Suncoast new release prices too high? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Ringwald]

The Suncoast near my dad's house still has Halloween H20 for 42 bucks. It's dropped in price a couple of times, online stores have it for like 9 bucks...most retailers have it for as low as fifteen...

 

[Frank@N]

I only enter a mall video store as a source of entertainment or to shop for titles that I intend to buy elsewhere.

The prices are hilarious!

Edit: I do accasionally buy a title or two that are cleanced at $7.99-$9.99, but everything else is a joke.

I consider these 'teaser bait' which are placed by the front entrance to lure you in and hope you buy more at full+extra prices.

 

[MarkHastings]

You can buy a bottle of Captain Morgan and a couple bottles of Coke for a total of about $15 and make yourself dozens and dozens of drinks, yet people still go to bars and will pay over $20 for a few tiny mixed drinks that are full of ice.

 

[Frank@N]

OK, but overpaying for a DVD doesn't make your HT rig at home any better.

I don't see the upside.

You will pay more to drink in public, but there are many fringe benefits to that equation...

 

[Matt Butler]

I buy my cds at a local music shop called Dimple and buy some DVDs at Target or Costco. I shop at a Suncoast sometimes. I am a replay member and I occasionally pre-order. I have a couple close friends who work there and I live right by the mall.

One reason I shop there is thsat I cant stand Best Buy or Circut City. They have the worst customer service and have complete morons working there. I would rather pay more for a DVD than give any of my cash to those dicks.

Suncoast used to more pushy than they are now. One thing being is that they are no longer under the Best buy umbrella which is one reason they would ask you if you wanted 15 different items before letting you out the door.
SC does hire some morons and weirdos but not as bad as CC and BB as far as im concerned.

 

[MarkHastings]

As someone mentioned, it's all about convenience.

There's a 'Coconuts' near me that sells "overpriced" DVD's. I've bought DVD's there because they almost always have the 'odd' DVD's (that Jason Seaver elluded to) that Circuit City doesn't have. Circuit City is great when you want new releases, but finding stuff like "The Ultimate Wayne Gretzky" DVD or the "Sammy Hagar Birthday Bash" DVD are usually hard to find at most B&M's. The Suncoasts and Coconuts usually have these DVD's. Granted, they are more $$, but the convenience of them being available is worth the price (to me).

I think of them like Comic Book stores (or any other specialty store). Sure, I can buy the toys elsewhere for less money, but Toy-R-Us always has the same crappy figures and it's virtually impossible to find a store that has the figures you want. The comic stores are the ones that have virtually every figure to choose from (at a mark-up)

Most are comparing the differences between Suncoast and (for example) Best Buy by what they have in common. It's what they DON'T have in common is the reason for the higher prices. Best Buy just can't compete with a store that devotes itself almost completely to movies.

 

[David Lambert]

Suncoast is on my list of "only shop there if you are desparately looking for a title you can't find anywhere else" stores. Every blue moon they actually have a good price on something, but that's rare (and often it's on a music DVD or a markdown item or something like that).

For their "Replay" thing I simply say "no, I don't buy from you guys often enough to make it worth it"; if they ask why then I respond either (quick and easy) "I live too far away" or (me spoiling for a fight) "Your prices are the worst in town, and the Replay card can't begin to bring you into the value range of a Target or a Wal-Mart".

If they jump on me too much, I look them straight in the eye and say "I'm just browsing; tell the rest of the staff I'm not a secret shopper and to leave me alone and let me shop in peace".


Moral of the story: these guys only bug you because that's what they are paid to do, by management who employs secret shoppers (fake customers hired to test how the staff acts around customers) to make sure they are bugging all the patrons a lot. Management wants to be sure that the customers aren't getting ignored, so they encourage the staff to be proactive. Once they know that you aren't part of that game, and you give them excuses to leave you alone, then they will do so with no problem. It's not like they WANT to do all that work of interacting with the people.

