shop with her.
Its the only place I can hang around and play with everything while she spends my money.

[gars]

In a way - I'm happy that companies like Nikon start standardized pricing. That way you'll get a more even pricing across the board - so I won't feel compelled to have to buy from Amazon to save a few bucks.

Sure, I might not save as much - but the local stores - like the boutique mom/dad stores (the ones with the proper experience/training) will really benefit.

[BillyBishop]

Go ahead and tell yourself that they're more experienced based on age and the time they have to spend with you, but it's not the case the vast majority of the time.


I don't see where Taylor said that they're more experienced by sole virtue of their age... he clearly didn't say that. Nor did he say that more time spent implies more experience.
Whenever I go to Home Depot here in Richmond, I know exactly who to go to for help when I need it. Coincidentally, he's an older gentleman.

[taylor192]

I don't see where Taylor said that they're more experienced by sole virtue of their age... he clearly didn't say that. Nor did he say that more time spent implies more experience.
Whenever I go to Home Depot here in Richmond, I know exactly who to go to for help when I need it. Coincidentally, he's an older gentleman.
I definitely said and implied it - and think MindBomber is full of shit.

Even if the older employees at HD never worked in specific construction fields, they have by virtue years of real life experience unlike their younger counterparts which grew up without ever using a screwdriver.

I'm 30yo and most of my peers cannot operate power tools, while most of my father's peers could build a house.

[MindBomber]

I definitely said and implied it - and think MindBomber is full of shit.

Even if the older employees at HD never worked in specific construction fields, they have by virtue years of real life experience unlike their younger counterparts which grew up without ever using a screwdriver. te power tools, while most of my father's peers could build a house.

Taylor -

You can listen to my advice or choose to assume it's uninformed conjecture, but I am certainly not full of shit. The advice given by the older men at home depot is often terrible, they have more basic abilities by virtue of experience than a younger person, but anything more advanced than tiling a back splash is beyond their skill set. They're not giving advice with well grounded knowledge, but rather extrapolating on the very basic concepts they grasp. I'm a trades person and worked at HD for years during slow periods, evenings, weekends to earn extra money and the benefits package. I witnessed that bad advice and had to correct it thousands of times, literally.

On a routine basis, I would approach a customer who looked dazed and confused and offer assistance, only to have them politely refuse and immediately seek out one of my older co-workers, that older co-worker would then lead them directly back to me. Age is irrelevant, superficial appearances are unimportant, I may be young, but I know my stuff and unlike many of my older co-workers, I would admit when something was beyond my knowledge instead of giving out potentially unsound advice.


Whenever I go to Home Depot here in Richmond, I know exactly who to go to for help when I need it. Coincidentally, he's an older gentleman.

That's the way to go.

[Noir]

The major problem with NCIX is they never back up their shit, meaning if you have any issues with your purchase they will always tell you to contact the manufactorer, or if you want to return it they will charge you a 15% restocking fee, they have the worst customer service.

I know many people that have turned away from NCIX because of this, and went to memory express, because they dont have these policies.

They used to have a 15% restocking fee, and, according to their website, they still do. So I avoid them because I don't exactly want to take the chance that they hit me for 15% if I need to return something.

This!


I too am also one of the ones that researches purchases heavily online before actually making a purchase and find that even that, you have to take with a grain of salt. Most online reviews can be biased, mixed, or inadequate if the person reviewing has completely different values or priorities in an item; or if you really want an item you can eventually find positive reviews to justify your wanting of the item.

That being said, the ability to test out purchases for yourself to determine if it truly is worth the X amount of dollars it requires can be an invaluable benefit to consumers; and Bestbuy caters that with their hassle free return policy.

I find myself being the backwards shopper that everyone here seems to be. I'm interested in an item, I read about it online. Consequently researching info + reviews on an items simultaneously yields price researches. Then I go to Bestbuy and if they don't have similar prices, they offer to price-match (or lessen the price slightly) and I still get that guarantee that if I'm not satisfied with the purchase, I can go to any location and return items requiring nothing more than the item itself and a receipt.

