It's getting pretty insane how massive a divide there is now between the looks of Apple and a lot of other businesses. Apple looks current while other companies look straight out of 20 years ago.
It's the ties. Seriously. Ties go with suits (some times) but the shirt and tie look has been out of style for at least 20 years. Maybe if they stop dressing their employees like Dilbert it would help.
You might be Microsoft's target customer for the the new Surface - its a tablet - wait its a laptop too. I don't particularly like ShopSmith but they were the 'cat's meow' to quote another old fashion 50s -ism.
Actually I still don't understand why they called the surface when that is the name of one of their other product that is not similar in any way shape or form. I can get even father off topic if you want.
The CEO calls the store "experimental". Now that's real leadership. Maybe this will work, maybe? It is what makes Apple so sucessful, right?
Apple was experimenting with removing the children's section and redesigning the Genius bar just last week. The BB store in the article is right next door to their corporate HQ.
Wow...that does spark the imagination. Imagine Apple going store by store and revamping it into an Apple store bit by bit. Wouldn't that be an ironic turn of events....you walk in and the main floor is all Apple and tucked back in the corner is MS/PC's!
Probably not going to happen, but nevertheless one of the most original ideas I've seen on these boards in years! Good show!:)
I'm thinking more that all Best Buys will be converted into pure Apple stores. The problem with this fantasy is that Best Buy has flopped in Europe and China, where Apple would want to grow more (in comparison to US).
What you say is true -- it is complicated. But online stores like Apple do it.
I do woodworking as a hobby, and own a ShopSmith. They have an online store and charge taxes for every state, although they are based in Ohio.
Shopsmith is a small company, SSMH (OTC) with a rudimentary web site and shopping cart -- yet they are able to deal with the complexity... So, I assume that AMZN can handle it.
Exactly. It's not that hard. It's even built into a lot of modern software.
You might be Microsoft's target customer for the the new Surface - its a tablet - wait its a laptop too. I don't particularly like ShopSmith but they were the 'cat's meow' to quote another old fashion 50s -ism.
Actually I still don't understand why they called the surface when that is the name of one of their other product that is not similar in any way shape or form. I can get even father off topic if you want.
Ha! The ShopSmith is a space issue -- in the space required for a typical bicycle, you have:
-- a circular saw
-- a drill press
-- a horizontal boring machine
-- a disk sander
-- a lathe
-- a router
-- a shaper
You are trading convenience/setup time for space -- but with a little planning, you can minimize the setups.
As for the Surface... it is so like MS to parley one meh/failure into another. The trifecta would be: Windows 8/RT Surface - Vista/Zune - PlaysForSure
Exactly. It's not that hard. It's even built into a lot of modern software.
Which software? I have implemented it on a our ecommerce website and our accounting application and it is constantly needing updates. We subscribe to a service that provides the data but they do not offer a SOAP, REST or Web Service and only update the data for all states quarterly not necessarily as the new rates become effective. Furthermore the tax zones are not that easy to define progammatically as they don't go by zip code.
Best Buy re-focusing their stores around customer service has got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard. It would be easier to get a camel to fly Mach 2.
Which software? I have implemented it on a our ecommerce website and our accounting application and it is constantly needing updates. We subscribe to a service that provides the data but they do not offer a SOAP, REST or Web Service and only update the data for all states quarterly not necessarily as the new rates become effective. Furthermore the tax zones are not that easy to define progammatically as they don't go by zip code.
But people have been doing it for years. I remember at least 15-20 years ago when I ordered something online, I was asked what county I lived it. I was told that my zip code was split between two counties and they had different tax information so they had to have my county to get the tax right.
It's not trivial - and it does need regular updating, but it's been done for at least 15-20 years.
Of course, it would be better if they rationalized the whole system and simplified the tax zones, but that's not likely.
sorry. i failed to differentiate "shopping" vs. "buying". see this cnn article.
Interesting article...
I think it is possible to combat "show rooming" and maybe even use it to your advantage.
The stick and stucco store can convert itself into a showroom for its own online sales.
