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Pretty easy, they are not cut rate, actually their prices can border on absurd. Customer service is laughable at best: I seriously went in with 3K, cash in hand, knew EXACTLY what I wanted, couldn't get help to save my life, took cash and literally had it IN HAND(hint: I AM HERE TO SPEND MONEY), stayed in the same section for 30min, and said screw it and left. All the while, 3 CSR's were lollygagging at the desk, just hamming it up. HHGregg got my money, while saving me some too. When BB first opened, it had a great deal of knowledgeable people working the floor, nowadays, it's kids acting like walking cash registers. They are horribly UNinformed on the products they are there to sell, and that's if you can even get one to help you.
There are SO many online resources for electronics/appliances/gadgets, and so many better deals to be had, it seems like only a matter of time before brick and mortar stores like BB bite the dust all together. The stores are good for testing out gadgets, and seeing what you are getting, but by and large, you can get FAR better deals online, often with free shipping even to HI.
I've been frustrated with them too, due to a shortage of floor help, but I like that you can have them check your budget links online to any lower price and they'll match it.
With the news of BB closing 50 stores, how will our stores fare?
The word is the Aiea store continues to win awards for meeting budget and superior customer service ratings. Personally, I think the workers there are more friendly. The Iwilei store, on the other hand, seems to be struggling with employee turnover and changes to their store format. I, for one, would go to the Iwilei store primarily for the "Magnolia" home theater section, which appears to be massively downsized and moved from the front to the rear of the store. They don't even have a demo room, just a small room with a selection of speakers. In its place: Pacific Home Appliances. Just what we need, a more expensive version of Sears. Oh, but the "black-tie protection plan" and "in-home delivery" makes all the difference, right?
We can’t be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans. — U.S. President Bill Clinton USA TODAY, page 2A 11 March 1993
CompUsa set sales records at the Hawaii store as did Circuit City, Best Buy Aiea does well too. But it doesnt matter if the rest of the stores nationwide aren't meeting sales expectations. Along with Sears closing at Ala Moana, I wouldnt be surprised if Best Buy closes too. Who knows with the way things are going maybe Costco is the one next to go. The Iwilei store is supposedly the flagship store but I wonder if consumers are turning against the big box retailers because everything else seems to be going out of business.
Amazon is considering opening up stores now, do you think this is a good idea? It seems to go against their business model, but I can see them opening stores all over the place and then a year or so later filing bankruptcy because they overexpanded.
How much bigger and boxier does it need to be, to be?
As I predicted, the biggies would force out the long time smaller favorites and Mom & Pops, then go belly up and open a purchasing hole that leaves the community with few options left to get more specialized items. We're still a long ways from it completely happening, but it's not hard to envision, we already have limitations that really suck.
Last edited by Ron Whitfield; March 30, 2012, 04:58 PM.
ML...I've had the opposite experience with Lowe's and Home Depot. AAMOF, Lowe's is the first business I gave a one star review for on Yelp! When Lowe's failed, Home Depot came thru like champs! I guess it just depends on the individual stores and their management teams.
When a Big Box store liquidates, one has to plan ones shopping strategy
carefully.
Be polite to the staff, as they are usually very stressed out.
Read the newspaper ads and keep on hand any ads from the
Sunday paper.
A bunch of stuff is inevitably tossed into dumpsters along the way.
Above all, remain polite.
Amazon is considering opening up stores now, do you think this is a good idea?
Amazon is good at what they do... selling online. I think they would be doomed if they went to brick and mortar retail operations. Certainly would not want one in Hawaii.
Amazon moving into a store .... didn't Borders have trouble with having "stores"? None of it seems predictable to me anymore, ever since Aloha Airlines went under! How did THAT happen??
Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.
Amazon is good at what they do... selling online. I think they would be doomed if they went to brick and mortar retail operations. Certainly would not want one in Hawaii.
Amazon, all day long. they will be around for a long time to come, barring the end of the world in December
They have great deals/MAKE great deals, and even paying for the Prime Membership has paid for itself time, and time again. Not to mention that AMAZON has a far more diverse "inventory" than what BB offers. AMAZON has become a world market for everyone, looking for everything.
TatT, that is a good observation.
What I wonder is what a comparison of the ebay approach to marketing
versus the amazon approach would reveal after close scrutiny of the
actual bottom line profits.
Just thinkin
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