Oh and plus, I also get to purchase it and play with the item all in the same day. Maybe a small detail for some but is pretty significant detail for me

[Ikkaku]

Some older guy tried to mess around when I was helping my dad return a Canon lens, with which a gift receipt was given. He takes the product and does the routine checking of the product. In fact, that was the first time the lens was taken out of the foam packaging. First he asks why I'm returning the product, so I told him it was because my dad has a better lens, but his friend did not know which lenses my dad has. He then starts telling us its exchange only, I'm like no it's not, it's not beyond x amount of days. He is like, oh but it will only come as a store credit only, and I reply, "yes I know".

He walks away, tells the girl that is at the till to help us. After a few minutes, he comes back with another staff and hassles us again stating it's exchange only. At this point I'm getting frustrated, and I hold up the receipt and point directly at the line that indicates that refunds will only come as store credit. With a smirk on his face, says a quick sorry and walks away again.

My assumption is that his attitude is geared towards people who have never read the conditions on the receipt. It's staff like this, who make buying at stores like Future Shop a major hassle.

[Gridlock]

Well, I have never worked for FS, but years ago, like 1999, I applied to work for them.

It's me sitting there, with an interviewer across from me, and a woman to my right watching me.

It was by far the worst interview ever! Sample question:

"I see you did a year of university, and then dropped out. Do you often quit things without finishing?"

"Well, if you notice, that university is in Halifax, and my address is in Vancouver. The commute was a drag."

And on it went. My attitude went up with every answer as I realized that I had no interest in slinging their crap for minimum wage.

I got that they were trying to gage my ability to handle sales under pressure, buts its FS man...people come in, you put stuff on their credit card and they never actually pay for it. Not rocket science.

Every time I go in there now, I just remember that glaring, scowling woman staring at me, and walk back out.

[Nlkko]

I can see a day when retail is no longer "the" way to sell. I want a Samsung TV. I go to Samsung's website and order me a tv. Straight from the manufacturer.

It cuts several steps in distribution, it goes from place of origin to manufacturers DC to a truck heading to somewhere close to me, to me. Obviously, a bit of that would need to be built out, because that would be a logistics nightmare for 1000 customers a day, but its not outside the realm of possibility.

Dell has been doing that for years now.

My expectation walking to a retail store is all the salespeople are retards. I only expect them to show me where certain stuffs are, that's it. You gotta realize these clowns work for minimum wage, they aren't rocket scientists.

I only shop at retails for small stuffs and when I cant wait. Like when I ordered a projector and need the extra cable. Aint gonna wait a few weeks for monoproce, aint I?

[AzNightmare]

I hardly rely on salespeople for advice.
Only if I want quick advice for something I probably don't have much preference on.
I also understand that sometimes, in these type of stores, they hire people who don't
necessarily have the proper "training" or full knowledge of their departments,
so asking some of them could just end up having them flip the product box to the back
and read out the specs to you, which was what you could have just done yourself.

If I'm making big purchases like computer parts for example, I would NEVER go to BB or FS
just because their prices are way higher than NCIX.

My source of advice always comes from online forums or product reviews.
I find them way more reliable.

[winson604]

I pretty much don't ask the sales staff of Future Shop or Bestbuy any questions, none of them really seem to have any real knowledge of the products they sell. They seem to read the info card and that's it.
I once had an argument with a Best Buy employee who didn't understand that Optical and Coax audio outputs are the same signal.

That being said, I'm not a fan of online shopping. I hate having to order it, wait days for it to arrive, deal with picking it up at the post office. And if something's wrong with it I hate having to deal with shipping it back.

When I want something I like to drive to the store, buy it, drive home and then use it that same day.

If your buyign from BB or FS you can just return it at the store but otherwise I totally understand the whole shipping and waiting shit. I only buy online when I have to due to it being an online saying only, eBay, Amazon etc. otherwise going in the store is easier for me.

I freaking hate FS, went day after boxing day to buy a microwave and I understand it's busy but I asked the guy if he has a certain microwave in stock. He replied I don't know, you'll have to walk around the store and look above where we put the boxes and see for yourself. I then asked him can't you just look it up in the PC and he replies only if you give me the web id. WTF?

I'm not really sure if I see BB and FS going out of business. I don't see enough people being smart enough to even know there are other better and cheaper options out there to buy this stuff but hey it has happened before so who knows.

[carisear]

Well, here's the problem.

"We" as consumers want: Online pricing, with NCIX service, with Costco's return policy.


uhm what? ncix service? you mean line up, grab a number, wait, and then have someone bring you item? uhhh, no thank you. i've been to ncix a couple times and each time it's gotten worse and worse. i've gotten better service at small places like addax, than ncix.

