I hope Best Buy endures a slow bleed, much like Circuit City. Best Buy was notorious for setting-up shop in a town, selling CDs for $5-$10 until local record stores were shut down, and then slowly raising prices back up.

Innovation and competition are a biatch.

The people who work there are (generally speaking) horrible.

Once the brick and mortar stores go away, how will we compare items? How will we know what we're getting? I won't buy a tv, computer or phone if i cant run it through its paces, and I cant do that on Amazon. I cant browse books and look through sections to find what i want. I like online for some things, but once retail stores go, we will see a dramatic drop in quality and satisfaction from online retails.

I won't shop at any store that requires me to stand in line for a high pressure warranty pitch after I've checked out my purchase. You can shove that right up your ass.

adamgreeney: Once the brick and mortar stores go away, how will we compare items? How will we know what we're getting? I won't buy a tv, computer or phone if i cant run it through its paces, and I cant do that on Amazon. I cant browse books and look through sections to find what i want. I like online for some things, but once retail stores go, we will see a dramatic drop in quality and satisfaction from online retails.

I was out shopping this weekend and wondered about that, specifically in regard to Barnes & Noble and the Nook. At a certain level it's like they're competing against themselves. The variety is nice - the ability to browse the store or go online - but what happens to the physical retail side when the online starts encroaching?

My company has a similar dilemma with innovation. We still want to sell products but we're increasingly providing subscription-based cloud solutions. It's an interesting balance.

Marcus Aurelius: I won't shop at any store that requires me to stand in line for a high pressure warranty pitch after I've checked out my purchase. You can shove that right up your ass.

That's how you make money when you can't compete or innovate.

How about "no, I don't want your protection plan, let me just buy my crap and leave". Seriously, and then I have to stop for security to check my receipt after walking 2 feet from the register? fark that place.

stpauler: How about "no, I don't want your protection plan, let me just buy my crap and leave". Seriously, and then I have to stop for security to check my receipt after walking 2 feet from the register? fark that place.

I just keep on walking.

I've never had any dealings with them, but I guess I don't understand what's nonsensical about the Geek Squad. Most people will, at one time or another, have problems with their computer or other electronic equipment that they can't solve themselves, and it would seem on the surface reasonable for a major retailer of such merchandise to have troubleshooting staff available. I just always assumed they were like the Jiffy Lube of electronics, overpriced but convenient for a lot of people.

coffeecrisp: The smart phone app does sound a bit like predatory pricing. I gather that you simply input the price of a product at the bricks & mortar and then Amazon will beat it. And Amazon also does not have the expense of a retail store network.

The app I use is called RedLaser. You just press a button, your camera pops up, you hover it over the bar code, and then it shows you where you can get it cheaper, whether it be at a nearby competitor or online. It's really only useful if you're buying something over $20.00. It has saved me hundreds of dollars over the past two years. I once scanned an appliance at Kohl's and they said they wouldn't match Sears's price because technically I didn't have a coupon. Oh well, I'll drive 1.5 miles to save $75.00.

Diogenes: I was out shopping this weekend and wondered about that, specifically in regard to Barnes & Noble and the Nook. At a certain level it's like they're competing against themselves.

It's compete against yourselves and maybe survive, or guarantee your death. Borders chose to just foist off their online sales by having Amazon do it and they crashed and burned.

I bought a blu ray player there last week and the chick was all like "do you want the extended warranty" and I had to say NO. It was a terrible experience. I'll never go back.

stpauler: How about "no, I don't want your protection plan, let me just buy my crap and leave". Seriously, and then I have to stop for security to check my receipt after walking 2 feet from the register? fark that place.

Maybe I'm just lucky - neither of those things happen at our local Best Buy. They do always ask if I want a warranty, but they're almost apologetic about asking and it only takes about a second for them to ask and me to say, "No, thanks".

Where else are you going to go? H.H Gregg sucks worse than Best Buy.

Radio Shack? Please

Diogenes: adamgreeney: Once the brick and mortar stores go away, how will we compare items? How will we know what we're getting? I won't buy a tv, computer or phone if i cant run it through its paces, and I cant do that on Amazon. I cant browse books and look through sections to find what i want. I like online for some things, but once retail stores go, we will see a dramatic drop in quality and satisfaction from online retails.

I was out shopping this weekend and wondered about that, specifically in regard to Barnes & Noble and the Nook. At a certain level it's like they're competing against themselves. The variety is nice - the ability to browse the store or go online - but what happens to the physical retail side when the online starts encroaching?