-- reduce SKUs carried based on demand
-- carry minimal inventory on site
-- schedule events/inventory for hot new products
-- have fewer more effective sales staff
-- offer after sale services and training
-- offer financing/payments
-- offer "show room" and online store instant [web] price comparisons
-- offer repeat customer discounts
-- offer discounts to visitors to your "show room" when they buy at your online store
-- offer in-store ("show room") pickup for online orders
-- offer in-store ("show room") returns
I am assuming that within a year (two at most) the sale tax playing field will be leveled for all online stores.
I wanted add to the list:
-- offer a bid/ask sales transaction
-- offer a wine and cheese tasting bar
Seriously, by being agile and paying close attention to resources and competition you could do quite well. The point being is if you do the showing and selling, you should get the sale... and the customer.
But people have been doing it for years. I remember at least 15-20 years ago when I ordered something online, I was asked what county I lived it. I was told that my zip code was split between two counties and they had different tax information so they had to have my county to get the tax right.
It's not trivial - and it does need regular updating, but it's been done for at least 15-20 years.
Of course, it would be better if they rationalized the whole system and simplified the tax zones, but that's not likely.
In California it is even worse because some counties have special tax rates within certain utility districts for school bonds, road reconstruction, etc. It is a PITA. We just estimate sometimes. It is almost impossible for the auditors to catch it so they let it slide.
But people have been doing it for years. I remember at least 15-20 years ago when I ordered something online, I was asked what county I lived it. I was told that my zip code was split between two counties and they had different tax information so they had to have my county to get the tax right.
It's not trivial - and it does need regular updating, but it's been done for at least 15-20 years.
Of course, it would be better if they rationalized the whole system and simplified the tax zones, but that's not likely.
Yeah, where I live we have a BART tax but no BART trains... ftw
Consumers don't often buy TVs or home appliances over the Internet. About the only product I have purchased at Best Buy is a TV. Smaller less fragile consumer electronics are better suited for online sales. I am surprised how many iPhones they sell, at least according to the article. I would have thought more phones would be purchased at the phone stores than BB.
That's not actually true. Amazon has tremendous online sales of large TVs because they don't charge for shipping, they send people to set it up and they guarantee that if you don't like it, they'll switch it out. TVs have such small margins, I think Amazon probably loses money on every sale, but they're going for market share. The big photo/electronics retailer B&H also does a very large amount of online sales.
It surprises me that people are willing to buy large appliances online, but apparently they are.
----
As far as BB's problems go, I think the only way they have even a hope of surviving is to make the discovery and shopping experience so compelling that it makes consumers want the products so badly, they won't wait for online delivery. But that means that every single product needs to be demonstratable and they need to setup "rooms" to demonstrate various combinations of home theatre, computers, Pads and MP3 players all tied together. These rooms must simply blow people away. Right now, aside from the TVs on the wall that are all in "blast mode", almost nothing in the store works and even stores with Magnolia tend to have only one or two demo rooms and it's almost impossible to get a sales rep to demonstrate anything. And the computers are never connected to the web. But even when the sales people do demo a product, there's a lack of demo software and none of the equipment has had the setup software run to EQ the system in the room. So it all sounds like crap. Is it any wonder that few buy?
But having said all that, Sixth Avenue Electronics actually had some really nice demo rooms (although still not setup like a living room) and they still went out of business.
The other issue is that even in large stores in New York City, most of the higher-end components are not in inventory in the store - they have to be delivered from a regional warehouse. If people have to wait for a delivery, they'll order online. The primary purpose of today's physical retail is instant gratfication.
When retail stores were smaller, the buyers had to choose the best products for the market. This was especially true for media stores, like record stores. The great record and book stores would hand-sell products. When big-box stores came along, the opposite approach was taken as they try to inventory everything. (Now they obviously don't have everything, but they have a very large selection.) The problem with such a large selection is that if you don't know what you want, it's impossible to find. And if you do know what you want, you can get it far less expensively online. So I think physical retail needs to get back to "editing" their product lines and hand selling. I remember when even large record stores like Tower used to have experts for each genre. When I was a kid, I got my musical education from the radio and the record store. Today, that doesn't happen. Downloading is great when you know what you want, but not when you want to discover something. It's too tedious to spend hours clicking through previews.
