Sign in / up

back to article Best Buy slams brakes on UK stores amid spending freeze

A slowdown in consumer spending looks set to derail Best Buy's expansion plans in the UK with the launch of 80 new megastores to be put on the back burner. The US retailer opened the doors to its first UK flagship store in Essex towards the end of April 2010 and has since cut the ribbon on another nine including branches in …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections
This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. SplitBrain
    FAIL

    Give it up already....

    The days of the cheapo retailer on the high street/retail park for electronics are well and truly gone, don't the Best Buy management see this??? Idiots...

    They simply cannot compete on price with online retailers, they need something else to differentiate themselves and give punters a reason to shop with them, they dont have one....

    Now look at Richer Sounds, who know their stuff and are reasonably priced and the choice of the better informed. Look at John Lewis who are dear but have excellent customer service and an excellent warranty. These retailers will stick around, Best Buy may as well give it up.

    1 0
  2. gautam

    Conspiracy Theory

    I think Best Buy have been winked and nudged by Dixons group to not venture too much aggresively and let maintain the high margins enjoyed by this monopoly.(Now a cartel?).

    People will buy, if its cheap enough and have awakened to this possibility with the internet price comparisons.

    After all, BestBuy have prided themselves on cheap offerings (Stateside, at least - Pile em High, Sell em Cheap) and the whole thrust here was to disturb the applecart. (Remember when Walmart bought Asda- Prices indeed came down for the others and they didnt like their cosiness being disturbed).

    A very similar scenario is unfolding.

    Let Ripoff Britain continue!

    0 0
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    I find

    That BestBuy are simply not. They are not at all cheap. Sure they have the occasional good deal but day to day, the net is a much more attractive option in terms of price.

    This goes for Argos, Dixons etc as well.

    2 0
  4. HP Cynic
    FAIL

    No loss

    When Best Buy first arrived last year I was aware of their somewhat tacky US reputation.

    Despite this I took a look at their website and to cut a long story short after many attempts at actually buying something I gave up on them because their website was faulty, the payment system did not work and customer service was useless.

    I even gave them some constructive suggestions as to what the faults might be and how to check / fix.

    So I tried to give them some money for a product, I really did, but they messed the transaction up in every possible way.

    They made it onto my S**tlist in record time :)

    0 0
  5. GrumpyJoe
    Thumb Down

    The news media

    report companies are finding it tough. Consumers see the news and tighten belts. The news media report companies are finding it tough because consumers are tightening their belts, consumers tighten their belts further. Repeat ad nauseum.

    I remember the Northern Rock queues - they got bigger the more they were shown LIVE on BBC News...

    As to the veracity of the doom and gloom, who can tell, but the perception is obviously part of it. Not asking for cheerleaders, but some of this stuff happening now feels very much like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    0 0
  6. Scuby
    Paris Hilton

    Best Buy is ...

    ... not necessarily the Best Buy around. Christmas I bought the Lord of the Rings Blu Ray box set for £30, went next door to Sainsbury's to find it there for £20. Same can be said for a lot of their other products (Tassimo Coffee Makers, Toasters, Kettles etc)

    Paris, cos she knows how to shop!!

    0 0
    1. jonathanb Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      What you should do

      Is find the cheapest price elsewhere, then ask them to do their price match + 10% of the difference. You would have then got it for £19.90.

      My example was a Firewire hard drive that cost £130 at Best Buy, and £100 at the Currys PC World across the road, so I got it for £97. Currys do the same thing should pricing work out the other way round, but you do have to find a store within 30 miles of a Best Buy.

      0 0
  7. Pypes

    Not surprised

    Best buy seem to have gone for that elusive market demographic of "people prepared to buy relatively high end gear on a whim" They sell nice kit, but with prices that would make your average currys / jessops / <overpriced high-street retailer of choice> customer wince at the prospect.

    0 0
    1. 4HiMarks
      Reply Icon
      FAIL

      very surprised

      Best Buy have not sold "nice kit" in some time, now. On this side of the pond, their stores seem to be filled with their "pet" brands of Insignia and Dynex, which seem to fall apart the moment you take them out of the box. I'd say their market is people who can't wait a few days for cheap crap to be shipped to them from Amazon.

      1 0
  8. Pirate Peter
    Thumb Up

    seen better kit and deals at a computer fair

    i visited the essex store a month or so ago,

    it was poor;y lit, i was looking for laptops and what i saw was very limited and little current models instock, most seemed to be end of lines and i thought prices were high even compared to pcworld (now that is bad)

    e.g. only had iPad 1, no iPad 2's in sight

    not inpressed i have seen better gear and prices in a dodgy east end computer fair

    needless to say walked in, looked for less than 5 minutes and walked out without buying a thing

    if that is their business model, can't see them being around to long

    0 0
  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Since 1830...really?

    "- the Bank of England says recovery in consumer spending is forecast to be the slowest since 1830..."

    Been keeping records on this for that long have they? Hmmm.

    0 0
  10. Downside
    Thumb Up

    I really like the local BestBuy!

    The one near me in Southampton is a really decent store! Prices are on a par with Amazon and the delivery is instant. Not only that, but if I have a problem, I can take it back easily.

    The staff are super helpful, knowledgeable and not pushy. Sure, they don't get many iPads in but I have my local apple store for that.

    "Computer fair"? {Shudder} Jeez, the thought of rubbing shoulders with *that* sort of consumer, or that kinda retailer.

    0 2
    1. Andy Mc
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Down

      Re: I really like the local BestBuy!

      You must be going into a different Best Buy in Southampton. All looked mightily overpriced to me, even compared to Currys/PC World down the road. And as for pushy staff, sorry, I got bored of being hassled and left. Presumably that's how you get your commission?

      0 0
  11. curlywurly

    It just depends

    Best Buy have their place, yes some of the gear is pretty low end , but they do have some higher end kit, mainly TV's, which have seem to have a high turn-over rate in the US, as ex-pat now living in the US.

    They do have their place, I'm considering buying a LCD/Plasma TV and I most definitely want to see it before I buy it, can't easily do that with Amazon, of course, you could go and view them at Best Buy and then buy online from the best deal around...which I do a lot of.

    0 0
  12. Sandy106
    Big Brother

    Heres to hoping...

    they pull out of the US next.

    Pic of their sales reps related

    0 0
This topic is closed for new posts.