My company has a similar dilemma with innovation. We still want to sell products but we're increasingly providing subscription-based cloud solutions. It's an interesting balance.

I work for the largest independent book store chain in the states, and I'm specifically in charge of ebooks. The profit on them is pretty close to physical books. We try to encourage the floor employees to sell the ebooks the same way they sell physical books. Their recommendations and suggestions play a huge role, and if they can't give that person a physical copy, help them buy it online.

Since website maintenance is so negligible, a lot of the ebook sales go back into the stores. It isn't really competing, and the physical inventory really is morphing into a showroom, which balances out the loss of in store sales.

The real problem i see is how publishers are dropping physical books. Harper just put out 6000 books as "print on demand" for stores with book machines (which we have), meaning none of those titles will be on the shelf again. The stores can print them, but they are on the hook for it. If more publishers do that, watch stores inventories plummet.

adamgreeney: That is a CSB. First I've heard of print on demand. I don't use an e-reader yet.

But just as with clothes shopping, I prefer to browse the atoms than pull up the bits on my smart device when it comes to books. That will change, and we will change, but there's just something about the physicality of certain things that will always have some appeal.

I don't mind Best Buy. I'm in there usually every other day and the guys who work there know me by name.

Of course, then again, I also wind up helping customers with their electronics questions.

Sliding Carp: stpauler: How about "no, I don't want your protection plan, let me just buy my crap and leave". Seriously, and then I have to stop for security to check my receipt after walking 2 feet from the register? fark that place.

Maybe I'm just lucky - neither of those things happen at our local Best Buy. They do always ask if I want a warranty, but they're almost apologetic about asking and it only takes about a second for them to ask and me to say, "No, thanks".

I always get the warranty on things over $100 and have used it a few times so far. once on a camera that was over a year old (got the 2 year plan) and once on a stereo reciever that was 3 years and 9 months old (had the 4 year plan) The receiver lasted another 6 years after they fixed it.

For the most part, their employees are pretty useless, though I have run into some that were competent.

ManateeGag: For the most part, their employees are pretty useless, though I have run into some that were competent.

I can almost perfectly differentiate between the slugs and the ones with some brains by sight.

veedeevadeevoodee: ridiculously unhelpful staff

Well, just look for me, then. I'm the Asian dude in the black overcoat wandering around aimlessly between the computer section and video game section.

veedeevadeevoodee: ridiculously unhelpful staff

Why does the staff of Best Buy get shiat on so much? It's not their fault their untrained and paid too little to really give a shiat on their own. I expect absolutely nothing walking into any retail store. Do you think they're worse than other retailers?

RexTalionis: I don't mind Best Buy. I'm in there usually every other day and the guys who work there know me by name.

Of course, then again, I also wind up helping customers with their electronics questions.

Same here. I'll be in there looking at stereo equipment,T.V.'s, or other electronics and overhear the clerk trying to sell them way more than they actually need. Then I'll wait till the clerk goes away and then politely ask them what their needs are and make suggestions. It really irritates me when their is some older people in the store that just want something to use for the internet and the clerk is trying to sell them a computer that will launch the space shuttle. I hate people that take advantage of others.

I don't mind Best Buy so much. Sometimes I need a computer part or a movie or get a itch for a game and don't want to wait for it to be delivered. And yes, they're ruthless with the warranties (NO, I don't need a 3 year warranty on a can of Monster) but all you have to do is say no. It's not like they're dragging you to the rack to be tortured by Morgot the Blood Giant to buy a warranty on a Snickers.

You want to make me happy whenever I walk into your store?

DON'T TRY SELLING ME A F$^%@#$ SMARTPHONE WHEN I'M LOOKING FOR A GODDAMN MOVIE TO BUY! AND I DON'T NEED SIXTEEN SALESPEOPLE TO ASK ME IF I NEED ANY HELP DOING THIS!!

/End rant.

PainInTheASP: You want to make me happy whenever I walk into your store?

DON'T TRY SELLING ME A F$^%@#$ SMARTPHONE WHEN I'M LOOKING FOR A GODDAMN MOVIE TO BUY! AND I DON'T NEED SIXTEEN SALESPEOPLE TO ASK ME IF I NEED ANY HELP DOING THIS!!

/End rant.

Unless of course you need help with something and because you didn't want to have helpful staff, nobody will help you with your problem and now you're pissed about that.

GAT_00: PainInTheASP: You want to make me happy whenever I walk into your store?