In California it is even worse because some counties have special tax rates within certain utility districts for school bonds, road reconstruction, etc. It is a PITA. We just estimate sometimes. It is almost impossible for the auditors to catch it so they let it slide.
Yeah... it's like the old routine of saving all your receipts for tax purposes and throwing them randomly in a shoe box. When audited, the auditor gets to dig through the shoe box.
Now, I once lived in ChicagoLand. In Cook County you did not pay your county taxes -- you bribed the assessor. In McHenry County (where I lived) the the tax forms had printed on them something like: "Unlike other Illinois Counties, McHenry County residents are required to pay their taxes".
One of my biggest gripes with best buy is what products they have in the store to sell you. If you go to there online site and find say like a hdmi cable that is 20 dollars for a six footer and it is the cheapest on there website then check for availability in there store no store stocks it and it is a 5 day to 2 week wait to ship that item to the store. Now if you check the most expensive six foot cable in there store like say a monster cable six foot hdmi that is 50 bucks they will always stock that in a local store.
I have found that almost without exception best buy stocks the top two most expensive highest margin items in there stores and the rest you have to order. There not interested in doing you any favors on price and always will try to push you into one of there stupid fixit contracts for anything they sell.
In politics, in business, in day to day life in America… It's all about seeming. We're so flooded with hype that we've forgotten the possibilites of the real.
One doubts it's even occurred to the overlords of Best Buy that Apple's reputation for excellent customer service has been achieved by providing excellent customer service. No doubt they really do believe they can improve their situation by changing how things look. It simply doesn't occur to most corporations that there might be something deeply, profoundly, repellently wrong with what they are.
It's taken nearly a century, but HL Mencken is finally proved wrong: companies are going broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. Even if everything Best Buy stocks couldn't be purchased more cheaply and easily online, confronting their depressed, angry, exploited McWorkers is no one's notion of a pleasant experience.
I don't blame Best Buy staff for their ignorance, apathy, and incompetence - their physical presence alone is more than their employer deserves. I blame them for lacking the integrity to burn the stores they work in to the ground.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by franktinsley
It's getting pretty insane how massive a divide there is now between the looks of Apple and a lot of other businesses. Apple looks current while other companies look straight out of 20 years ago.
It's the ties. Seriously. Ties go with suits (some times) but the shirt and tie look has been out of style for at least 20 years. Maybe if they stop dressing their employees like Dilbert it would help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
I do woodworking as a hobby, and own a ShopSmith.
You might be Microsoft's target customer for the the new Surface - its a tablet - wait its a laptop too. I don't particularly like ShopSmith but they were the 'cat's meow' to quote another old fashion 50s -ism.
Actually I still don't understand why they called the surface when that is the name of one of their other product that is not similar in any way shape or form. I can get even father off topic if you want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kent909
The CEO calls the store "experimental". Now that's real leadership. Maybe this will work, maybe? It is what makes Apple so sucessful, right?
Apple was experimenting with removing the children's section and redesigning the Genius bar just last week. The BB store in the article is right next door to their corporate HQ.
How exactly do you shop at Best Buy without spending money?
sorry. i failed to differentiate "shopping" vs. "buying".see this cnn article.
Quote:
Originally Posted by christopher126
Wow...that does spark the imagination. Imagine Apple going store by store and revamping it into an Apple store bit by bit. Wouldn't that be an ironic turn of events....you walk in and the main floor is all Apple and tucked back in the corner is MS/PC's!
Probably not going to happen, but nevertheless one of the most original ideas I've seen on these boards in years! Good show!:)
I'm thinking more that all Best Buys will be converted into pure Apple stores. The problem with this fantasy is that Best Buy has flopped in Europe and China, where Apple would want to grow more (in comparison to US).
Exactly. It's not that hard. It's even built into a lot of modern software.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
You might be Microsoft's target customer for the the new Surface - its a tablet - wait its a laptop too. I don't particularly like ShopSmith but they were the 'cat's meow' to quote another old fashion 50s -ism.
