Best Buy in Riverside, CA giving gift cards for trade-ins

Its probably a test market for Best Buy.
I read they have a few "special" stores where they test new selling methods and such.
 
Any idea how much they are giving for games? (Will it be a certain percentage of what they are selling them for, or just some random set price?)
 
That's pretty crazy, I wonder how much they will give though. And how much they'll charge for their used games.
 
I dont think it will work, us "Devil" customers will take advantage of special promotions if they end up being good, and they'll probobly kill it or have crappy trade in prices/specials.

I used to work at the Westminster, CA store and that was known as a "Concept" store, meaning that they test stuff before do it on other BB's, I wonder if they will be doing that there.
 
[quote name='CheapyD']Its probably a test market for Best Buy.
I read they have a few "special" stores where they test new selling methods and such.[/QUOTE]
Most companies have their "guinnea pig" stores. Alot of them are actually in Columbus Ohio. For some odd reason the demographics of Columbus are actually almost identical to the United states as a whole (for example if Hispanic males make up 6 percent of the whole country, more than likely it will be close to that in Columbus). We actually have one of the test spots here in Southeastern Mass for McD's, we were the first ones in the nation to have breakfast served there.

I bet you are all sick of this useless information, but being a Marketing guy, im full of it.
 
This particular Best Buy has been selling used games for close to a year now, so it is just another form of store credit.
 
Here is a/the article:
(google cache)
http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:LUJPQ8WH0zEJ:199.249.170.192/retailmerchandiser/reports_analysis/feature_display.jsp%3Fvnu_content_id%3D1000745650+best+buy+devil+california&hl=en&client=firefox-a

Highlights:

A few months ago, the company rolled out 70 newly converted stores in California — primarily in and around Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Based on tests of customer centricity lab stores in Los Angeles and a few other markets, the stores revamp the shopping environment to target five particular consumer groups: upper income men, suburban mothers, small-business owners, young family men and technology enthusiasts. Each store was then charged with determining the demographics of its local market, choosing two of these groups and then stocking merchandise accordingly.

Store personnel have been receiving training to help them identify the five groups. The high-income men group, dubbed Barrys, are likely purchasers of action movies and cameras. Suburban moms, dubbed Jills, have a strong predilection for purchasing items and services that help their family. The male technology enthusiasts, or Buzzes, are early adopters with a love of showing off the latest and greatest.

To attract these groups, Best Buy is offering personal shoppers to hand-hold the customer through the shopping and gathering experience. Each Tuesday, when new DVDs reach shelf, i.e., store personnel are out cruising the section to steer customers to the home theater area which offers $12,000 integrated systems in a setting with couches and popcorn.

In November, ceo Anderson went even further. In the Wall Street Journal piece, he separated his 1.5 million daily customers into two camps: angels and devils.

The angels, he explained, are those customers who boost profits by buying high-end TVs, portable electronics and other peripherals without waiting for sales. The devils are those who return merchandise, buy only during sales and then flip those items on eBay.

He'd prefer to lose those customers who he says are undesirable and “wreak enormous economic havoc.” He is relying on a business school theory, says the article, that advocates ranking customers according to profitability, rather than the traditional retail strategy of attracting as many customers as possible through extensive marketing.

To pump up enticements to its angels, Best Buy is stocking more merchandise and lavishing its customers with better service. To repel the devils, it is reducing promotions and markdowns. It also began charging a 15% re-stocking fee on returned merchandise.

The angel-devil strategy has been rolled out to only a segment of the store base at this point as the execs at corporate examine sales records and demographic data.
 
[quote name='Kuma']Most companies have their "guinnea pig" stores. Alot of them are actually in Columbus Ohio. For some odd reason the demographics of Columbus are actually almost identical to the United states as a whole (for example if Hispanic males make up 6 percent of the whole country, more than likely it will be close to that in Columbus). We actually have one of the test spots here in Southeastern Mass for McD's, we were the first ones in the nation to have breakfast served there.

I bet you are all sick of this useless information, but being a Marketing guy, im full of it.[/QUOTE]

I never realized I lived in guinea pig central. Our Best Buy's don't sell or trade used games though. And the Blockbusters don't have GameRush's either. Maybe you should pass on this whole demographics thing to Best Buy & Blockbuster!

