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BestBuy going out of business.... Gradually and then all at once says Forbes. (1 Viewer)

Mike Frezon

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Absolutely, Eric. And the smart shoppers are rewarded...and happy at getting the good deal after doing their homework and the legwork...and the other shoppers are happy to get the item at the store price, blissfully unaware of the other potential better deal. Win, win for the store.

I understand the stores have the overhead and labor costs that the e-tailers don't have...but I don't know just how many customers would actually consistently price match items from on-line sources. Maybe it's too many...
 

Charles Smith

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Stores should also be offsetting price issues with good stock, knowledgeable help, and ... you know, that "customer service" thing.
 

Jeffery_H

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marsnkc said:
Local taxes used to be earned from the little stores that usually provided polite and knowledgeable service but were bulldozed out of existence by the big box jobs, who presumably thought they were 'too big to fail', no matter what quality of service they provided. The knowledge that they pay minimum wages to untrained staff doesn't make visiting them any more enticing or compelling to me.
Detroit tried the 'Buy American' tack to make people feel it was unpatriotic not to purchase their inferior, over-priced product. Why should others spend their hard-earned, limited resources on a lemon that would become a continual drain on those resources (not to mention precious time lost, or even jobs put in jeopardy due to breakdowns), just so over-paid and incompetent managers and workers might contnue to be over-paid while remaining incompetent? They learned a hard lesson at great cost (though, unfortunately, many of those responsible for the devastation are enjoying rich pensions) to those who came behind and, of course, to the taxpayer.
The only way to win in today's ruthless global market is to provide a superior product or service. Germany has proved that knowlegeable companies and consumers in other countries are willing to pay a premium for quality, a word that was once synonymous with 'American'.
This is quite correct and I tend to agree with most the points mentioned here. I live in a small town and back in the 70s and 80s there were several mom and pop stores to choose from on Main street. But society has changed and it all started back in the early 90s when the Wal-Marts and others moved in. You had people living in a community that worked and spent money there. The local stores knew you by name and would go out of their way to help you if they could. It wasn't phony friendly, but real caring about people and people cared about them. Now, there's nothing left and the big box stores ran them out of business. But it's their time now when society is changing yet again and we don't need big box stores except for perishable goods. It's simply faster, cheaper and more convenient to order from some place like Amazon Prime when possible. Plus, you can do research on any item you want to with the internet before you buy.
As you point out, most of these stores had very rude people that acted like an ass to their customers if you dared to interrupt them from chatting with each other or ask a question about something in the store. But again, this is more a society thing where people think they are entitled or owed more than what they are worth. If you want to earn more, you have to educate yourself. Making money part time for college or something is fine, but it's not going to give you a healthy income and it's no ones fault. I can remember when working as a carry out boy meant something and you would save your money made during the Summer for college and fees. I guess it's just part society and how people are now, but I find no blame for box stores going out of business when they created most of this mess to begin with.
 

Mike Frezon

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I was just catching up on some newspapers from the last few days and came here to post this most recent Best Buy news. Should have figured it had already been done.

But, somehow I got unsubscribed to this thread. Don't know how that happens...

I also would have liked the opportunity to tell zir787 that I can always help out with Best Buy coupons! :laugh: But I guess he's been bounced from the forum. All that's left is his quote in Tony's post! :biggrin:
 

Bryan^H

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It is sad, and if they go out I will feel a bit empty. But I've said it a hundred times...they put themselves in this position. Now a trip to Best Buy(which in fairness I haven't been in almost a year) consists of looking for a movie that they don't stock in store(INCLUDING THEIR EXCLUSIVES!!) and being hounded by three different associates in less than ten minutes. In short it is a nightmare.

Compared to the early 2000's when I'd go in browse for an hour, and leave having purchased over $100 of rare movies on dvd, all the while not having one associate "bug" me. I've always been of the mindset, 'If I can't find what I'm looking for I'll ask for help' until then stay the hell away from me! Not to sound too negative, but I've been hounded enough to get me to that point.
 

Carlo_M

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If Amazon increases their Prime membership, Best Buy could stand to regain my business for release date titles as long as they continue to match Amazon prices. With Prime getting things to me in two days, usually on release date or one day later, I'm willing to wait to avoid having to get in the car. But if I have to go back to regular shipping, rather than wait 5 days or more I'll start going back to Best Buy.