Actually I still don't understand why they called the surface when that is the name of one of their other product that is not similar in any way shape or form. I can get even father off topic if you want.
Ha! The ShopSmith is a space issue -- in the space required for a typical bicycle, you have:
-- a circular saw
-- a drill press
-- a horizontal boring machine
-- a disk sander
-- a lathe
-- a router
-- a shaper
You are trading convenience/setup time for space -- but with a little planning, you can minimize the setups.
As for the Surface... it is so like MS to parley one meh/failure into another. The trifecta would be: Windows 8/RT Surface - Vista/Zune - PlaysForSure
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
Exactly. It's not that hard. It's even built into a lot of modern software.
Which software? I have implemented it on a our ecommerce website and our accounting application and it is constantly needing updates. We subscribe to a service that provides the data but they do not offer a SOAP, REST or Web Service and only update the data for all states quarterly not necessarily as the new rates become effective. Furthermore the tax zones are not that easy to define progammatically as they don't go by zip code.
Just die already, Best Buy. DIE.
Best Buy re-focusing their stores around customer service has got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard. It would be easier to get a camel to fly Mach 2.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Ha! The ShopSmith is a space issue -- in the space required for a typical bicycle, you have:
-- a circular saw
-- a drill press
-- a horizontal boring machine
-- a disk sander
-- a lathe
-- a router
-- a shaper
You are trading convenience/setup time for space -- but with a little planning, you can minimize the setups.
As for the Surface... it is so like MS to parley one meh/failure into another. The trifecta would be: Windows 8/RT Surface - Vista/Zune - PlaysForSure
Is the router IPv6 compatible?
But people have been doing it for years. I remember at least 15-20 years ago when I ordered something online, I was asked what county I lived it. I was told that my zip code was split between two counties and they had different tax information so they had to have my county to get the tax right.
It's not trivial - and it does need regular updating, but it's been done for at least 15-20 years.
Of course, it would be better if they rationalized the whole system and simplified the tax zones, but that's not likely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pooch
sorry. i failed to differentiate "shopping" vs. "buying". see this cnn article.Interesting article...
I think it is possible to combat "show rooming" and maybe even use it to your advantage.
The stick and stucco store can convert itself into a showroom for its own online sales.
-- reduce SKUs carried based on demand
-- carry minimal inventory on site
-- schedule events/inventory for hot new products
-- have fewer more effective sales staff
-- offer after sale services and training
-- offer financing/payments
-- offer "show room" and online store instant [web] price comparisons
-- offer repeat customer discounts
-- offer discounts to visitors to your "show room" when they buy at your online store
-- offer in-store ("show room") pickup for online orders
-- offer in-store ("show room") returns
I am assuming that within a year (two at most) the sale tax playing field will be leveled for all online stores.
I wanted add to the list:
-- offer a bid/ask sales transaction
-- offer a wine and cheese tasting bar
Seriously, by being agile and paying close attention to resources and competition you could do quite well. The point being is if you do the showing and selling, you should get the sale... and the customer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
But people have been doing it for years. I remember at least 15-20 years ago when I ordered something online, I was asked what county I lived it. I was told that my zip code was split between two counties and they had different tax information so they had to have my county to get the tax right.
It's not trivial - and it does need regular updating, but it's been done for at least 15-20 years.
Of course, it would be better if they rationalized the whole system and simplified the tax zones, but that's not likely.
In California it is even worse because some counties have special tax rates within certain utility districts for school bonds, road reconstruction, etc. It is a PITA. We just estimate sometimes. It is almost impossible for the auditors to catch it so they let it slide.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
But people have been doing it for years. I remember at least 15-20 years ago when I ordered something online, I was asked what county I lived it. I was told that my zip code was split between two counties and they had different tax information so they had to have my county to get the tax right.
It's not trivial - and it does need regular updating, but it's been done for at least 15-20 years.
Of course, it would be better if they rationalized the whole system and simplified the tax zones, but that's not likely.
Yeah, where I live we have a BART tax but no BART trains... ftw
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Consumers don't often buy TVs or home appliances over the Internet. About the only product I have purchased at Best Buy is a TV. Smaller less fragile consumer electronics are better suited for online sales. I am surprised how many iPhones they sell, at least according to the article. I would have thought more phones would be purchased at the phone stores than BB.
