Best Buy Q1 Profits Fall 12% -- Do you still shop at BBY? (1 Viewer)

[Ethan Riley]

Since the decline of tv-on-dvd releases, I feel no need to go into BestBuy on a regular basis anyway. And my theatrical film collection is pretty maxed out anyway. I'm only really buying the few recent theatrical movies that I feel the need to own (not very many) and a slew of current tv shows on blu or standard def and those usually all come out in late summer/early fall. There are no longer dozens and dozens of films I need to own--I have them all. If some get upgraded to blu, then fine--I'll pursue them, but hardly any of them do. Prior to the 2000s, the only films that are upgraded to blu seem to be A list blockbuster movies, and not even many of those. So for me, there's just not this constant hunt for physical media anymore. I think my annual purchases are something like 20% of what they were just a few years ago. I have a feeling that even though the economy is slowly stabilizing, the technological sales realm will continue to decline. I fully expect to see under-performing BestBuys shuttered next year. They have to face the fact: there's too many stores and there always have been. All those endless BBs from coast to coast end up competing with each other for sales that are continuing to decline due to online media and a dearth of physical product and interest in such. And that's just the way it is. And they can't compete with WalMart and Target for prices on ordinary items like bluray players and such, nor does their Geek Squad service staff provide the knowledge to maintain their customer base, to make up for the difference in price. I mean, the people in there are generally under the age of 22! They know nothing. And since they know nothing, there's no reason to shop at Best Buy and therefore make up for the difference in price by knowing you're getting excellent service. That should be the trade-off, but the Geek Squad is no more knowledgeable than the ex-con trailer trash illiterates who work at WalMart.