Have your say & ask the experts!

Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

25 replies [Last post]
bigboss
bigboss's picture
Offline
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 9672

Looks like there's another casualty in this gloomy economic climate.

__________________

My Home Cinema  Pioneer KRP 500A, Yamaha RX-V1900, MA Radius R225HD LCR, R90HD rears, AW12 sub, Panasonic BD60, PS3, Boxee Box, Sky HD, Boxee Box, Logitech Harmony One, Logitech PS3 Adapter, Sonos ZP90

Bedroom Samsung UE32C6510, PS3 slim white, Apple TV, Sonos S5, Sonos ZP90, Audioengine 2, Oppo OPDV971H

Miscellaneous: Synology DS212J + 2 X WD Red 2TB drives, WD 1TB NAS, Sonos ZoneBridge, BT HH3 as modem & AirPort Extreme router

Andrew Everard
Andrew Everard's picture
Offline
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 29093
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

If the splendidly-named Mr Wallop's report is correct, such a move has been on the cards for a good while, as we reported back in June.

__________________

Consulting Editor, What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision/whathifi.com  Audio Editor, Gramophone

PEAYEL
PEAYEL's picture
Offline
Joined: 13 Dec 2008
Posts: 64
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Were/Are they any good? Price wise? 

We didn't get one in Wales!

Their loss.   OOOps, guess that's why they're closing.

__________________

Sonos ~ 2*P5, 2*P3, 2*ZP90, 2 * Sonos ControllersCyrus 8 DAC to KEF speakersLinn Classik to Mission speakers.

The_Lhc
The_Lhc's picture
Offline
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 11218
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

PEAYEL wrote:

Were/Are they any good?

No.

__________________

No signature worth mentioning...

Paul.
Paul.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 26 Nov 2010
Posts: 2433
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

I didn't really rate the one in Bristol.  Had a lot of stuff and all, but it didn't do anything that Comet or Currys didn't.  No differetiation, don't see how they expected to succeed over trusted brands.

 

The Arcam AV setup I heard there with KEF floorstanders all around sounded a bit rubbish, Im sure at no fault of the kit.

__________________

Paul's BR/805 system thread

(where the photos live) Paul's Flickr page

David@FrankHarvey
David@FrankHarvey's picture
Offline
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Posts: 9855
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Unfortunately, in this business, a successful business model can't necessarily be applied in different areas, be that in the same country, or a different one.

__________________

David @Frank Harvey Hi-Fi, Coventry

Mitsubishi HC7000 / Oppo BDP103 / Audiolab 8200AP / Rotel RMB1575 / kick ass speaker system

hammill
hammill's picture
Offline
Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 2101
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Paul Hobbs wrote:

I didn't really rate the one in Bristol.  Had a lot of stuff and all, but it didn't do anything that Comet or Currys didn't.  No differetiation, don't see how they expected to succeed over trusted brands.

 

The Arcam AV setup I heard there with KEF floorstanders all around sounded a bit rubbish, Im sure at no fault of the kit.

I am not surprised Best Buy failed having visited the US version, but I find the idea that Currys or Comet are trusted brands hilarious.

Paul.
Paul.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 26 Nov 2010
Posts: 2433
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

hammill wrote:

Paul Hobbs wrote:

I didn't really rate the one in Bristol.  Had a lot of stuff and all, but it didn't do anything that Comet or Currys didn't.  No differetiation, don't see how they expected to succeed over trusted brands.

 

The Arcam AV setup I heard there with KEF floorstanders all around sounded a bit rubbish, Im sure at no fault of the kit.

I am not surprised Best Buy failed having visited the US version, but I find the idea that Currys or Comet are trusted brands hilarious.

 

Oh I didn't say they are good, but surely Comet/DSGs huge footfall every year implys they are trusted by the masses?

__________________

Paul's BR/805 system thread

(where the photos live) Paul's Flickr page

nick8858
nick8858's picture
Offline
Joined: 8 Aug 2011
Posts: 190
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

No suprise whatsoever. I found them dull, expensive and the staff I think were made up of those who couldn't get a job at Currys. Simply awful experience.

__________________

Purely Digital Gear - Sonos, Buffalo NAS drive, Peachtree Decco2, Acoustic Energy AE1 Classic, Wharfedale SW150 sub, Jays V Jays phones.

The_Lhc
The_Lhc's picture
Offline
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 11218
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Paul Hobbs wrote:
I didn't really rate the one in Bristol.  Had a lot of stuff and all,

Really? That was the most disappointing part about it for me, compared to the Curries Megastore over the road I thought it was very sparsely populated. It was also bizarrely laid out, I wandered around for about 30 minutes and my main thought was "What's that doing over here? That should be over there with that stuff that's exactly the same."

Not great either way.

Quote:
but it didn't do anything that Comet or Currys didn't.  No differetiation, don't see how they expected to succeed over trusted brands.

