OAR ACTION SQUAD: Your mission, if you choose to accept it... (1 Viewer)

[Martin Fontaine]

Metro Video in Montreal... Didn't count or ask the numbers but seemed to have at least 3 times as much WS as FS... And the best part was, the lady in front of me was gonna buy the FS version and I CONVINCED HER TO GO WIDESCREEN!! Yes!!!!!

 

[Gui A]

Sunrise Records 'flagship' store in downtown Toronto, across from 333 HMV... 6PM

First display rack, as soon as you walk in has the latest audio releases.

Next rack was the new DVD releases, with O11 on the top shelf. It wasn't a special display, just plain old brown metal.

Here's how they were arranaged, more or less.

3WS 4WS 4WS 4PS 3VHS 3OSTCD 3PS

It looks like they had only sold one WS copy and one PS copy, but I find that hard to believe at 6PM. The staff there look pretty diligent, and I assume they restock it often.

I can't remember what was on the middle shelf, but the bottom two shelves had the Vault Disney releases.

 

[Brad Eisenhauer]

Okay, last night I was at both BB and Wally-World and had a chance to check out the O11 selection. (Didn't actually take exact counts, sorry.) BB had far more WS available in the regular racks than P&S. I'd say on the order of 90+% WS. They had a special display for O11, but it was kind of set apart from the DVDs, and not in the usual spot for such things. I didn't get a chance to check out what the balance was there. Wal-Mart had a special display right at the front of the store. Everyone who walks in has to see it. I'd say it was about 60-40 in favor of P&S. Not what we want to see certainly, but no lack of WS either. When Spy Game cam out a few weeks ago, Wal-Mart actually had far more WS than P&S. I realize that this is merely anecdotal, but it seems that they are at least making sure the choice is offered at my local Wal-Mart. This is a good thing.

 

[Malcolm R]

I can report the same about my local Wal-Mart. Special display for O11, about 60-40 in favor of P&S, in a two column, four row display (each slot with about 20-25 copies):

P&S P&S

P&S WS

P&S WS

P&S WS

 

[Rob Lutter]

Circuit City yesterday had around 50 WIDESCREEN discs and NO P&S discs.

 

[Joe Fisher]

Was at the Borders in Eastchester, NY on my lunch hour getting the now popular Swamp Thing dvd. Found 4 copies for Oceans 11. All widescreen. I looked around a bit more and found no more. Strange this Borders usually gets displayers in with all the new releases, but I guess they thought this title wasn't good enough for a displayer:rolleyes
Oh well.....Best Buy in Yonkers tommorrow.
Peace

 

[Gui A]

I went back to Sunrise today, and this is how they looked...

5WS | 5WS | 3WS front/2PS behind | 3WS in front /2PS behind | 3PS

It looks like Widescreen is being pushed, but people still want PS.

After that, I went to the flagship HMV at 333 Yonge. At first, I thought there were no PS available! The main rack at the entrance had about 60 WS / 0 PS. I looked around a bit more, and noticed another display with about 20 WS and 8 PS...

So here in downtown Toronto, at least in the two main stores on Yonge, it looks Widescreen is definitely given a chance, but people still want to buy PS.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Please report those Harry Potter numbers!

We already hada report of 1 CompUSA stocking 18 WS and 105 PS (I think that's the number, working off the top of my head)

 

[David Lambert]

I was just on my way to do just that! I'd just SEARCHed for this thread, only to see your "bump"
I went to CompUSA to get their $9.97 deal They had sold out in 10-15 minutes. I was told yesterday that they got "17 widescreen copies in and 'over 100' fullscreen copies". :frowning:
So I took their ad across the street to K-Mart to pricematch. Here is what I find:
I find a GIANT display: two columns, each with VHS & DVD product on all four sides of the square columns, and a HP-themed "roof" connecting the columns together. I look all over this thing and finally find 1 pocket of WS copies in the bottom of one corner. Each "pocket" was 3 copies across and 4-5 copies deep. That's all for WS, unless there was more in the section (I didn't look).
I *was* successful with the pricematch, and had just enough time on my lunch hour to wolf some spaghetti at a fast-food place and get back to work. I will check other retailers tonight and as the week progresses, and let you know.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Coconuts, 2 pockets of widescreen, the rest P&S

Circuit City, about 1/3 widescreen.