Sad if they go out of business. What I use them for is big purchases for their zero interest financing. For example I eventually want to get a new Dyson there and give my old one to a relative. Rather than shelling out $500 at one time I can use my Best Buy credit card and shell out $50 over 11 months (I would have up to 18) and still avoid finance charges. Also in two years I will likely upgrade my living room TV to a 65" 4K set (as soon as they hit $2K) and I'd hoped to spread the pain out using their card as well.
 

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Best Buy's impending demise is pretty sad, but not unexpected. I believe there were credible predictions two or more years ago that they wouldn't last. The next ten years are going to be very interesting in the whole retail market, not just consumer electronics.

The internet and its spawn such as Amazon are wreaking havok for better or worse on a way of life that has been in existence for well over a century. It's going to be tough buying these cheap, fast products when there's no one around with any money to do it.
 

Carlo_M

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schan1269 said:
Dyson is over rated. They are the Vizio of vacuums.Buy a Kirby.
We'll have to agree to disagree. After blowing through vacuums for many years, I've had and loved my Dyson DC07 for almost a decade. The only reason I have upgraditis is that I want the ball. Was in a vacuum shop the other day (waiting for some friends to meet up for sushi, this shop was right beside it) so I walked in to look at the new Dyson and the proprietor was telling me how he prefers the Miele, etc. Then I figured it out: at nearly $20 for four bags...oh now I get it. I paid $300 for my Dyson 8+ years ago and have not paid a penny for any vacuum related product since. And to top it off, Miele cost just as much. So I said thanks but no thanks, my Dyson has performed well and given that I vacuum weekly and L.A. is a desert with a lot of dust and dirt (I fill the canister every 3 weeks), I think it's probably paid for itself in bag savings of the last 8+ years.
 

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Cinescott said:
The internet and its spawn such as Amazon are wreaking havok for better or worse on a way of life that has been in existence for well over a century. It's going to be tough buying these cheap, fast products when there's no one around with any money to do it.
There's no reason to keep doing something the "old way" just because it was done for a long time. Hanging on to tradition for its own sake leads to stagnation (cars vs horse and buggy, typewriters vs. word processors, vhs vs. blu ray, etc.) People will make their own choices about what businesses get their money, regardless of how "established" they are.
 

schan1269

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Carlo Medina said:
We'll have to agree to disagree. After blowing through vacuums for many years, I've had and loved my Dyson DC07 for almost a decade. The only reason I have upgraditis is that I want the ball. Was in a vacuum shop the other day (waiting for some friends to meet up for sushi, this shop was right beside it) so I walked in to look at the new Dyson and the proprietor was telling me how he prefers the Miele, etc. Then I figured it out: at nearly $20 for four bags...oh now I get it. I paid $300 for my Dyson 8+ years ago and have not paid a penny for any vacuum related product since. And to top it off, Miele cost just as much. So I said thanks but no thanks, my Dyson has performed well and given that I vacuum weekly and L.A. is a desert with a lot of dust and dirt (I fill the canister every 3 weeks), I think it's probably paid for itself in bag savings of the last 8+ years.
I have indoor pets. I will not ever own a bagless vacuum. Useless.

Miele are good as well. Kirby leave the carpets cleaner than everything else.

$5 per bag is insane. I don't buy my Kirby bags from Kirby either. I get them for(typically) $1 per bag. Once you have HEPA bags, you'll never settle for a bagless vacuum.
 

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There was a reddit recently from a vacuum repair person that turned into one of the most informative things I've read on the internet in a while.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1pe2bd/iama_vacuum_repair_technician_and_i_cant_believe/

As to Best Buy, I refer Best Buy to Microcenter. Microcenter, the retail store is doing everything Best Buy should. They pay their staff well, they keep inventory at the same price as you can find it online, and their information is fantastic. Microcenter, in towns where they exist wipe out internet competition. When they tell you: we'll match NewEgg/Amazon, and then they back it up with easy return policies, and great staff, you feel good about shopping there.
Best Buy is understaffed and their staff know nothing. it's the reverse of what it takes to make it in the market. You have to have something of value that brings people in.. and a lot of times, that is your employees. I will go somewhere more expensive if the employees provide a good experience or if I know they can legitimately assist in what I'm trying to do.

