Best Buy starts Black Friday craze a week early
In a troubled economy, companies and consumers are looking for any advantage they can get. So it is that Best Buy is jumping the gun by as much as nine days on Black Friday, announcing that, starting immediately, shoppers can get Black Friday bargain pricing on select products.
The electronics retailer says that the come-hither pricing will be offered on "certain models of flat panel televisions." It will also feature reduced pricing on some home-theater products. The deals are available in-store and online.
"Best Buy is committed to continuing to offer a superior shopping experience this holiday season," Best Buy's vice president of home theater said in a statement. "Customers can be confident that they are getting some of the best prices in the industry, as well as the convenience of being able to shop when and where they want either in store or online."
Unfortunately, the selection of products that Best Buy will be offering at a discounted price isn't all that deep. A handful of Dynex-branded HDTVs will have a lower price starting on Thursday. The company will have Black Friday pricing on some Samsung HDTV models starting on Sunday. Best Buy didn't provide much more information on the models or the products that will be reduced in price ahead of the Friday after Thanksgiving, historically a huge day for shopping--and bargains.
Regardless, it's an interesting strategy on Best Buy's part. As a company that doesn't have a major direct tech competitor in the big-box space, it's in an enviable position. But the reduced pricing might be a response to expected deals from online sites, such as Amazon.com, that consistently beat Best Buy on pricing. Either way, Best Buy didn't say why it has decided to reduce prices on the early side.
But we can still guess. So what do you think? Why has Best Buy decided to reduce pricing so soon? Are the deals likely to make you start shopping sooner? Let us know in the comments below.
See also: Be prepared for Black Friday tech deals
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
People like me are chomping at the bit for Black Friday, and now we have the chance to start spending our money NOW, instead of later.
Unfortunately, I'm not in the market for HDTV's, though.
Regarding the article, it's not true that Best Buy lacks a direct competitor. Wal-Mart has been moving that direction for a while now, and has really ramped it up lately.
Take a look at any of the stores with the "new look". They don't just have an electronics section, they're devoting a much larger chunk of the store to it, and have gone from a handful of TVs to walls lined with them small to huge just like Best Buy does.
At the same time, Wal-Mart has moved up market while the TVs have gotten much cheaper, so they're no longer selling just a few bargain models, but a much more complete lineup. They don't have everything Best Buy does, but they're quickly eliminating the difference and with better pricing will be a bigger and bigger threat.
As for Black Friday, I'm not into mobs, so I stay home.
BTW, Best Buy talks about buying "either in store or online". I have found that their in store prices are often higher than their online prices.
When I complain to an employee about the price difference, they pull up "bestbuy.com" on a computer, which is actually an Intranet site tailored to their store (but looks just like bestbuy.com) and tell me that I'm wrong about the price.
When I try and tell them "hey, that's not bestbuy.com," they tell me I'm lying.
Are you serious? That's ridiculous! I've seen the price differences but haven't had them pull that website crap on me. I guess what can you expect, it's BB. At least you know they aren't lying, they're just ignorant. I ask for advice when I'm there just to see how creative they are, but sometimes it's hard to restrain calling them out when they tell me an HDTV is 1080 pixel per inch or don't know what type of hard drive is in a netbook. Of course, SOME people know what they're talking about, most don't.
Either way, I don't buy there, I look and buy online at half their price...
That's why YOU as the customer need to do a little effort on your part,
print the valid ad, and bring it into the store.
As long as it's a valid ad, and we have it in stock, we can honor that price.
Customers nowadays are informed about what they want to buy
and what the features are for those products, don't hesitate to jump on the bandwagon
(in case you think we are being deceitful)
(:
The fact that they sell some computer models cheaper than others is a worry too--when you realize the computers have less features than the same thing sold elsewhere. The Best Buy models may be cheaper, but they don't offer the features and value you'd get if you bought the same thing on Amazon.
I used to love Best Buy, now I avoid the place.
You should check slickdeals.net, I got good 1TB drives on there for $80 many months ago. Almost Caviar Black good.
Truth is Best Buy has been Slashing then Restoring HDTV prices all year to hit their numbers. The downside of this strategy is why would anyone pay full retail for a TV at Best Buy when you just need to wait to end of quarter or a desperate week for them to knock off $1000 on the HDTV you want.
I do think its a decent strategy though. If I were a retailer, I would just pick a day and do the fire sale. Why bother competing with everyone else? Everyone leaks their ad now anyway. You see Wal-Mart has a cheapo TV for $500? Sell a similar one for $500 this weekend.
I also don't get the 5 AM thing. People will show up at Best Buy or Wal-Mart no matter when the sale starts. It could start at noon and it wouldn't matter. How did "earlier is better" become the norm?
Chinese made goods sold by kids making minimum wages at stores locate on a highway!
I am pretty sure Amazon and Newegg aren't sneaking refurbs past people as "new" products. I would think someone would have blown the whistle on them by now. Meanwhile, I saved hundreds of dollars buying my Samsung TV from Amazon last year compared to Best Buy's pricing.
In addition, unless you buy the extended warranty, places like Best Buy will tell you to go shove it if your TV breaks two days after you bring it home. If not, they demand a restocking fee to act like a responsible party and take back your defective product. I find no "comfort" from buying there.
While I am sure there are plenty of knowledgeable Best Buy employees out there, I have never come across one who particularly impressed me with their knowledge of their product area. When I was shopping for a TV, I hit up AVS Forum for my "expert" advice, and various reviews across the internet. I had all the knowledge I needed to make an informed purchase without having to interact with someone trying to con me into buying a $140 HDMI cable.
Plus is it in one piece when it gets there? Are your neighbors going to steal it off your porch if your not home when it gets there? What if it's broken in the box? Use your head!
Honestly, if you need no interest for 36 months in order to buy a TV, you probably shouldn't be buying a TV.
I've never had any products stolen from my porch. Expensive shipments usually require a signature, and even if it was stolen, I have recourse through my credit card. If its broken, I've been given a shipping label to use and send it back with no cost to me. Much better than the restocking fee Best Buy would probably charge me.
We read online..we buy online....
1) It keeps consumer attention on their stores for a longer period than just one day trickling out the loss leaders a few at a time
2) It reduces costs by reducing the 4am riotous shopper nightmare that:
a) Often turns away all but the stingiest customers who only want to buy the loss-leaders, the same customers they've been trying to get rid of for the last several years
b) Exposes Best Buy to greater risk of lawsuit as shoppers trample each other
c) Requires more temporary warehousing costs for a single-day build-up of inventory
d) Requires more staffing costs to manage the off-hours crowds
I don't remember when was the last time I shopped from BB or Fry's since I now exclusively shop online for 2 reasons... cheaper deals + no sales tax.
I'm patient, frugal, and I use my savings to spend elsewhere in local economy. Circuit City had many things pulling it under. And if it's turning into a service industry, then why is Best Buy still around? Haha! I have yet to get shafted after years of buying online. It sounds like you've let the system beat you down, but it still works fine for the rest of us. You're just a big naysayer! :P
I do Black Friday as a challenge though :) I like running for $8 flash drives.
- by morlamweb2 November 19, 2009 10:08 AM PST
- I think that this will draw in people who want to scoresome Black Friday deals, but who don't want to deal with the headaches of this "fourth holiday", like crazy-busy traffic, long lines everywhere, and gettin up at the crack of dawn for "doorbusters". I fit in this category.
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