As for the prices...yep, it's a mall-based store trying to pay mall rent. I don't expect good prices from them...just good selection, and - when I WANT it - the availability of good service.

And, yep, these places are for convenience or for gotta-have-it-now instant-gratification buyers (like me). If you want the best price on the best selection, click here.

 

[Frank@N]

I guess my tastes must run to the mainstream, I can't recall a single time I resorted to Mall prices for a hard-to-find item.

That's what I use second-hand DVD/CD stores for.

Mainstream OOP stuff is usually cheaper in the second-hand market, rather than resorting to the guy who still has a copy of Amastad because he wants $29.99 for it.

Some of these 'high-end' stores actually think that charging more is valid strategy.

During the TT DVD release, I made the mistake of mentioning to a clerk that $39.99 was ridiculous.

He responded "when everyone else is sold out, then they'll all have to come here".

Yea, right.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

You know, Dave, I never even thought about that secret shopper angle. Shit, now I OUGHTA start screwing with them just for fun. Maybe I'm too serious when I go in, and they're assuming that a poker face is some indication of my secret identity. Truth is, I wouldn't waste the effort messing with their heads, because they're just stooges doing what the manual says. You'd think certain chains would appreciate the customer service reps who actually take the gentle approach with customers, but then again, the powers-that-be at Suncoast probably realize their prices are ridiculous. so they wanna be sure their salesthingies are out there in force.

I've yet to find anything at Suncoast that wasn't at Best Buy, and generally cheaper. As you mention, though, Mark, I've gone to little specialty shops up here in Canada that have the really, really offbeat stuff, but it is almost always priced higher. I used to fork over for that stuff on a regular basis, until I discovered online shops that not only had the prices, but beat just about everybody on price.

Matt, I have to admit that my local Best Buy has its share of weirdos, too, but I'm generally safe in assuming they know little or nothing about the products they sell, especially the DVDs, and they almost never push after I tell them I'm fine. It would appear, however, that the folks at my local Suncoast, who one would think MIGHT actually know something about movies but so often don't, must still think they're under the Best Buy umbrella, 'cause they still don't when to give it a rest.

And their stunted social hygiene scares me.

 

[DaveGTP]

I'm always a little irritated/amused at the "Suncoast shoppers are idiots"-flavored threads that emerge. Maybe mainstream blockbuster movies can be found for $15-$20 on release week at Walmart or Target - I haven't bought a movie at either since I bought Xmen 1.5.


I agree with the comment about playing the game. Seasons of B5 pre-ordered on a triple points weekend amount to about $71 with tax included (almost $15 in GCs). I can get it cheaper (like about $68 or so on Amazon w/ STL), shipped media mail (arriving anywhere from 2-7 days after release date), and perhaps with a 'floater' (loose disc), common to the packaging.

Or I can play the game and get it for an extra $3-$6 ($71 compared to $67-68 or so), in hand, on release morning, and a quick, easy return if there is a problem (Suncoast is generally flawless when it comes to returns.

With Suncoast/Media Play, it's all about catching stuff on pre-order, or on release day. And a good hunk of anime releases (Pioneer, Bandai) can't really be found for much cheaper than $20-$21 online - they come to about $21-$22 instore on a pre-order. As far as Best Buy being cheaper, they cranked up their anime prices in past months (I was doing a little buying there). Pioneer/Bandai releases have been cranked up (catalog titles have mostly been re-marked too) to full MSRP of $29.99 a disc (up $7), ADV stuff has gone up $3-$5 (from $19.99 or $22.99 to $22.99 or $26.99 if I recall), etc.


Suncoast doesn't really exist for blockbuster sales - more for catalog, niche, and anime titles. I think the sales of mainstream stuff is only the impulse mall-buying traffic.

I haven't done much Suncoast shopping lately, but that's only because of the massive deepdiscount sale they were running earlier this month.

