Gnawing the knuckle that knocks it
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Best Buy abandons embattled Brits
US CONSUMER ELECTRONICS RETAIL BEHEMOTH BEST BUY is delaying the opening of its first British superstores, sparking rumours that the company is getting cold feet due to the shocking state of the UK economy.
The stack-'em-high flog-'em-cheap company, which is famous for undercutting everybody including its own suppliers, says that it is merely postponing the launch by a few months because it believes that, once the whole of Britain has gone into liquidation, it will be able to find better and cheaper sites for its stores.
The company, which is part owned by Carphone Warehouse, originally intended to open UK locations this summer. Now you'll have to wait until the first quarter of 2010 to get that cut-price laptop you've had your eye on. µ
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I stopped shopping at Best Buy several years ago when their in-store prices became not just higher than the going internet price, but higher than the MSRP!
Shopping at Best Buy stores (at least here in the states) is more or less a form of deliberately self-inflicted abuse. Rude, clueless salespeople combined with a shameless lack of ethics make for an experience that you can - trust me - live without. I won't even set foot in one of their stores.
"The stack-'em-high flog-'em-cheap company, which is famous for undercutting everybody including its own suppliers..." - Interesting perspective, from my observations BB's company motto is, "Screw the customer out of every nickel he's got". Online prices are considerably lower for most electronic components.
HB
Just what the UK needs, more dodgy business practices and shockingly bad customer service, I used best buy twice in 5 years in the states, I wouldn't use them over here at all.
Chances are very high that Bad Buy will go tits up in the next 12 months due to the worldwide economic meltdown. Bad buy has been convicted countless times in the U.S. for fraudulent Biz practices. They aren't likely to survive the economic challenges with their slim margins and fancy footwork.
Since their main US competition closed, their prices have gone back to full retail on many of their items. Games that sold for $37.99 one week jumped to $49.99 the next. Count your blessings.
Maybe they could buy up the old Woolworths (or even MFI) stores. I'd guess they would go cheaply.
Rob