/rant

[DC5-S]

I loveee this stories.. I wanna hear MOAR!!!
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Gridlock]

Ok...I grabbed NCIX because someone mentioned it in the thread. Pick a business with great service and use that for my example. Starbucks.

There we go.

The point was we want cheap, with great service and no questions asked return policy, and lets throw in convenient location, open late and ample parking with the store next to our house when we want to shop there, but no where near our house when we are home.

The point, is we want everything and want to pay for nothing.

Shit. It's like its an epidemic across retail, business and politics.

[Lowered_Klass]

Speaking of the Coquitlam Best Buy... anyone else find it extremely odd, that when Future Shop moved out of that building, and across the street to the mall... that they had to renovate the store completely before it became a Best buy?

Like moving the Car Audio install bay to the other side of the building, and shit like that. Things that seemed completely unnecessary, especially since they're basically the same store. Talk about a WTF.

Best Buy is a great place to go to be left alone. It appears this is not the case in the states, but every time I go to a Best Buy (not often) I like the fact that I get left alone, which was a nice change from Future Shop (before they switched to non-comission).

By far, the WORST place, is Visions. Hands down. Never, will they EVER get another cent from me. Over the years, I've only bought a few things from them, but the last couple of purchases left me extremely pissed. Although it was fun arguing with the sales guy, there is something about being made to look stupid, or being made to look like some cheap asshole, that really gets me going (in a bad way, lol)

Case in point, my last purchase. I bought a set of Polk bookshelf speakers for a friends bday present. He had been eyeballin' them for a while, and wanted to replace his rear surround speakers. Were there better speakers out there to buy? Of course, but he wanted to have these Polk speakers to match the rest of his set up. I walk into the store, ask for the speakers, and for the next 5-10min they HOUNDED me on how these speakers are garbage, how they've been discounted this steeply for a reason, etc etc. I tried to explain nicely that these were a) A Gift. and b) They're going to be used as his rear speakers. He doesn't need $1000+ rear speakers! No one does. By the end of it, if I could have gotten these speakers elsewhere, I would have. I already didn't like Visions, but they had me bent over, as no one else carried them. Now? I don't care if they were the last electronic store around, and they were giving shit away. I won't go near them.

[Death2Theft]

Here i was thinking only the democrats and republicans had that scam going.
best Buy and futureshop are the same company, they compete with eachother just to make it seem like you have choices.

[sonick]

I have been a HUGE fan of Memory Express since they opened in Richmond. Nice layout, good product and pricing, and the sales reps there are truly knowledgeable (i.e. real nerds).

Speaking of Best Buy, a colleague of mine went into BB to look for an alternative to a Kindle Fire, which is not yet available in Canada. The BestBuy rep tried to suggest a Kobo Colour eBook reader. WTF? eBook reader is a COMPLETELY different animal than a full blown Android Tablet. For the same $199 price nonetheless!

Edit: Spelling brain-fart.

[tool001]

ordered espresso machine from best buy , came in with broken pump.(black Friday),
called in for replacement, told me to retun it to best buy. when i asked for replacement on phone they told me i will have to return and purchase again!!

i bought another one (higher price) and next day return broken one bought @ higher price.

problem , training.

i worked at FS for about 2-3 months.. god that place makes so much profit. on car audio/cables/tv/audio. pretty much everything except PC/Laptop (so they try to makeup by selling restore cds)

[CP.AR]

another best buy story from today! (Queensborough this time)

I go to the computer dept... ask the guy if he's IN the department, which he answers "YES I AM HOW CAN I HELP YOU SIR!"

I say I'm looking for a UPS for my computer
Dude gives me a completely puzzled look and says
Sorry man you in the wrong store!
I said no... by UPS I mean Uninterrupted Power Supply

employee: Still got no idea what you're talking about

:fuckthatshit:

[Carl Johnson]

Best Buy is just a showcase shelf for Amazon, Newegg, NCIX. See something online that you like but not sure how it looks and works in real life? Just take a drive down to your local Best Buy/Future Shop.

[dohboi]

Support your Independant Retailers that are Canadian Companies. Independants will provide you with better knowledge, experience and customer service (most cases).

It also supports Canadian Economy. Buying from Futureshop and BestBuy will only feed BestBuy USA and the US Economy.

