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- superyounan1, on 11/14/2007, -3/+54its their stores, their wiis, they can do whatever they want. If you don't like it, show them by spending your dollars elsewhere, thats the only real way to get their attention.
- DanC922, on 11/14/2007, -7/+52Best Buy is like the dirty car salesman of the electronics world.
- Tu13erhead, on 11/14/2007, -2/+31Original link: http://consumerist.com/consumer/hype/best-buy-empl ...
- aigulf, on 11/14/2007, -1/+25It's the concept of a perceived shortage. If there is someone who is unsure whether or not to drop the money on a Wii, then telling them it is the last one in the store will force an immediate decision. Best Buy is hoping that, when a decision is forced, most people will buy the Wii rather than 'miss out.' Whereas, if you see a pile on the floor, you may be more likely to push off the decision and come back another day.
- Okari, on 11/14/2007, -2/+22They've been doing this for awhile. They won't put out the Wii's, but if you ask, they might get one out of the back for you.
- theinept, on 11/14/2007, -2/+19I don't understand the purpose of this "sales technique." If they put a pile of Wiis on the floor, wouldn't they all be purchased within some short period of time anyway?
- STKD, on 11/14/2007, -2/+18You don't need to force an immediate decision when the product is a constant sellout. That's the part where it doesn't add up.
- bcardarella, on 11/14/2007, -3/+14Is there some advantage to holding back the Wiis? Creating artificial demand? It seems to me if someone went to Best Buy for a Wii and they didn't have any that person goes somewhere else to buy one. How is that a good "sales technique" for Best Buy?
- coolsteve, on 11/14/2007, -1/+11It may be more than just perceived shortage. By selling Wii's this way, it's guaranteed that everyone who buys a Wii talks to a salesperson. That salesperson can then have the opportunity to convince the consumer to buy additional games, or accessories, or whatever. It's annoying, yes, but it works in BB's favor.
- jbrand45, on 11/14/2007, -1/+9I was the supervisor of the electronics department at my local Target and have first-hand knowledge about this kind of thing and why it happens. We would get Wiis in semi-regularly, but we were directed from Corporate to hold them until the Sunday of a specific week because the Wii would be featured in the Sunday ad. Nintendo is actually able to track the sales of individual consoles from each store, and they make deals with various retailers. With Target, for example, if we hold all of our consoles so that we have more available on the day the ad comes out, future shipments they send us more. There was one week where we decided to just sell what we were getting because we were still having a ton of people each day asking about them . . . well the next shipment we got we only got 9 units. When we went back to holding them like they asked, we would get at least 24 in a shipment.
I know it's a pretty lame practice, and I have always disagreed with it, but it's not really up to each individual store all the time. - themastersb, on 11/14/2007, -4/+11More ***** being pulled by Best Buy
- NightOwl4, on 11/14/2007, -9/+16I have a friend who has been employed at the Best Buy in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania for a little over 4 years now. He confirmed that they do indeed keep everything in the backrooms. They are currently doing this with the 360's and Wii's. He has also told me about other shady ***** that goes on in Best Buy, and the whole scam with Replacement Plans, and in store ads being different than the actual Bestbuy.com ads. I also feel that everytime I enter Best Buy they automatically assume I am going to steal something. Half the time I know more about computers/electronics than any of the employees that work there. They constantly hassle you, and DEMAND to see your receipt when you leave. This is totally absurd. Little do us consumers know that it is perfectly legal for us to refuse for them to check our receipt upon departure. (There have been many instances of this). The way I look at it, Stay away from Best Buy...and hit up a Circuit City or local electronics store.
- Okari, on 11/14/2007, -4/+10I shop there because it's the only place to go to get electronics around here.
- GuyeNoir, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6Customer 1: "Hey, do you have any Wiis"
BB Guy: "Sure do. In fact, this is the last one. Better grab it while you still can!"
Customer 1:"Yoink"
Customer 2: "Oh damn, that guy got the last Wii, I guess I'll check another store"
BB Guy: "Ooh, wait here sir, I think we may have JUST ONE MORE in the back, let me go check for you!" - humperdeath, on 11/14/2007, -4/+10Same thing in any clothing store:
"Do you have this in a size 34"
I'll check the back stock room. . . . 'Yup!, here ya go!"
Hey, thanks!
So, what the heck is the complaint for here? - igyigyigy, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7they get fired otherwise
- tacohead, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7That's not what the article is talking about. This isn't about best buy running theft prevention, but it's about them using subversive techniques to get us to buy stuff when you otherwise may not.
- pjb1816, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6I used to work for best buy. When they are going to run an ad for a product, they have to have a certain number "on hand" for some products.
It's stupid. A customer is a customer. They should just sell them when they get them, like many other stores. - ScottyMcBaggs, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5The innarweb tubesite dotcom. Obviously.
- mess7777, on 11/14/2007, -13/+18so what, these people wanted the thing anyway. I don't get why its a big deal.
"Hey I want a Wii"
"Hey I have one"
"I'll buy it"
Someone call the cops!!!!! I won't get these 2 minutes back. - melonhedd, on 11/14/2007, -3/+8I heard Wiis at Best Buy are nearly two hundred and fifty dollars! This outrageous overpricing will not stand!
- bemenaker, on 11/14/2007, -4/+9That's retarded, a lost sale is a lost sale, period.
- SmokeN-DC, on 11/14/2007, -1/+6Odd the Best buy in Prince William VA had a big pile of them next to the 360s and PS3s I don't know why they would do that. Get them on the floor and sell them why all the games its not like they make any more money.
- flangle, on 11/14/2007, -2/+7I only buy DVD's from them and then only on sale.
- murf43143, on 11/14/2007, -2/+7Because they are purposely lying to their customers maybe? I dunno, that kind of gets on my nerves....