 

[MarkHastings]

Dave, That sums it up pretty well. A good example is the Anime titles in the lunch boxes, or many of the "Adult titles"...they even have a fairly large "Sports" section that rivals other stores.

The other thing I like about Suncaost is the fact that it feels like a "Hardcore DVD" store and the other shoppers seem like hardcore DVD fans rather than your average J6P. I hate having to push my way through people at Wal-Mart or Best Buy when they're cramming the DVD isles and their kids are picking DVD's off the shelf and throwing them all over the floor. Suncoast just has a better atmosphere for shopping, which is worth the extra money.

 

[MartinTeller]

That is so incorrect. Hardcore DVD fans know where to find bargains. Suncoast is for clueless mall-dwellers who think Orange Julius is haute cuisine.

 

[Brian E]

It's funny how offended some folks seem to get whenever Suncoast comes up. They just can't stand that the place exists. It's pretty simple, if you don't like it, don't want to pay MSRP, then don't shop there. They've been around for years and will more than likely continue to be around for years to come. Many people that shop there care less about saving money & more about the convenience. The one near me has a few dozen customers who go in once a month and pre-order the titles they'll want the next month. Then they just stop in, pick them up at the counter & go. For some people the extra cash is worth it for that experience. Bargain hunting isn't what these people care about. I've gotten most of the trek boxes there since they had the BB bonus disc & were the same price as BB on release day, plus I got points. I don't shop there much anymore (not like the vhs days), but they can have decent anime prices on release day sometimes. They're only a couple bucks higher on some titles now that BB has started raising prices.

 

[DaveGTP]

See, this is the kind of attitude that I marvel at. I don't pay full MSRP. I only go into the mall to walk straight into Suncoast (or Electronics Boutique). Pre-order triple points is at release week sale pricing - they come to about 30% off MSRP. I know the Deep Discount prices, and I know how much stuff sells for. Deals are to be had, if you play your cards right.

 

[Justin1]

I find it funny that Best Buy bought Suncoast, Sam Goody, and Musicland about 2-3 years ago. Their intent was to penetrate into smaller mall markets that their current stores weren't intended to do. Those of you who shop there should have noticed Best Buy's influence. Now Sam Goody and Musicland will typically carry DVD players, video games, and fewer Cd's. They're turning into mini-electronic stores. Unfortunately, Best Buy has been tanking due to their purchase of these stores and have recently put many out of business. This past July or June, BB sold the stores to a private investment firm. Those stores would kill if they had reasonable prices.

 

[MarkHastings]

Brian, you're focusing in on what I was getting at. The fact that the prices are higher means that the store doesn't attract the 'casual shopper'. It's set up to attract people who really have a passion for movies and don't mind paying MSRP. Unfortunately, it also drives away the hardcore DVD bargain shopper, but that's not what Suncoast is all about. It's not a bargain store like Wal-Mart.

So to all of the bargain shoppers who are bashing Suncoast, it's not fair to bash a store that isn't marketed toward you.

 

[DaveGTP]

Actually, they've been tinkering quite a bit with pricing since they were sold from Best Buy.

Example: My fiancee picked up the Indy boxset this weekend, it was still sale-priced at $49.99 - right now, this is the cheapest it seems to be at B&Ms. And a lot of anime recently has been sale-priced $22.99 ($7 off on anime is a decent deal on many titles).


Mark is making the point that not everyone wants the super-deal, just availability.

I'm making a point that some of the niche stuff (anime being the biggest example) IS actually the best deal you can do in B&Ms, and ALMOST the same as internet pricing.

 

[MartinTeller]

It's marketed towards people who just don't know any better. If you do know better and you shop there anyway, that's foolish.

 

[MarkHastings]

You have to accept the fact that some of us just don't care enough to make sure we've gotten the absolute, best, rock bottom price for every single DVD purchase. I do my bargain shopping most of the time, but there just happens to be times where I just don't care.

 

[Robert Dunnill]

My backordered $20 copy from DDD shipped today.