Btw, there's a BestBuy opening up at Marine Drive and Ontario St. They may not be opening any more Futureshop's but seems like opening up more BestBuy's.

[sindragon]

My friend works in the computer department and i will share stories tmr on pc
: )
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[BaoTurbo]

I have been a HUGE fan of Memory Express since they opened in Richmond. Nice layout, good product and pricing, and the sales reps there are truly knowledgeable (i.e. real nerds).

Speaking of Best Buy, a colleage of mine went into BB to look for an alternative to a Kindle Fire, which is not yet available in Canada. The BestBuy rep tried to suggest a Kobo Colour eBook reader. WTF? eBook reader is a COMPLETELY different animal than a full blown Android Tablet. For the same $199 price nonetheless!

You don't have to be a genius to figure out that a tablet has more functions than a reader. /retardedsales

[Gh0stRider]

i find that at bestbuy the staff usually leave you alone, but when you need help...its takes forever to find someone.

at FS, the staff wont leave you alone.

[Ikkaku]

At Lansdowne, it feels like FS is definitely overstaffed (most of the time you'll see the guys just standing there talking with other staff) and BB is understaffed (hence, they are always busy when you need help)

[Araaadi]

I went to bestbuy at metrotown on Monday, I was quite happy to shop there, I've had good customer service there from a manager, and was even offered a job. So I wen't after ordering some shaw cable from the "secret sale". I decided I wanted a new tv for my self, so I could give my mom my LCD. I found the LG 3D LED TV on sale for 799 from 999. I asked an employee about it, he just walked me to a demo tv, which wasn't even the same series, told me if I wanted it, I would have to order it and pick it up in a week because all the stores are sold out. He then tells me today was the last day for the sale and they were closing in 30 minutes. I went and finally found the right display tv, checked it out for 5 minutes and decided to grab it. I spent the next 30 minutes looking for an associate to help me. I asked maybe 4-5 and they all either said they don't work TV's or they were off. Now it was already 6:05 and they were supposed to be closed and I just about walked away empty handed. I found the guy who originally helped me, ordered the TV and left. Next day I went to work, and went to Bestbuy at queensborgh, I found the TV i ordered there in stock with plenty left, plus found out the sale wasn't even over yet. So tomorrow I'm just planning on returning the tv and pick it up at queensborogh.

[ImportPsycho]

BB/FS still have lowest price on computers HP/Acer/gateway garbages.
Some of the low prices on desktop computers, just mind boggling.
Average mom pop granny don't give a sht about performance will buy those sht. or they'll go to NCIX/ME and ask for $300 desktop including monitor that they saw at BB and sales rep will go WTF? :seriously:

now that HP is out of consumer pc market and Acer announcing they'll stop making crap, it will be interesting to see what kind of low end POS they'll be selling

[Manic!]

now that HP is out of consumer pc market


DailyTech - HP Unveils New PCs and Displays Ahead of CES 2012 (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=23671)

[ae101]

when bb 1st came to town in richmond me & my dad went to check it out, price wise it was cheap but dude don't know shit about anything when I ask about screen cleaners

Dude said it looks blue like windex & works like windex just that it made for pc screens & I was like WTF, but still my dad like ask a sale guy just about anything tec related now a days

Just on boxing day bought a new laptop for my sister at fs, we ask if there was any more 300 range laptop & dude say nope just gave us a 400 range laptop saying take
It or leave

My dad was WTF kind of serivce is this, then we bought the thing cuz my dad not a big fan of crowded places & when install window 7 it just freezes on me, I was like
WTF

My dad got a computer from ME last year & nothing went wrong, also love how they limit how many ppl go in to the store on boxing day which makes it less crowded & also looks like there a super huge sale
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[sonick]

You don't have to be a genius to figure out that a tablet has more functions than a reader. /retardedsales

They probably didn't even know what the Kindle Fire was, and assumed since it was a Kindle it was an eBook Reader as well.

[Tapioca]

(I'm mainly referring to A/V stuff like speakers, amps, etc.)

In the 80s and 90s, we had many indepndent stores who took the time to demo equipment and actually knew something about what they were selling. Now, these types of businesses are nearly extinct. And who's to blame? Us.
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[rb]

Only use BB to price match. The salespeople there usually dont give a damn to fight with you whether they can do it or not. Price matched London Drugs at BB and picked up two 46" Samsung TV's for $579 each a few months ago when they were going for $799. Futureshop salesguy laughed saying the price was cost and the BB salesguy said "sure whatever" hah.