- Valleye, on 11/14/2007, -2/+6It is about the up-sell. If the customer has to engage a salesperson it gives said salesperson a chance to sell accessories, more games, service plan. It is in Best Buy's interest to do this while the demand is still so high to afford the occasional lost sale to the guy who grabs the item and pays for it with no interaction.
- skellener, on 11/13/2007, -0/+4If you don't like their practices, shop elsewhere. Don't give them your money.
- jonmlm, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5awesome. love front page rumors.
- Azuroth, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4You obviously don't know the videogame console market. A wii sold without any attached items == no profit for Best Buy (Plenty for Nintendo, none for BB). Markup on consoles is 0%. (Employees get no discount on them either) Best Buy gets a per unit kickback from Nintendo that (last time I checked) doesn't even cover the cost of transport to stores.
So, selling a naked system == actual money loss, not potential loss. Selling a $1.21 wii cover for $20 == profit. - heathuff23, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4http://www.newegg.com
You can thank me later :) - TheMidnight, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Why event rent or go to the theater? With HDTV and digital cable/satellite and On-Demand, you can watch pretty much any movie you want anytime. Have a DVD player for the movie you end up having to rent because it's not on demand.
Except for Spaceballs. Everyone should own that movie. - mercano, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3They're building up a stockpile so they can advertise (probably for Black Friday) minimum 25 units per store.
- YojimboJango, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3NOTE: Nintendo is cranking these out at an speed that's never before been seen by any console. The number of units that are coming off the assembly line is greater than any gaming console in history. Yes there is a shortage, but it is not artificial.
- Nesk, on 11/14/2007, -2/+5From what I remember of working retail and from what my friends that still do tell me they hold them so they can advertise them.
You see a lot of the big stores holding their Wii shipments until sunday when their ad runs. That way they have the minimum # the corperate ad says and they dont get in trouble.
As for aigulf's comment, im not sure if thats true. But since the Wii is in short demand everywhere I don't think they need to try and create a fake shortage since their still seems to be one. - jumpingtomatos, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Dont forget their PS3 cost 500$, greedy people.
- Protoss, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Because the person asks a Sales Rep if they have any, and they go check the backroom and find the "last one".
- Eldorian, on 11/13/2007, -0/+3I saw the exact same thing happen last year on Christmas Eve at a Best Buy in Omaha with the PS3. I saw the "last PS3" get sold about 20 times. They kept bringing one more out enticing customers to pick it up for Christmas because they were "so hard to find".
- saintamour, on 11/13/2007, -0/+3As bad as this sounds, I would still rather shop at Best Buy than Circuit City. Our CC is so horrible and all the employees are complete idiots.
- starbird, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3They all do this. They all hold a minimum they get that week if they know sunday's paper will have it? Why?
because they say stupid things like "minimum 7 per store" so they have to have 7 on hand when they open the door sunday morning. - RevEng, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3See, this is exactly why people hate it. It's not that it's a bad practice -- as you made clear, it's quite beneficial to both the store and the customer (misrings work in both directions) -- but people don't know the reason behind it. As far as a customer is concerned, a receipt is proof of purchase; the only time the store asks to see it is when they bring something back and the store wants proof that they bought it from there. When a store employee asks to see a receipt, the customer assumes they want proof that you bought something, as opposed to having stolen it. If they made it clear that they were double-checking that everything was entered in properly, customers would be much more open to it -- even if that explanation was complete *****. In order to maintain that air of "this is for your benefit", you have to make it voluntary. As long as people think they are being questioned and searched, they will never be comfortable with it.
Being a person who isn't fond of being searched, I generally try to avoid making eye contact with those people. I can tell you there's nothing more intimidating than having an employee yell at you and come running because you walked by without showing your receipt. I can't think of a better way of saying, "Your guilty until proven innocent." - KicktheDonkey, on 11/14/2007, -2/+5For real. The people that complain about this obviously never worked retail. In some states, it's actually illegal to run an advertisement telling people that you have product x, then you don't when the ad becomes effective. That, and the employees would have to deal with some really irate people that came in expecting to get a Wii, only to be told that they were out of stock. "BUT YOUR AD SAYS YOU HAVE WIIS!!! GIVE ONE TO ME NOW!!!"
Sometimes, retailers have to hold back stock to fulfill their ads.
Now look what you people made me do. I'm actually defending Best Buy. Gah! - Ndiggnation, on 11/14/2007, -2/+5No doubt, ever since the advent of VHS, I've been waiting for this "fad" home video market to dry up..
- GuyeNoir, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2If by "feel cool" you mean "increase the profits of his store by intentionally deceiving his customers" then yes, that's exactly what he was doing.
- ellabee, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3Um. So what?
- NightOwl4, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2in king of prussia PA...they always check your receipt...even if you only bought a cd.
- Natetendo83, on 11/13/2007, -0/+2That's retarded, I work at Best Buy and when we get Wii's we put as many on the shelf as we can fit, they still sell without us having to do much of anything.
- GuyeNoir, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Irrelevant. No matter how well a product is selling, there is potential for it to sell better. If Wiis aren't flying off the shelves the instant they get there, if people aren't camping the loading docks waiting for them to arrive, then demand can increase.
- mapez, on 11/13/2007, -0/+2I work for HBC and we are definitely holding onto ours as well.
- Chode2235, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2They want to hype them up in their circular, get people into the store. While people are in the store they buy lots of other stuff, higher margin stuff. Getting people to come to your store is a lot more important then convincing them to buy a specific item. BB doenst really care what you buy, they like the wii because it gets people in the door.
- orion846, on 11/14/2007, -4/+6i don't get it, do best buy managers get commission now? do employees have stock options? i just don't see the motivation.
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