Wal-Mart eyes green with branded gadgets

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$44,999 per year, versus the 29.2 percent of Best Buy customers. The bulk of Best Buy's customers, 44.4 percent, made between $45,000 and $99,999, versus 37 percent of Wal-Mart customers. Only 8.9 percent of Wal-Mart customers made over $100,000, while 25.2 percent of Best Buy customers eclipsed that mark.

Demographics aside, it might take time before consumers in the market for a plasma TV think of Wal-Mart. But the store has some advantages as it tackles the new terrain. One is its huge reach as people shop for clothes, groceries, toys and even pharmaceuticals at its stores.

Wal-Mart wants to be "the place to go to shop--that means not just selling food and clothing," Baker said.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Wal-Mart's focus on low prices has caught the attention of bargain enthusiasts. One iLo DVD recorder thread on an enthusiast site called VideoHelp.com has reached more than a dozen pages as posters have begun trading information on the iLo recorders.

"Nothing magic, but affordable," EvilWizardGlick wrote. "It does its job. If anyone wants more, feel free to spend the extra dollars."

The pricing may be attractive, but Wal-Mart isn't taking a huge risk with iLo. It began offering the brand in May, but never made an official announcement about it. Although it offers everything but the 42-inch plasma-screen TV online via its Walmart.com site, the retailer isn't stocking iLo items at all stores.

Thus it's only playing in areas where it feels it can sell iLo gear, including stores with expanded space for electronics products or where potential competitors may be fewer, Bakers theorized.

Competition will be tough, nonetheless. But time may be on Wal-Mart's side--it has became the top-seller of music and movies in the United States--as today's high-end electronics gear, such as hard drive-equipped DVD recorders, comes down in price.

Noted Baker, "It's not a big leap to go from No. 1 in selling (music and movies) to the devices they play on."

uhm 47.5 > 44.4

Don't you just love it when people bad at math use it to make a point?

[lsc]

Agreed! Checking Facts + Good Math = Good Article

For those of you who missed it: 52.5 + 47.5 = 100 percent. If 52.5 percent have less than $44,999, then 47.5 percent have greater than or equal to $45,000. That's the Walmart crowd. The BestBuy crowd has even fewer percent earning that much. How on earth does that mean that Walmart customers are poorer? Mr. Spooner, if you can't even get that right, how can I expect you to get the rest of the article right?

[Below Meigh]

Save money but not time...

With 20 cash register terminals in most Wal-mart stores, only 4-5 are actually open but with average of 10-15 in line. And its not even Christmas week!

And what is with the "pathetic" SelfCheckout stations? "Return item from bag" "Please scan item again" "Item not found" "Thankyou" "Please insert card" "Please Try Again" And they have to use ONE employee to watch the four checkouts and each is having a problem. Hmmm 4/1=1 Not 4 sales. I watched 6 people leave their items and walk out. After all, I waited 25 mintues in line to buy Wal-mart junk!

25 minutes plus time to/from car. That is 30 minuites. Half of an hour. $40 of my current rate. And for what? $10 in savings?

Time for EVERYONE to write manufacturers of goods sold at WalMart and complain how you refused to purchase their goods because WalMart wants to make you wait to spend your money.

That is the least of it

So you don't like waiting in line, but you don't mind that they underpay and treat their employees badly, that they use predatory pricing to shut down the local mom and pop stores, etc?

I see the christmas spirit is alive and well.

Just say no to evil corporations.

Wal-Mart iLo... Name Brand Quality?

Usually when shopping for electronics, we all consider buying the brands we have never heard of because we could save a hundred bucks. But most of us end up forking over the money for the brand name. Why? Because we believe that the product will be more reliable, last longer, and have more quality results when used.

Well... this thinking has proven to be true in many instances with other unknown names. But Wal-Mart is quite a name and if their customers link iLo to Wal-Mart, they may expect Wal-Mart's ?Good quality for a low price?.

Will iLo deliver? Will their MP3 player be good quality for a low price? It could just become the new thing.


Wal-Mart Expanding Electronics...

http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/

[PCCRomeo]

You're right

iLo could become the next Panasonic, or possibly it could be the biggest flop in consumer electronic history. If you think about it the name iLo is pronounced "I Low", and they're real cheap...that's interesting....

[George Cole]

iLo to Wal-Mart

http://www.analogstereo.com/cheap_car_insurance.htm

[gthurman]

Discount unemployment coupons

The people that shop Wal-Mart in my neighborhood are the ones losing their jobs to China; they are financing their own unemployment.

[eperkins65]

WALMART AND ILO TELEVISIONS

IN FEB OF 2007 I PURCHASED A 32 INCH ILO TV JUST TO HAVE IT BREAK DOWN FOR THE PAST 5 MONTHS I HAVE CALLED ILO AND YET TO RECEIVE A CALL BACK ILO TV DOES NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE JUST THE MONEY THIER WARRANTY ARE JUST AS MUCH JUNK AS THIER TVS I HAD RESPECT FOR WALMART BUT NOW MY TRUST IN THEM IS VERY LITTLE I AM NOT THE FIRST TO BUY THIS JUNK ILO TV AND FEAR I WILL NOT BE YHE LAST ILO TVS SUCH BE PULLED FORM EVERY WALMART SHELF BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET RIPPED OFF THIS ILO TVS WERE MASS PRODUCED ONLY FOR PROFIT WITHOUT CARE FOR THE CONSUMER WHO WORKS TO BETTER THEM SELVES AND NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVER PURCHASE AN ILO PRODUCT MY 32 INCH ILO AND ITS COMPANY HAVE TAUGHT ME WELL BEWARE OF (ilo brands)THEY ARE THE GREAT AMERICAN RIP OFF

[leonsls]

26" ILO

I've have my set for about two years and love the picture. However, the controls tend to lock up and the only thing that works is the power button to turn it off. I can then turn it back on and it works fine. A co-worker has the same TV and yes, the same problem. Ilo definately has a quality problem. At least I can watch mine. Good luck with yours.

[rippedoffbywm]

WALMART AND ILO TELEVISIONS

I also purchased a piece of junk called ILO along with a two year warranty from the great American Chinese broker of products. I have been waiting 5 months for assistance and from the way I was treated after the sale at Wal Mart ,I really don't expect any. Future TV buyers should take this story as a warning on where to do there tv shopping.

[gloria j]

Need a phone number

I bought a ilo tv from wal-mart and the remote control do not work who do i talk too.