Fans of the Bonus Discs from the BestBuy-owned chains, be aware... (1 Viewer)

[Jesse Skeen]

That reminds me of a story I heard on alt.video.laserdisc a few years ago- someone said they were approached by someone in Suncoast asking what they were looking for, and they were told that it wasn't available yet for sale on VHS. The guy said "No, I want it on laserdisc" and proceeded to go over and get it, and the salesperson said "We have laserdiscs?"
On another note, I have to question the legality of stores getting exclusive product like the bonus discs. I work for another retailer but still have bought a few items at Best Buy because the bonus discs were only available there, like the 4th "Sleepaway Camp" disc.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

On another note, I have to question the legality of stores getting exclusive product like the bonus discs

The way BB does it is legal, as they pay for the development of the material

 

[David Lambert]

Remember that tape from regional offices of Software Etc... GSA !!!!

Stan Hirschman told me that I earned the very first GSA pin that the company ever handed out for a secret shop...Stan himself was the shopper! No, I didn't realize that the gentleman I was talking to about Amiga 500's and Sega Genesis units and their differences was the Vice President of Operations...

How about those MSTs, eh? "Would you like some printer ink with that copy of Print Shop?" Those were the days.

I talked to Dan DeMatteo a few months ago...he sounds great...glad to be back in the saddle. If he ever needs a system analyst, I'd be happy to work with those guys again.

Oh, I exchanged e-mail with Cathy Preston, too...remember her? Videogame buyer? Now she's with Game Informer magazine.

 

[Alex Yang]

Dave,

LMAO, CONGRATS!!! I was the NUMBER 1 seller of Amiga 500's in NYC, even started Amiga user's group in NYC!!! Sega Genisis and Amiga 500...

Those were the days!!! Remember when we first started Cartridge counting DAILY? You're not still working there are you?

Just curious!

 

[Thomas Newton]

I work for Musicland and I thought I should point out that Suncoast is making money, but Sam Goody is loosing money. The problem is more people are downloading their music, they are not buying it at the store.

The problem with Sam Goody has always been small selection and high prices. Even before I started boycotting new RIAA releases back in January 2000, it made more sense to go to Tower Records or Strawberries or Newbury Comics than to a Sam Goody. The others were cheaper and their selection was much better (especially at the big Tower stores).

I have bought maybe 5 CDs total in the last 10 years (being generous here) at Sam Goody.

SunCoast is in a little better position than Sam Goody, in that SunCoast carries a reasonably large selection of DVDs, relative to its brick-and-mortar competitors.

 

[David Lambert]

Alex, I'm not still working there. Got out six years ago, toward the end of the NeoStar era.

Were you by any chance on Dan DeMatteo's Amiga weekly conference calls? "The Amiga Committee" or whatever they called it? I was the one who talked too much every week.

At my last Manager's Conference, I was saying hello to Dan face-to-face and mentioned those days. Dan got a huge manical grin, reached out and pretended to choke my neck, and in a semi-loud voice said "Amiga! AMIGA! AHHHH!". Afterward, we couldn't stop laughing for five minutes. It was a fun yet fustrating ride with that unit, eh?

I wish I had not given away my Amiga 500, but I gave it to the guy who had been my Senior Sales Clerk for 4-5 years and was the best thing for sales that ever happened to me. His nickname was Kid Genesis, and he was the greatest videogame player I ever met...and great at selling them, too. I need to call him and catch up on old times.

 

[Alex Yang]

Dave,

No I wasn't part of the Amiga club... :frowning: I left about three months after the Amiga 500 came out, I got offered a GREAT job at an AMIGA only store in NYC called:

AMAGINATION

There I started to sell Amiga 500, 2000, 2500 video toasters, accelarator cards and Amiga software and magazines!!! After the Amiga craze died down, I started to work for J&R, Nobody beats the Wiz...

Now, I work for an investment bank next to Ground Zero called Nomura Securites, everyday I walk into the building, I see the DAMN pit and remember 9/11 like it was yesterday...



-Alex

 

[Derek Miner]

I had a recent experience that I think illustrates where the music market is at this moment...

I bought a CD at Best Buy for $14.99, but before opening it, I found that my roommate had it and let me listen to it. I didn't feel the need to have my own copy, so I put it aside to take back. Well, by the time I got around to taking it back, it was 36 days past the purchase date, so they refused to take it (or offer ANY options). I wasn't happy, and I think their decision is an affront to a regular customer, but I suppose it is their policy to limit returns to 30 days, so it's only fair.

Anyway, if I was stuck with a sealed $20 DVD, I could stand a good shot at selling it for my cost or maybe a buck or two less, but being stuck with a SEALED CD, I doubt I could get rid of the thing without losing at least five bucks. Even the prices at BEST BUY are still higher than most people are willing to pay for music. The stores seemed to be getting a clue with lower introductory pricing on new artists, but this pattern is still scattershot.

I'd venture that the CD market will follow the downfall of the VHS market. The fair market value for an average VHS tape seems to be less than $5 these days, and retail pricing reflects that. You can't raise CD prices on lower demand just because you're losing money, but that's exactly what's happening. Eventually, prices will go down out of necessity.

 

[David Lambert]

Interesting casual comment in this thread where a Suncoast employee mentioned that they are being bought by Blockbuster.

I could not find a news item to verify this...insider info, perhaps? Gee, that would be out of the frying pan and into the fire, since Blockbuster is already being sued by their stockholders!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I would say that BB would be the most logical buyer for the Musicland chain, given that they're tryign to become what Suncoast already is, except with a rental section

 

[David Lambert]

I would say that BB would be the most logical buyer for the Musicland chain

I think you mean "BBV"; otherwise we get confused between BlockBuster Video (BBV) and Best Buy (BB), who already owns Musicland! :wink:

 

[David Lambert]

Well, in the big loss of posts the other day due to the database problem, we lost my post in this thread mentioning that Best Buy had completed the sale of the Musicland group to Sun Capital Partners. I won't re-post the whole thing, though. Rather, here's a follow up from VideoBusiness.com:

DOES BEST BUY SHARE THE INFORMATION I'VE PROVIDED?

Best Buy may need to share personal information with third parties in limited circumstances. For example, we may release personal information to third parties to perform services on our behalf such as: fulfill our customer's orders, send marketing communications, deliver packages, schedule and perform installation, send postal mail and email, or process credit card payments.

Users of BestBuy.com beware. Big Brother is watching you! And don't forget that just because you opt out of Best Buy's program to send communications to you, doesn't mean they've stopped tracking you, or selling your information to third parties who may then contact you. Nowhere in their privacy policy does it say that. And a coworker of mine who used to work at their HQ tells me that's exactly how they intend it to be!

 

[Jeff_HR]

I don't have to worry David because I never buy from BB's web site.

 

[GrantM]

Thanks for the update David. My replay membership is up at the end of the month, and I was going to renew. The main thing I have it for is to get the Star Trek bonus discs.
I guess I'll wait to renew until the status of the bonus discs is definite.

 

[Steve_Ch]

It's not just "mall" stores, as most of you probably know, Warehouse gone out of business not that long ago, and even the mighty Tower Record, which really has no mall presence, is in bankruptcy and not looking good.