PROOF- Retailers are distorting WS/P&S sales!..... (1 Viewer)

[todd s]

I was at my local BJ's (Ron E.-The one in Oakhurst,NJ) I saw that they had both versions of Oceans 11. But, then my mouth dropped when I saw the P&S version selling for $16.99, while the WS version was selling for $18.99. Of course the P&S box had more sold than the WS. This is outrageous. First of all their is no difference in features that should cause such a price difference. I see it as a way BJ's can say to a studio. "Look at the sales for Oceans 11, P&S sold 3 times what WS did. Now, release more P&S." I honestly think studios should look into this practice.
ps-My 7 year old daughter asked why we are not getting Snow Dogs. I explained to her about P&S and WS and she understood. She asked why would they cut a picture and that the bars don't bother her.

 

[Richard Travale]

That is crap!!! That makes me so mad. It's the same with rentals, they are sending out just full screens to make it look like nobody is renting widescreen.

 

[MaxY]

You should have gone to Best Buy where they were both $14.99 though at the one I went to the Full screen version was much easier to find.
Though it did not look as though anyone had picked up copies of the full screen version as they were stuffed while the widescreen copies looked picked over.
Max

 

[Andy_B]

I just bought Oceans 11 at BJ's for $16.99.
There was no difference between full screen and wide screen price at my local store.
I also took the time to move a bunch of widescreen DVD's in front of every pile of full screen DVD's, basically masking the fact that any full screen DVD's even existed for those that did not dig.
Andy

 

[Justin Lane]

What is this Proof of? The one BJ's you went into had different pricing, while the one Andy went to had the same pricing. Looking at Amazon, they actually have some Widescreen release for less then the P&S counterparts...are they distorting the sales as well?

Just too many conspiracies for me.

J

 

[Jeff]

Maybe some of these stores didn't order as many widescreen copies and thus did not get as much of a deal so they weren't able to discount them as much.

 

[JamesCS]

todd s,

Just tell your daughter this - Idiots in charge at the studios are selling out to idiots in charge at Walmart who are misjudging idiots at home who pick the DVD without the bars even though they would have bought the DVD with the bars if both version were not thrust into their faces by idiots in charge at Walmart who are supplied both versions by idiots in charge at the studios.

 

[Carl Johnson]

If the store was really looking to consipre against widescreen then they probably wouldn't have ordered it. If they were looking to rip off widescreen fanatics then the difference would have been more like $10.

 

[Michael Reuben]

idiots in charge at the studios

Rhetoric of this sort is inappropriate, unhelpful and just plain wrong. Please refer to Ron Epstein's latest thread on the P&S issue.
M.

 

[todd s]

Andy, At my BJ's they 2 sepeate boxes filled with each format. And 2 big signs with the prices right next to each other.
Justin, I am not saying that is right either(but, I won't complain when its the other way around )
Jeff, They had the exact same amount of each.
Carl, I did not say they were trying to rip us off. I said it was not right. Also, if a store does not want to get WS and are trying to convince a studio that people don't want it. Then they HAVE to order WS. If they didn't. Then a studio could say. "Well of course WS doesn't sell. You don't carry it.". And if they charged a $10 difference then you might get the same complaint as if they didn't sell it. But, by charging a couple of dollars more. You will get all of the people in the middle who might buy WS, but don't care enought to spend $2 more.
This reminds of that commercial for that sandwich place. Where they are doing a taste test between their sandwich and another stores. And the only way people picked their competitions is to cheat.

 

[JoeDeM]

I've seen it posted here many times that WS advocates are willing to pay extra to ensure the survival of WS. I'm not saying what they did is right, but if other stores followed suit, I know I'm will to pay $1 or $2 more for WS.

 

[todd s]

*****UPDATE*****

I just got off the phone with the head video buyer for BJ's. I told him about the price disprepency and he said they BOTH should be $16.99 and they should ring up that way. I told him the problem was that people won't know this and will by the P&S version and that is not good. He agreed. He also is a widescreen fan and does not like P&S. After clearing that up I asked him some other questions.

1-I asked if he was getting the new Dune:SE(scifi channel version). At first he said no, because the first version did not sell well. I told him that was in part due to the fact that it was bare-bones and that a SE was discussed. He thanked me for bringing this to his attention. This was the first he heard of it and was going to look into getting it.

2-I asked him how Trek:TNG was selling. He said very well. We starting talking about season box sets and he told me they always sell well.(STUDIOS TAKE NOTE).

So the lesson with this situation. Is that we all must be aware of things like this. Because, even if it was unintentional this could skew sales and cause even more P&S only movies to be released.

 

[Yohan Pamudji]

I'm willing to pay $1 or $2 extra for OAR if it ever comes to that, but I'd much rather not have to. Ya know? Dual releases are better than P&S-only, but they still make me nervous because studios and stores know that us enthusiasts will pay a premium for OAR if forced to.

 

[AaronMK]

studios and stores know that us enthusiasts will pay a premium for OAR if forced to.

Maybe, but the money they get from me won't change. I only budget X amount for DVD purchases. It will just mean less titles purchacased. If that premium is too high, then there will be many more titles that just won't be worth it.

 

[JamesCS]

Michael Reuben,
Point well taken. My post was in jest; certainly not to be taken literally. I was taking a sarcastic jab at the issue through a satirical and circular pun. I am definitely grateful for the positions held by studio members alluded to in Ron's thread.
I was touched by the common sense of todd's 7 year old daughter and thought about how simple this issue really is at the core - "why they cut a picture?" This concept is so basic that even children understand it once it is explained to them. Hence my previous light-hearted post that could be titled, "When Nursery Rhymes Attack!