In response to Cheapy's posted article, I must certainly be a devil customer because I absolutely hate being "helped" by Best Buy employees every 2 minutes. Just leave me the hell alone and let me shop. If I need help figuring out the complexities of alphabetic order, then I'll go search out an employee! Oh, and I don't need to be reminded that the employees don't work on commision everytime I shop there either.
 
I have a new Best Buy coming into my town in the next month or two...maybe I'll get lucky and have a trade-in store.
 
[quote name='shipwreck'] Oh, and I don't need to be reminded that the employees don't work on commision everytime I shop there either.[/QUOTE] Yeah, they don't work on commission but are heavily pressured to sell the Extended Warrantys.

Personally, I will only buy something from Best Buy if I know they are losing money on it.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']I never realized I lived in guinea pig central. Our Best Buy's don't sell or trade used games though. And the Blockbusters don't have GameRush's either. Maybe you should pass on this whole demographics thing to Best Buy & Blockbuster!

In response to Cheapy's posted article, I must certainly be a devil customer because I absolutely hate being "helped" by Best Buy employees every 2 minutes. Just leave me the hell alone and let me shop. If I need help figuring out the complexities of alphabetic order, then I'll go search out an employee! Oh, and I don't need to be reminded that the employees don't work on commision everytime I shop there either.[/QUOTE]

i have to agree.. i'm looking at games and i pick one up some employee wants to pack like 40 items with it.. i quietly set the game back and walk out the store.. CC is much better in "helping when needed" department.
 
[quote name='CheapyD']
Personally, I will only buy something from Best Buy if I know they are losing money on it.[/QUOTE]

Same here. I hate anything and everything Worst Buy. They've screwed me over 1 too many times and they deserve everything they get.
 
[quote name='Kuma']Most companies have their "guinnea pig" stores. Alot of them are actually in Columbus Ohio. For some odd reason the demographics of Columbus are actually almost identical to the United states as a whole (for example if Hispanic males make up 6 percent of the whole country, more than likely it will be close to that in Columbus). We actually have one of the test spots here in Southeastern Mass for McD's, we were the first ones in the nation to have breakfast served there.

I bet you are all sick of this useless information, but being a Marketing guy, im full of it.[/QUOTE]

Damn, I'm going to college in Columbus. That's pretty interesting. Know any companies in particular that do it in Columbus?

And anyone else notice BB calls two of their demographics Barry and Jill? :lol:
 
[quote name='CheapyD']Yeah, they don't work on commission but are heavily pressured to sell the Extended Warrantys.

Personally, I will only buy something from Best Buy if I know they are losing money on it.[/QUOTE]

Actually, from working there a few years ago, they very much are on commission, but it's different from what you'd expect.

Those extended warranty's are tied directly into the hours an employee makes, and warranty's are 100% profit for the most part. The items they have to replace are vastly outnumbered by the people who buy the service plan and never use it.

I worked in appliance's - alot of opptunities to sell these extended service plans. I know that my hours for the next schedule were directly related to how many of these warranties I sold. One week I sold a ton, and the store "offered" 5-10 more hours on the schedule.

A week after that, and all of a sudden I was dropped to around 14 hours - they told me my "PSP" sales were not up to quota, and they gave my hours to someone who was exceeding quota for that week. The cashiers were apparently on the same schedule - one cashier I know who had a slow week selling the service plans all of a sudden found herself with 9 hours on the schedule next week, when she was used to having 25 - 30.

A manager would come by every two hours to show us how much extra crap we were selling - useless accessories and service plans. Even though we weren't on commission, it very much felt like we were, since selling these service plans were vital to getting more hours and bonuses.

Just being a good employee didn't cut it, apparently. I know it may seem like they are being pushy with their plans, but if they didn't sell those they'd get reduced hours, or even let go, so in that sense, it is like commission, they've just thinly disguised it.
 
I got that same invite to the riverside Bestbuy. It came with a $5 off coupon off a 49.99 game. I laughed and thew that coupon in the trash. I'll stick to the GGC thank you BB. I don't trade in games as a general rule and doubt Bestbuy will offer any trade in deals as good as gamerush.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top