No, especially as it wasn't even cheap, which I'd thought was supposed to be the whole point of the place.

Quote:
The Arcam AV setup I heard there with KEF floorstanders all around sounded a bit rubbish, Im sure at no fault of the kit.

Yes, again, the Curries Megastore seemed to do that much better, although I still wouldn't "audition" anything there, it's not an ideal setup.

__________________

No signature worth mentioning...

hammill
hammill's picture
Offline
Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 2101
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Paul Hobbs wrote:

hammill wrote:

Paul Hobbs wrote:

I didn't really rate the one in Bristol.  Had a lot of stuff and all, but it didn't do anything that Comet or Currys didn't.  No differetiation, don't see how they expected to succeed over trusted brands.

 

The Arcam AV setup I heard there with KEF floorstanders all around sounded a bit rubbish, Im sure at no fault of the kit.

I am not surprised Best Buy failed having visited the US version, but I find the idea that Currys or Comet are trusted brands hilarious.

 

Oh I didn't say they are good, but surely Comet/DSGs huge footfall every year implys they are trusted by the masses?

No, I don't think so for two reasons. One is that both Comet/DSG do very badly in Which consumer surveys (both online and high street). The other is that most people shop locally for large electricals (although this is changing) and often Comet/DSG is/are the only choice - that people shop there hardly suggests trust. I buy from a number of local retailers - BP, B&Q, Tesco but I don't "trust" any of them.

 

BTW Best Buy have officially gone according to the BBC

The_Lhc
The_Lhc's picture
Offline
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 11218
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

hammill wrote:

Paul Hobbs wrote:

hammill wrote:

Paul Hobbs wrote:

I didn't really rate the one in Bristol.  Had a lot of stuff and all, but it didn't do anything that Comet or Currys didn't.  No differetiation, don't see how they expected to succeed over trusted brands.

 

The Arcam AV setup I heard there with KEF floorstanders all around sounded a bit rubbish, Im sure at no fault of the kit.

I am not surprised Best Buy failed having visited the US version, but I find the idea that Currys or Comet are trusted brands hilarious.

 

Oh I didn't say they are good, but surely Comet/DSGs huge footfall every year implys they are trusted by the masses?

No, I don't think so for two reasons. One is that both Comet/DSG do very badly in Which consumer surveys (both online and high street). The other is that most people shop locally for large electricals (although this is changing) and often Comet/DSG is/are the only choice - that people shop there hardly suggests trust. I buy from a number of local retailers - BP, B&Q, Tesco but I don't "trust" any of them.

You'd be happier with "familiar" then? The point remains valid either way.

I just find it bizarre that they thought they could make it work in what is clearly a dying marketplace.

__________________

No signature worth mentioning...

chris hollands
chris hollands's picture
Offline
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 374
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Well i am not surprised, thought they were very expensive on the one visit i made, they also had no web site when they first opened , and the adverts were pretty naff on the radio.

Even now every item that is any good advertised cheap is out of stock for delivery and pickup ! 

All in all a pretty poor show, they must have lost a fortune .

__________________

Samsung UE46C8000 , JVC DLA-HD350 with darbee , Monitor Audio RX6av12 , Samsung BD6900 ,Yamaha RX-V3067, X-Box 360 , SKY HD 3D , Harmony One.

 

sonycentre
sonycentre's picture
Offline
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 609
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

Its about time it was made fair for everyone.Or some people will always harp on about the internet,i could put it this way Imagine that you have a job,you have been off all weekend had a great time,go into work on monday morning the boss calls you into his office and you see another guy sat in a chair.The boss says to you hi meet so and so this guy can do your job as well as you but his wage bill will be 40% cheaper then yours,so heres your p45 thank you for your hard work and goodbye.so how would you feel if that happened to you.and that is aimed at the people who moan about instore prices.And keep wanting the best deals full stop. banging head against wall

__________________

Founder of Tech-Smart since 15-1-13

TheHomeCinemaCentre
TheHomeCinemaCentre's picture
Offline
Joined: 1 Oct 2008
Posts: 1442
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

You are opening a big can of worms there if I read your point correctly. Business is not fair and the last thing we need is regulation to make it fair. The market place in the UK is fine by me with plenty of variables on price and service to suit most consumers, how easy it is to exist in that marketplace is down to individual companies.  I can think of plenty of points regarding Sony's dominance in the market place akin to Best Buy but this is not the place for that.

Your analogy with losing the job is pretty accurate of what happens day in day out all over the capitalist world. I dont actually get your point there - should we be protecting jobs more than we already do?

__________________

Nick

The Home Cinema Centre

 

sonycentre
sonycentre's picture
Offline
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 609
RE: Best Buy to close its 11 UK stores?

just my thoughts nick,that is all we are all human and all like a bargin but its the way peoples attitudes are nowadays.Its always been there but not as fierce as it is now.Im just letting off some steam.

__________________

Founder of Tech-Smart since 15-1-13