Haven't gone to Best Buy yet

 

[Joe Fisher]

At the Curcuit City(Yonkers, NY)were I got mine($15.99). It seemed to about 50-50. They had 3 big displays full of DVD's with both P&S and Widescreen mixed in.
I did my part and bought the Widescreen version. And also hid the P&S versions behind the widescreen versions.
Joe

 

[David Lambert]

Agent Randy (HTFer) asks me to pass along that Target was running approx. 32/96 in favor of FS, and that CC was 30-40/75-100 in favor of FS.
He actually stopped at BB, but neglected to check as (amaziningly!) he says Rambo was front-and-center, rather than Harry! A Memorial Day holdover, perhaps?
I just called over to BB and played dumb, asking did they have Harry and how much it cost and all. He said they have "WS, FS, VHS, everything". Oh, I want the DVD, but which one? Which one did you get more of? "We got in hundreds of each one, but we got about a hundred more WS in than FS...the WS version is definately selling faster today and is more popular these days". Oh, that must be the version I want then...thanks!
Sounds like they (BB) ordered for this store probably 2 of the FS mega-dumps and 3 or maybe 4 of the WS mega-dumps. Each "mega-dump" holds 96 copies, I believe. Just roughing it, based on the employee's responses, but there ya go!
On the other hand: A very cheerful person at Costco tells me that they have 150 or more WS copies of Harry, and no FS copies at all. $17.49, if you want to support Costco's WS effort. Awesome!

 

[Jorge Montes]

I love whenever I go in to Best Buy to buy ONE movie. I end up educating like five people along the way. Today it was a family looking at "Stuart Little." Our Best Buy only had the Fullscreen so I put it back down and they asked my why I did it so indignantly. I explained it to them and they put it down and went grab the same "Harry Potter" as I had in my hands.
I had no problem with Best Buy price matching. No calling anyone or anything. Another of the cashiers was even like 'Oh yeah, I bet a lot of people come in with that. I read it online.' I wonder if she read it here.
Anyway, they had the two castle thing. One had two sides of FS, one side of WS and a mix in the back side. The other was the opposite: 1 side FS, two sides WS and a mix on the backside. Interesting enough, it looked as if they had more WS than FS. I hope this is because they ordered more and not because everyone is all grabby with the FS versions.

 

[MartinTeller]

Well, I was just at the local Fred Meyer ($17.99, plus a coupon for a free box of the store brand microwave popcorn with purchase) and they seemed to be slightly favoring widescreen in their displays.

 

[EricCr]

This is something I never thought I would be posting. After having both Circuit City and Best Buy refuse to do the price match I swung by Blockbuster and not only did they match the price no questions asked, but they had about 80% WS in the sell thru and only WS for rent.

Just wanted to add that I was really impressed with the price match because I only had the online print out version and not the actual add, they never put compusa in my paper for some reason.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I was at a Longs this morning and they had a small display with 3 levels- widescreen and "standard" DVD and VHS, all about the same amounts- didn't even notice the "standard" version til I looked closer (thought it was more VHS). Fry's has it cheaper though so I'm buying it there- usually they only carry widescreen if it's a dual-release.

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, after waffling back and forth on purchasing HP at all, I did finally break down and bought the WS version at the local Wal-Mart. A couple dollars more than I could probably have got it at Costco or Circuit City, but figured I'd add my vote for WS at Wal-Mart.

However, that's not to say I didn't have to work to find one. They seemed to have 1-2 WS copies hidden behind 4-5 FS copies in each unit of the 4-sided floor display. I swapped a few around, pretending to search for the one I want, but if you didn't dig through the display there was no way to know that there was a "special widescreen edition," to use WB's lovely biased terminology.

 

[Gui A]

I checked downtown Toronto again today...

HMV flagship... 50% WS, 50% FS

They took up the same amount of shelf space coming in.

WS looked to be selling better...

across the street at Sunrise...

same. 50/50.

again, WS looked to be selling better here too.

...Back in Scarborough,

at the Walmart @Warden & Eglinton,

they had the huge Harry Potter castle thing,

and I estimate 80% FS, 20% WS... but I overheard people shopping asking where the widescreen was 'hidden'.

Next door, at Futureshop...

Harry Potter was COMPLETELY SOLD OUT!!!

Both FS & WS Versions!

nothing left!

Nothing!

 

[Matt Wallace]

At my store, I got over 100 pieces of PS and over 100 pcs of WS. After putting it out at midnight and all day today, little old Paris, Texas, is buying widescreen at almost a 3:1 clip!!!!!! I'm shocked and elated. It seems my younger buyers are more OAR indignant than the "matures", at points even arguing with mom and dad to get theirs in WS. Too cool! I'll recap at the end of the week....

Matt

BTW - my displays were 50/50, so no bias.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Happy to hear that the youngins are on our side. It bodes well for future generations