DON'T TRY SELLING ME A F$^%@#$ SMARTPHONE WHEN I'M LOOKING FOR A GODDAMN MOVIE TO BUY! AND I DON'T NEED SIXTEEN SALESPEOPLE TO ASK ME IF I NEED ANY HELP DOING THIS!!

/End rant.

Unless of course you need help with something and because you didn't want to have helpful staff, nobody will help you with your problem and now you're pissed about that.

If I needed customer assistance, I'd just go to Office Depot.

Sybarite: I've never had any dealings with them, but I guess I don't understand what's nonsensical about the Geek Squad. Most people will, at one time or another, have problems with their computer or other electronic equipment that they can't solve themselves, and it would seem on the surface reasonable for a major retailer of such merchandise to have troubleshooting staff available. I just always assumed they were like the Jiffy Lube of electronics, overpriced but convenient for a lot of people.

I am not a fan of the Geek Squad for a few reasons. I had an incident where I was trying to make an insurance claim on a fried computer and the tech at Geek Squad decided that I just needed to reinstall Windows. Seriously? My computer was fried in a lightning strike. Had to take it to another Geek Squad before I could get someone to notice the scorchmarks on the motherboard.

But more to the point, while I was there arguing with them I saw some of their prices for their "services." $200 for virus indentification - not removal, just identification. Actual removal ran up from there in steps of $150. They wanted $150 for "optimization." I get that not everyone is tech savvy, and when granny gets a virus because she clicked on a pop-up she thought was a real error message, she needs a place to go. I just feel like $200 to click "run" on HiJack This is taking advantage of the people that are the most vulnerable.

Marcus Aurelius: I won't shop at any store that requires me to stand in line for a high pressure warranty pitch after I've checked out my purchase. You can shove that right up your ass.

I just can't get over them asking about it for everything. I bought a frakkin' $16 video game controller and the guy was asking if I wanted to buy a 2-year warranty on it.

"No, I think I can retain that level of risk on my own, thanks."

I'm pretty sure I implied-facepalmed at him, too. I hope I did, anyway.

How can a retailer like Best Buy be blamed for "overpriced, shoddily crafted electronics"? They don't actually make the shiat, subby. Nor do they set the retail price. I don't know anything about their Geek Squad except that some of them are apparently 40 year old virgins and some are secret agents who inexplicably bang really hot girls.

BurnShrike: Me too. They have no reason to stop me from leaving their store with the item they just watched me pay for.

That's why they lost my business permanently. I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal, in general, but even more so when the register is a few feet from the door and there is absolutely NOTHING between the two points that anyone could steal, even if they wanted to.

PainInTheASP: You want to make me happy whenever I walk into your store?

DON'T TRY SELLING ME A F$^%@#$ SMARTPHONE WHEN I'M LOOKING FOR A GODDAMN MOVIE TO BUY! AND I DON'T NEED SIXTEEN SALESPEOPLE TO ASK ME IF I NEED ANY HELP DOING THIS!!

/End rant.

Then never shop at HH Gregg. They have more predatory sales people roaming the floor than they have merchandise.

serpent_sky: I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal, in general, but even more so when the register is a few feet from the door and there is absolutely NOTHING between the two points that anyone could steal, even if they wanted to.

They're making sure the cashier did their job right more than looking for actual criminals.

serpent_sky: BurnShrike: Me too. They have no reason to stop me from leaving their store with the item they just watched me pay for.

That's why they lost my business permanently. I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal, in general, but even more so when the register is a few feet from the door and there is absolutely NOTHING between the two points that anyone could steal, even if they wanted to.

It's hardly like they were the first to do that.

Mugato: It's hardly like they were the first to do that.

I don't shop anywhere that does that.

Bottom line is, with some people, it affects our decision as to where we shop.

serpent_sky: Mugato: It's hardly like they were the first to do that.

I don't shop anywhere that does that.

Bottom line is, with some people, it affects our decision as to where we shop.

I'm a great one for standing on principle. But the receipt check falls under my "don't sweat the small stuff" category. I usually keep the receipt in hand and offer to show it to them, and they wave me on and leave me be.

Continuing to push the warranty after I've politely declined, however, will make me stabby and they'll lose the sale.

I blame their commercials where moms are acting like total biatches towards Santa.

The_Sponge: I blame their commercials where moms are acting like total biatches towards Santa.

Those actually annoy me enough to change the channel. What a horrible idea for commercials. Why would I want to go to a store full of biatchy, annoying women?

The Geek Squad really fails, give them a DnD character sheet and they make a Dragonborn Shaman. I'm sure that's a parallel to how they fix computers.