Shirokiya to close electronics dept

[integlspwr]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/s...19/daily5.html

[buzz1941]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

Well, shoot. One of my favorite electronics places.

[joshuatree]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

Electronics has become a commodity these days so I can understand the fierce competition and thin profit margins. But what would it replace it with?

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

few more years and that store will be just a kiosk.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

One less reason to go to AMC.

[Pomai]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

Whew! Thank God it's only a DEPARTMENT! When I first seen the title of this thread on HT's main page, it said "Shirokiya to close...", my heart dropped to the floor. While their electronics department is a fun place to look around and browse, they just couldn't compete with Best Buy & Circuit City's selection and SALE prices. I'm sure Sears is struggling as well with their electronics department.

As said before, the profit margins on electronics are thin, and probably barely cover if not at all the overhead necessary to merchandise them. It was probably a loss-leader for them.

I hope they keep the toy deparment. That's MY FAVORITE! Of course the grinds upstairs too! Just make it "Shirokiya Supermarket"!

Thankfully Mr. Watanabe (da boss) said this, "Shirokiya otherwise remains strong, particularly its food, books and Japanese products departments, said store executives."

Here's to many, many, many years to come of success for Shirokiya!

I still say SONY should make their OWN store. Like Apple did. That would be such a cool store. SONY STORE.

[tutusue]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

[...]I still say SONY should make their OWN store. Like Apple did. That would be such a cool store. SONY STORE.

I think the closest thing we have to a Sony store is Video Life on the corner of Auahi and Ward. Hmmm...if memory serves me (it tends not to!) someone from VL is a member of HT. Regardless, I love that store. Great customer service.

ETA: gotta try to stay on topic here! I haven't been in Shirokiya in a year but their electronics dept. was the only place I could find recordable mini-CDs locally.

[Vanguard]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

Did the Shirokiya electronics department have any specialty items? Anything directly from Japan for Japanese consumption? I haven't been to that store in a while!

I still say SONY should make their OWN store. Like Apple did. That would be such a cool store. SONY STORE.

Done.

[Pomai]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

Done.

Darned it! I never heard about that. How come Hawaii didn't get one first? We're closer to Japan than those places!

Well, like Tutusue said, at least we have Video Life. you know, I've never been in there before, and I pass by there almost every day. Now I gotta' check it out. It's in that new building on the top floor where Wahoo's, Starbucks and Jamba Juice is on the corner.

Vanguard, have you ever been to Akihabara "Electric Town" in Tokyo before? You have not seen electronics until you've been there. We have a family friend who owns an apartment building there. Visited there so long ago when I was in high school, yet even then, it was just amazing. What did I end up buying there? A sony stereo system. And it was one you couldn't get in the states. It had square speakers. Was so cool.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

Did the Shirokiya electronics department have any specialty items? Anything directly from Japan for Japanese consumption? I haven't been to that store in a while!

Aside from maybe the mini-discs that Sue earlier mentioned, there really wasn't anything in Shirokiya's electronics dept. that you couldn't get elsewhere. Heck, they didn't sell any region 2 DVD players or imported Japanese-market console games. And they didn't have any of Sony or Pioneer's high-end products that primarily aimed at Japanese audiophiles. All they had were the mass-produced crap. (Maybe a smart thing. The high-end components would have been costly shelf monsters for Shirokiya.)

It's the end of an era, for sure. But Shirokiya's bottom line will likely be better off using that valuable store space to sell more books, CDs and DVDs.

[tutusue]

Re: Shirokiya to close electronics dept

[...]
Done.

[...]
Well, like Tutusue said, at least we have Video Life. you know, I've never been in there before, and I pass by there almost every day. Now I gotta' check it out.[...]

What an interesting article. I'll look forward to your review of Video Life, Pomai. While it's not nearly as cool, sleek and streamlined as the Apple Store, VL has it's own look with flat screen TVs on display thruout the store. The video that's shown on the various sets is strikingly beautiful. I used to go in there for the visual candy! Well, that, I bought all my work related equipment there. Now that HD is more common and I have my own set (yes, purchased from Video Life!!), possibly the impact won't be as great. But, their display of so many screens displaying such gorgeous video convinced me to buy a 40" flat screen. They even offered free delivery. I LOVE VIDEO LIFE!!!

VL is kinda my idea of what the Sony Store might look like. Maybe Hawaii had the first "Sony Store" afterall!