Best Buy doesn't have that. At all.
 

schan1269

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mattCR said:
There was a reddit recently from a vacuum repair person that turned into one of the most informative things I've read on the internet in a while.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1pe2bd/iama_vacuum_repair_technician_and_i_cant_believe/

As to Best Buy, I refer Best Buy to Microcenter. Microcenter, the retail store is doing everything Best Buy should. They pay their staff well, they keep inventory at the same price as you can find it online, and their information is fantastic. Microcenter, in towns where they exist wipe out internet competition. When they tell you: we'll match NewEgg/Amazon, and then they back it up with easy return policies, and great staff, you feel good about shopping there.
Best Buy is understaffed and their staff know nothing. it's the reverse of what it takes to make it in the market. You have to have something of value that brings people in.. and a lot of times, that is your employees. I will go somewhere more expensive if the employees provide a good experience or if I know they can legitimately assist in what I'm trying to do.

Best Buy doesn't have that. At all.
Since anything is better than bagless...and Dyson is the crappiest bagless...

I will agree that Kirby is heavy as hell(why else do you think they have self-propulsion?). But when you can buy one for $100(if missing the over-glorified shampooer)...no better vacuum for $100.

You aren't touching a used Miele or Riccar for that.
 

Carlo_M

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schan1269 said:
Since anything is better than bagless...and Dyson is the crappiest bagless...
You lost me as soon as you started speaking in absolutes. Anything is better than bagless. Dyson is the crappiest bagless? To quote Kip Dynamite, "Napoleon, like anyone can ever know that." :D

Seriously, Consumer Reports disagrees with your assertions, and while they don't review every new Dyson iteration, the latest one I could find in March 2011 had the DC28 Animal ranked third in bagless uprights with Very Good or Excellent ratings in bare floors, carpets, total airflow, emissions and pet hair. It was dinged with a score of Good for noise and handling (and this was the last model prior to the ball, so one would figure the score for handling would be higher for the ball models). Kind of telling that the lowest score it received was Good.

I'm all for personal choice and disagreements, but when you start down the path of "the worst" this and that, well it starts to look more like a vendetta against a company rather than an actual criticism rooted in fact.
 

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The link to Reddit backs up "bagless sucks".Kirby may not be the best there is. But calling a Kirby "bad" over weight(yes...they are heavy) and sales tactic is like calling Saturn the best cars that were ever made because they were plastic and had non-pressure sales.Product quality has nothing to do with sales practice.
 

Carlo_M

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Okay now I see our problem. Consumer Reports, who puts out a printed product and needs to be cautious of libel and has a historical reputation to uphold versus...a Reddit board thread (aka gotta love the anonymity of the internet, it allows me to say anything and pass it off as fact!). Okay if Reddit is your standard of proof, then we're clearly going to continue talking past each other here so I'll leave it at that, especially if a Reddit thread is your proof of "bagless sucks".

And I'm not sure who you are addressing when you talk about someone calling Kirby bad or overweight. I've never heard of Kirby before you mentioned them, so those comments didn't come from my mouth (or keyboard).
 

schan1269

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Consumer Reports lists bag vacuums higher than bagless.

And the Reddit "article" is where Kirby is "bad" because of heft and sales practice.
 

Carlo_M

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Actually CR lists them *separately* not better, at least in the March 2011 which I can't post due to copyright (the place I work has an e-subscription to their magazine but I can't post their PDF). It is true that the highest score in each category are higher for bagged (73) than bagless (69) but the bagged vacuums go all the way down to a 30 while the lowest bagless was 35.

26 bagged and 33 bagless vacuums were in the March 2011 issue. Dyson scored a 67 which would have been in the top 10 in the bagged category, and 4 of the bagged vacuums which ranked higher also cost $500 or more.

My point isn't to pick nits here though. My point is that nowhere in any reputable place (and yes I'm not calling a reddit web thread as reputable - that thread is a huge uncivilized mess, I want the five minutes I spent reading the posts there back) have I seen your assertion that:
schan1269, on 03 Feb 2014 - 10:18 AM, said:
schan1269 said:
Since anything is better than bagless...and Dyson is the crappiest bagless...
In fact the CR March 2011 report absolutely dispels that notion.
 

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