IMHO, the real problem is that there is zero value to go to bby. The sales teams are either not to be found, or know nothing. Checking out is a nightmare of "where is anyone to check me out?" and the place looks like a dump (the three I have gone into recently for an emergency part, which I could not find).
I'm happy to spend on electronics, but never from that pile of garbage masquerading as a store. I bought a Chromebook, online, for my disabled mother, and its battery failed in three weeks. They demanded that to RMA it it had to be physically brought to a store. Nevermind that they've closed stores like mad so there wasn't any near her, and even if there were she CANNOT DRIVE. Then to add insult to injury, they made it impossible to even reach their stores by phone, all calls go to central call centers now so we couldn't try to set up any sort of pickup with a nearby store.<p>After that experience, I swore I would never buy a product from Best Buy ever again. Online, in person, doesn't matter. Permanently gone as a customer.
Well my main and newest PC is a Thinkpad W541, it is 11 years old. It is plenty powerful and I expect it to be useful for at least another 10 years. All I did was replace the HDD with a SDD a few years ago.<p>There is no real reason to buy a New Laptop these days and to me, many people buy new just to get the latest OS from Microsoft or Apple. They claim "slowdown" is the issue for buying new, but mostly it is cruft those Operating Systems builds up over time.<p>With Linux or a BSD, you will see how a real OS is suppose to run.<p>If you do buy new, make sure it is user upgradeable. For example, memory is not soldered onto the board, hard disk (HDD/SDD) can be replaced.
Best buy is being a valiant survivor. But I'm not sure if it will ultimately be different than the other electronics big box stores. Maybe someone should put them out of their misery, despite having not-so-bad memories of going to Best Buy to get stuff.
The main reason I used to go to best buy was to buy physical media. For years I would stop in at Best Buy a few times a month to browse CDs, movies, and games. Sometimes I would buy something, other times not, but it kept them at the top of mind for any electronics purchase. The CDs went first, then the games section started shrinking, older titles stopped going on sale, and physical games needed large day 1 patches and required servers so buying physical games became less meaningful. Still, there were movies and shows, and even if Amazon was more convenient the high number of counterfeit movies drove me to more reputable retailers. Now they've dropped DVDs and I'm not sure why I'd go there at all. I know most people don't care much about physical media, and while I'm sad to see it go I can understand the logic given the cost of retail space, but it doesn't seem like they've ever figured out how to replace that with something else that can drive foot traffic.<p>People only need a computer, television, or appliance every few years at most, and I think most people tend to either make major purchases based on the lowest cost (online) or with a retailer they have an existing relationship with. Without any inventory of the kind of small frequent purchases that help build a relationship with consumers, I don't see how they have any success attracting people with big purchases.
I like buying laptops where there's an easy return policy and Bestbuy, as for as I can see, has a broader range of models and better bargains on new machines than any other retailer for non-Apple models, in particular they have a good selection of Asus and Lenovo consumer laptops.<p>Microcenter has less of a selection from companies like Lenovo, is there anywhere else folks would recommend for non Apple devices?
I guess they can shift to Microcenter model at least at some percentage. Knowledgeable associates that actually help, selection of a wider variety of stuff that competes with online warehouse retailers.<p>They had an advantage after all the other electronics brick and mortar retailers cratered but they blew it away by dumbing everything down and making the store experience boring.
They can't go under soon enough. The low point of my shopping there was when they tried to hard-sell me an extended warranty on a 9-pin serial cable. I've avoided them ever since.
Looks like the Chinese counterfeiters are winning. If BBY goes then it is one less place to get authentic goods instead of playing russian roulette on Amazon.
I go into Brick and Mortar stores as more of a museum or sorts to see what something is like before buying it online<p>Their sales team is wholly ineffective at swaying me, and I literally cannot compel myself to care about how they are lying to me to close a sale, like "wow that was desperate, google, reddit, the spec sheet, and the AI all said this isn't <i>actually</i> a bluetooth headset, just go get the tent now you're wasting your time trying to prove something to someone else or yourself."<p>If they just held merchandise and didn't try to sell it, but charged a small subscription to come check it out, I <i>miiiiiiight</i> be still be interested on occasion. Something besides what they're currently doing.
The only value of BestBuy to me is pickup of items I don't want to wait on. Also sometimes I can get mobile devices there that my carrier doesn't have in stock in their stores.
As part of an on-going Amazon detox, I try to go through Best Buy for electronics. They tend to have the same inventory at identical prices (propped up by an online-only inventory) and offer incentives, such as reward points with their freebie store card, easy local returns, price matching with Amazon, and occasional credit card bonus offers on Amex/Chase. (Hardcore couponers can probably squeeze even more savings with something like Slickdeals Cashback Rewards, seen as high as 10%.)<p>One annoyance is their account security--it's dialed up to 11 and completely out of control, frankly. You cannot sign in on mobile and PC simultaneously without getting flagged and requiring a password reset. It's insanely anti-consumer and has frustrated me to the point of going elsewhere at least once.
> Analysts have also said that the rise of artificial intelligence may have delayed purchases as some higher-income shoppers await upgraded laptops with AI features, such as Microsoft's co-pilot button, and televisions to hit the shelves.<p>Wait what?, does anyone here know someone who's truly waiting out for any of these features?
bby is such a disappointment every time I go in. Inventory is out of date. Stores often in disarray.<p>For any computer electronics, I prefer Microcenter (if available), or buy it online.