That's not actually true. Amazon has tremendous online sales of large TVs because they don't charge for shipping, they send people to set it up and they guarantee that if you don't like it, they'll switch it out. TVs have such small margins, I think Amazon probably loses money on every sale, but they're going for market share. The big photo/electronics retailer B&H also does a very large amount of online sales.
It surprises me that people are willing to buy large appliances online, but apparently they are.
----
As far as BB's problems go, I think the only way they have even a hope of surviving is to make the discovery and shopping experience so compelling that it makes consumers want the products so badly, they won't wait for online delivery. But that means that every single product needs to be demonstratable and they need to setup "rooms" to demonstrate various combinations of home theatre, computers, Pads and MP3 players all tied together. These rooms must simply blow people away. Right now, aside from the TVs on the wall that are all in "blast mode", almost nothing in the store works and even stores with Magnolia tend to have only one or two demo rooms and it's almost impossible to get a sales rep to demonstrate anything. And the computers are never connected to the web. But even when the sales people do demo a product, there's a lack of demo software and none of the equipment has had the setup software run to EQ the system in the room. So it all sounds like crap. Is it any wonder that few buy?
But having said all that, Sixth Avenue Electronics actually had some really nice demo rooms (although still not setup like a living room) and they still went out of business.
The other issue is that even in large stores in New York City, most of the higher-end components are not in inventory in the store - they have to be delivered from a regional warehouse. If people have to wait for a delivery, they'll order online. The primary purpose of today's physical retail is instant gratfication.
When retail stores were smaller, the buyers had to choose the best products for the market. This was especially true for media stores, like record stores. The great record and book stores would hand-sell products. When big-box stores came along, the opposite approach was taken as they try to inventory everything. (Now they obviously don't have everything, but they have a very large selection.) The problem with such a large selection is that if you don't know what you want, it's impossible to find. And if you do know what you want, you can get it far less expensively online. So I think physical retail needs to get back to "editing" their product lines and hand selling. I remember when even large record stores like Tower used to have experts for each genre. When I was a kid, I got my musical education from the radio and the record store. Today, that doesn't happen. Downloading is great when you know what you want, but not when you want to discover something. It's too tedious to spend hours clicking through previews.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
In California it is even worse because some counties have special tax rates within certain utility districts for school bonds, road reconstruction, etc. It is a PITA. We just estimate sometimes. It is almost impossible for the auditors to catch it so they let it slide.
Yeah... it's like the old routine of saving all your receipts for tax purposes and throwing them randomly in a shoe box. When audited, the auditor gets to dig through the shoe box.
Now, I once lived in ChicagoLand. In Cook County you did not pay your county taxes -- you bribed the assessor. In McHenry County (where I lived) the the tax forms had printed on them something like: "Unlike other Illinois Counties, McHenry County residents are required to pay their taxes".
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Is the router IPv6 compatible?
Not supported until ML
I copied your smiley!
I have found that almost without exception best buy stocks the top two most expensive highest margin items in there stores and the rest you have to order. There not interested in doing you any favors on price and always will try to push you into one of there stupid fixit contracts for anything they sell.
In politics, in business, in day to day life in America… It's all about seeming. We're so flooded with hype that we've forgotten the possibilites of the real.
One doubts it's even occurred to the overlords of Best Buy that Apple's reputation for excellent customer service has been achieved by providing excellent customer service. No doubt they really do believe they can improve their situation by changing how things look. It simply doesn't occur to most corporations that there might be something deeply, profoundly, repellently wrong with what they are.
It's taken nearly a century, but HL Mencken is finally proved wrong: companies are going broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. Even if everything Best Buy stocks couldn't be purchased more cheaply and easily online, confronting their depressed, angry, exploited McWorkers is no one's notion of a pleasant experience.
I don't blame Best Buy staff for their ignorance, apathy, and incompetence - their physical presence alone is more than their employer deserves. I blame them for lacking the integrity to burn the stores they work in to the ground.