[sonick]

(I'm mainly referring to A/V stuff like speakers, amps, etc.)

In the 80s and 90s, we had many indepndent stores who took the time to demo equipment and actually knew something about what they were selling. Now, these types of businesses are nearly extinct. And who's to blame? Us.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

RIP A&B Sound :(

[taylor192]

(I'm mainly referring to A/V stuff like speakers, amps, etc.)

In the 80s and 90s, we had many indepndent stores who took the time to demo equipment and actually knew something about what they were selling. Now, these types of businesses are nearly extinct. And who's to blame? Us.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)
Oh well. Modern equipment is so good at prices points that this level of service isn't really needed anymore, and most people aren't willing to pay the premium for it.

Like I said about TVs, sure you'll notice the small difference in the store with 20 TVs side-by-side, yet once you're home you'll enjoy the TV you picked as much as any of the other 20 TVs. The difference in quality isn't as huge as it was 20 years ago.

Now some will argue "I can totally tell the difference" and I will tell them to go get their eyes and ears checked cause I bet their vision and hearing isn't even good enough to tell the difference. Even if they can tell the difference, its usually at a couple feet in store, not 8-10 ft in a typical home setting.

[Glove]

^

my mom got a 1080p samsung LCD 52" she paid 1200

mine is a 720p samsung plasma that I paid 3500 when it first came out,

the quality on mine is FAR better, night and day difference, eventhough mine is 5 years older.

Quality differences can definitly be seen when viewing HD content, when you pay attention to hair folicles and shading on the picture,

when viewing 720p or 1080p on her tv, its all blurry and not nearly as crisp

[SlySi]

^

my mom got a 1080p samsung LCD 52" she paid 1200

mine is a 720p samsung plasma that I paid 3500 when it first came out,

the quality on mine is FAR better, night and day difference, eventhough mine is 5 years older.

Quality differences can definitly be seen when viewing HD content, when you pay attention to hair folicles and shading on the picture,

when viewing 720p or 1080p on her tv, its all blurry and not nearly as crisp

Exactly.
Some may not "care" there are small or big differences.
Just because you can't tell or care for the small difference, doesnt mean we need our eyes checked. LOL

Shading, ghosting, etc..., and in my opinion. Bezel size and the blacks are the biggest importance to me.

[dboy]

^

my mom got a 1080p samsung LCD 52" she paid 1200

mine is a 720p samsung plasma that I paid 3500 when it first came out,

the quality on mine is FAR better, night and day difference, eventhough mine is 5 years older.

Quality differences can definitly be seen when viewing HD content, when you pay attention to hair folicles and shading on the picture,

when viewing 720p or 1080p on her tv, its all blurry and not nearly as crisp

Same with my parents TV. 50" Panasonic 720p Plasma that they paid $4000+ for.
When I play Xbox on it, it is so much more clear than on the newer 50" Sharp Aquos 1080p Plasma we have downstairs.

[taylor192]

Exactly.
Some may not "care" there are small or big differences.
Just because you can't tell or care for the small difference, doesnt mean we need our eyes checked. LOL
LOL When I hear people talk about screen quality I ask them to read small text from across the room. When they fail reading it, I read it to them and tell them to shut it. If your vision isn't fantastic, then the small differences will be indiscernible at normal TV viewing distance. Physicists have proven this scientifically.

Shading, ghosting, etc..., and in my opinion. Bezel size and the blacks are the biggest importance to me.
Your argument is bezel size? really? :facepalm:

[Ronin]

Personally I don't shop at Best Buy most of the time because NCIX has better prices and I never need help. I hate being talked to by any salespeople at any store. I don't need to be sold to. I already know what I want before I walk into the store so I only shop where prices are lowest. Customer service experience beyond "I'll go get that right away." is either lost on me or a complete negative. Whether the staff are knowledgable or not is irrelevant.

I used to work at London Drugs and I once asked my manager why on earth anyone would ever buy anything from us over NCIX or online since prices, selection and availability are clearly superior elsewhere. His answer was customer service. So basically for people like me and I'm guessing most of you, there's zero reason to shop at most large retail stores for electronics.

[Ronin]

PS: go to a big box store that does not price match online stores. Ask to see an expensive item and then tell them you just wanted to see it in real life and can get it cheaper online. See what kind of bullshit comes out to try to get the sale.

