Ron Mexico
Vienna, VA
Male, 36
I worked at the Westwood, CA Best Buy, just long enough to qualify for the employee discount, buy a bunch of stuff for me and my friends, and then bail. I worked in the "Digital Imaging" section (think: digital cameras and assorted accessories). I can't complain too much...the discount was meh. Working in this Best Buy meant I got to see two celebs in the store (Alan Alda just off his West Wing Emmy nom), Ryan Phillipe, and a pre-HIMYM Neal Patrick Harris at the Harris Teeter.
Sorry, my work is screening out this link as inappropriate for viewing, but I think I know of the incident you're talking about.
I don't think that a $5 fee will successfully combat showrooming unfortunately, for most types of electronics. In general, I think most people are fine buying most things without seeing them in person. For example, I'm fine buying hard drives without ever seeing them.
By charging a $5 fee, a lot of people will be plenty pissed and completely eschew the retailer, so I just don't think it's something that will work except in very specific circumstances.
What I think is more likely is for major manufacturers to work with retailers like Best Buy (http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/04/samsung-best-buy/). Best Buy theoretically has the retail space and foot traffic, and Samsung gets value from exposing their products to customers in a very physical, tactile way not possible with advertising. This will be particularly valuable for products where customers probably prefer to see / touch the product if possible before purchase, such as large TVs and phones. Best Buy is probably getting paid decently by Samsung for the real estate in their stores (though it might be a bit awkward for Best Buy's other providers like LG etc.). It's not too different from grocery stores where food manufacturers will pay grocery chains for prime shelf real estate. The comparison even extends beyond that because grocery chains have generic products that they put out there with the brand names, and Best Buy has its own generic brands too.
The general strategy of providing a robust retail presence isn't entirely unheard of; Apple and Microsoft and Sony have tried to move into retail spaces with their own stores in malls; having Best Buy provide that retail space gives up some control but also means that Samsung doesn't have to deal with the headache of dealing with renting the place, employing people, etc. They can just throw money at Best Buy and have Best Buy deal with those challenges.
My thinking is that there will be more similar arrangements in the future where manufacturers may pay for shelf space/retail presence. The customer doesn't have to pay, but the manufacturer will get to essentially rent out space and support.
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I don't know what percentage of sales are returned, but it's definitely a percentage high enough to warrant attention by the company. Enough that policies have changed so that certain items, like laptops, have more restrictive policies rather than the very American open ended 30 day style return policy.
It's not all bad though, since Best Buy sometimes sells good condition returned items as "Open Box" buys at a slight discount.
Sadly, you can imagine there's no shortage of scammers out there. People trying to return "sealed items" that were opened and had the item switched out for something else, etc. One person returned a USB cable as a much more expensive Firewire cable. Returns are significant enough to ding retailer bottom lines that they have to put policies in place because of abusers.
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Funny question....they might be. IF you are purchasing a bunch of stuff, and that stuff includes a bunch of high margin items, a manager might be able to work with you on a deal; if you're buying grey area stuff like open box items, there's possibly even more latitude for the department manager to work with you. So for example, if you're buying a new TV and audio receiver, and all the cables and speaker wiring (which are very high margin, either from outrageously priced Monster cables or their internal brand stuff), the Home Theater manager might be able to give you a deal. If you don't ask, you don't get, so don't be shy about asking...Best Buy knows that they're competing against tough retailers, Walmart, Target, and Amazon, and they don't want to lose big juicy sales.
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Yes, Best Buy will price match Amazon and many other retailers:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Payment-Pricing/Best-Buy-Low-Price-Guarantee/pcmcat297300050000.c?id=pcmcat297300050000
Online or In Store: Find a Lower Price and We'll Match It.
If you find a lower price on a qualifying product at a local retail competitor?s store or a designated major online retailer, we will match the price. At the time of purchase, we will match the current pre-tax price for new, identical, immediately available products from a local retail competitor's store and these designated major online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Buy.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com. We will match prices between our stores and BestBuy.com®. We will also match prices post purchase if we lower our price within 15 days of your purchase.
GFE.
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Just specific people. I think most sales floor associates didn't wear them. Security and management personnel generally wore them when I worked there.
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That's right, you caught me. I haven't worked @ BB since about 2006. But to be fair, I do make clear that I don't work there anymore...and in fact, the location has been closed!
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Hello Andrew. When I worked there, the BB discount didn't kick in until a couple months in. The discount varied depending on the item purchased; basically, we were paying a markup above Best Buy's cost. For items that were tremendously marked up (think: accessories) the discount was considerable. For items that were not marked up much, like Apple products, or video game consoles, there was basically no discount.
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