Best Buy

My personal view of this is that it's nice to know that large corporations can't just barge in and push aside small, established UK businesses.

FrankHarveyHiFi:

My personal view of this is that it's nice to know that large corporations can't just barge in and push aside small, established UK businesses.

the way the industry seems to operate in the UK is "small, independent stores with med-high end products and informed staff" and "large, out-of-town retail warehouses with cheap-med products and part-time / bored and ill-informed staff".

Best Buy tried to marry the cheap multiple experience with the high-end product.  And it seems to have failed.

Curious, so it seems that UK consumers prefer to shop at Comet, Currys and PC World - we really are a nation of masochists. Or just plain stupid.

people in the UK like a large and homogeneous shopping experience.  Every supermarket looks the same. Every high street looks the same.  Tesco.  Waitrose.  Boot's. Top Shop. M&S. H&M. Pizza Express. Starbuck's. Pret.  McDonalds. Wagamma. UCI/Vue cinemas. Next.

Most people actively shy away from trying something unknown - preferring safe mediocrity to a leap of faith.  It's saddening.

Amazing that the article totally overlooks the fact that Best Buy has launched in the midst of a recessionary market - and that retail businesses doing so would typically expect to operate for quite sometime before turning a true profit (just think of the start-up costs alone).

I'm not defending BB - there's some truth in the danger of 'telegraphing' your arrival so clearly/at length in a competitive market - merely seeking some balance, which includes pointing out that many electrical retailers haven't had a great time in the past three years.

It's damn tough out there, however big you are. 

Then again, whenever I'm in/passing an Apple Store it seems to be packed - and not all of the assembled are 'yoofs' sampling their iPods in Zeps at distortion-level volume, there're actually queues at the tills, too.

Apple - as a corporate entity, as well as in retail terms - is something both marketers and economists (as well as technology types) will probably be writing/reading case studies on for some time

i never thought i'd say it but i'm warming to apple, my airport express is a great little tool, cheap too, and itunes works a treat.

 i'm currently considering an ipod touch for the gym, or even an iphone

Ah, while on the subject of the Airport Express (AE) - anyone else have problems trying to get the AE to 'connect' with their laptop during initial setup?

It took me ages when I setup mine, and I've just bought an AE for my brother but his MacBook can't 'find' the AE (amber light is on and install disc stuff has proceeded as it should've...).

Is there some clever trick we're not aware of?

Ta.

Assume you used Airport Utility to set up your AE? Usually pretty straightforward in my experience.

And to get back on topic, Best Buy probably couldn't have foreseen that they'd be launching in the teeth of a financial crisis. As Clare says, "it's damn tough out there".

Big Aura:

doesn't seem to be taking off as it expected:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/feb/06/carphonewarehousegroup-dsginternational?INTCMP=SRCH

 

 funny that the European behemoth Mediamarkt chose not to attack "Der Insel" - maybe they had inside info about the eccentricities and charm of the Brits?

Andy Clough:

Assume you used Airport Utility to set up your AE? Usually pretty straightforward in my experience...

It does not help there cause that half the shop is taken up with DVDs and Games at even higher prices than HMV would have the cheek to ask for, also the big ticket items are expensive as well, 

You cannot survive by opening a store, advertising a 32 " TV at cost , and expect everyone to pile in the door and buy everything else in sight as well.

I was very disappointed when i went. 

chris hollands:

It does not help there cause that half the shop is taken up with DVDs and Games at even higher prices than HMV would have the cheek to ask for, also the big ticket items are expensive as well, 

You cannot survive by opening a store, advertising a 32 " TV at cost , and expect everyone to pile in the door and buy everything else in sight as well.

I was very disappointed when i went. 

I visited my local BB branch in Croydon a couple of times only and felt under-whelmed by the staff and their interest (or lack of) in my visiting their store. Generally it seems they'd rather spend their shift cracking jokes with their blue-shirted mates than sell or take interest in the visiting public. A bit like too many reps do at various expos and fairs I've been to (not specifically hifi related I must add).

I did buy GT5 Signature Edition (PS3) for £42.99 which is less than some retailers (including some online ones) charge for the basic version of the game. They also had the Matrix trilogy boxset on blu-ray for just £16 or £18, even had I not already have the DVD boxset I would have bought that too.

Their Loewe little corner looked lovely though.