In reality, there's no reason to buy from BB unless they have a sale no one else can beat.

Especially funny at places where the staff get commission. Do it at London Drugs and ask them to price match Amazon or NewEgg.

[InvisibleSoul]

another best buy story from today! (Queensborough this time)

I go to the computer dept... ask the guy if he's IN the department, which he answers "YES I AM HOW CAN I HELP YOU SIR!"

I say I'm looking for a UPS for my computer
Dude gives me a completely puzzled look and says
Sorry man you in the wrong store!
I said no... by UPS I mean Uninterrupted Power Supply

employee: Still got no idea what you're talking about

:fuckthatshit:

:badpokerface:

[Gridlock]

Oh well. Modern equipment is so good at prices points that this level of service isn't really needed anymore, and most people aren't willing to pay the premium for it.

Like I said about TVs, sure you'll notice the small difference in the store with 20 TVs side-by-side, yet once you're home you'll enjoy the TV you picked as much as any of the other 20 TVs. The difference in quality isn't as huge as it was 20 years ago.

Now some will argue "I can totally tell the difference" and I will tell them to go get their eyes and ears checked cause I bet their vision and hearing isn't even good enough to tell the difference. Even if they can tell the difference, its usually at a couple feet in store, not 8-10 ft in a typical home setting.

I find that true if you are comparing a 40" LG to a 40" whatever brand, but I totally notice a difference in price points. You sit a sony or a whatever makes that Equos thing next to an LG and its lightyears different.

All depends on what you want to pay.

And that's the thing...I don't need a salesman to tell me that for $700 I can have a far superior product.

[hypediss]

i stopped listening to these young guns when they told me that a sony led was better than the pioneer kuro i was about to purchase

[Gridlock]

Support your Independant Retailers that are Canadian Companies. Independants will provide you with better knowledge, experience and customer service (most cases).

It also supports Canadian Economy. Buying from Futureshop and BestBuy will only feed BestBuy USA and the US Economy.

Btw, there's a BestBuy opening up at Marine Drive and Ontario St. They may not be opening any more Futureshop's but seems like opening up more BestBuy's.

Is that what's going in the old Dueck location?

Gotta love Vancouver irony. Fight tooth and nail to prevent Wal-Mart there, but bend right over and let Best Buy drive one in.

Well done! That shortage of fucking strip malls has been cured..oh wait, there's always a need for one more?

[ae101]

funny how today i went to bb just for kicks & ask about buying a computer since i need a cheap new tower & long story short dude looks at me asking me whats a tower, im like :seriously:

then i tell them im looking for a desktop & guys goes "ohhhhhhhh ya we used the more professional terms like desktop", then just ok thanks then walked away

[Great68]

RIP A&B Sound :(

I miss A&B :(

[Tapioca]

Oh well. Modern equipment is so good at prices points that this level of service isn't really needed anymore, and most people aren't willing to pay the premium for it.

Like I said about TVs, sure you'll notice the small difference in the store with 20 TVs side-by-side, yet once you're home you'll enjoy the TV you picked as much as any of the other 20 TVs. The difference in quality isn't as huge as it was 20 years ago.


My Panasonic plasma I bought 5 years ago is light years ahead than the Sharp 42" 1080P LCD that my dad bought last week. We both feed it HD cable and the picture quality difference is clearly noticeable. Even my dad who has terrible eyesight said that the picture on the Sharp isn't as crisp.

i stopped listening to these young guns when they told me that a sony led was better than the pioneer kuro i was about to purchase
The one thing I regret is not buying a Pioneer Kuro when retailers were blowing them out a couple of years ago. They were the best panels that were ever made and there won't be anything on the market like them for a long time.

[taylor192]

My Panasonic plasma I bought 5 years ago is light years ahead than the Sharp 42" 1080P LCD that my dad bought last week. We both feed it HD cable and the picture quality difference is clearly noticeable. Even my dad who has terrible eyesight said that the picture on the Sharp isn't as crisp.
Plasma vs LCD

You don't need 20 TVs to tell the difference, just 2, a plasma and a LCD. I prefer plasma too.

Like Gridlock said, there is a different in price point, especially for LCD/LED TVs - yet you don't need to see 20 of them side-by-side to know that.

[death_blossom]

plasma = win