Best Buy To Sell Mac mini In Stores?

[MacRumors]

According to two unconfirmed reports, electronics retailer Best Buy is preparing to sell the Mac mini in stores.

Training materials on both selling and servicing the Mac mini have been distributed to the sales & service employees, with an anticipated rollout within the next few weeks.

The Mac mini was first rumored to be sold in the brick-and-mortar Best Buy stores January 30; it is already available for purchase from BestBuy.com.

Apple has had previous sales runs with Best Buy, most recently a pilot program for mac sales in stores that reportedly ended in March of 2004.

[PlaceofDis]

it would be nice to start breaking into this large type of retail distribution chain that Best Buy has, hopefully this means more Apple accessories as well and maybe some software too

[OnaMacSince1989]

I know a lot of people aren't fans of BestBuy, but it is one of the country's largest retailers. Getting the MacMini in their stores exposes Apple and OS X to tons of additional customers.

The drawback of course is the uneducated and biased employees who won't know how to sell Macs. Sales people normally take the easy road and sell what they know best, and most of these 'kids' at Best Buy use PC's.

[gorkonapple]

Originally Posted by OnaMacSince1989

I know a lot of people aren't fans of BestBuy, but it is one of the country's largest retailers. Getting the MacMini in their stores exposes Apple and OS X to tons of additional customers.

The drawback of course is the uneducated and biased employees who won't know how to sell Macs. Sales people normally take the easy road and sell what they know best, and most of these 'kids' at Best Buy use PC's.

Most of the low wage help in Best Buy don't know how to sell PC's either. I usually just walk in, get my stuff while ignoring the sales staff and then walk out. Even when I do need help there the "help" is helpless.

[Psychic Shopper]

Even when I do need help there the "help" is helpless.[/quote]
Their help usually involves an extended warranty....

[Superdrive]

That is why they put an informed person like me in there to do the job. My training on the mac mini is complete and I can't say that I took anything away from that learning. Maybe I just know my Mac .

-TJ

[plinden]

Originally Posted by Superdrive

That is why they put an informed person like me in there to do the job. My training on the mac mini is complete and I can't say that I took anything away from that learning. Maybe I just know my Mac .

-TJ

Perhaps you didn't get anything from the training, but did anyone else who went in less knowledgeable than you?

[numediaman]

The missing element here is marketing. If Apple spent a boat load telling people why they should buy a mini, "and oh by the way you can buy it at Best Buy", then maybe this would work.

But in the past two years I think I've seen exactly one ad on TV for an Apple computer. (I admit, however, that I don't watch much TV!)

It shouldn't surprise people that some of the retail chains want to carry iPods -- you create the same sense of excitement for the mini and the retailers will stock and properly display the product.

[SiliconAddict]

Originally Posted by numediaman

The missing element here is marketing. If Apple spent a boat load telling people why they should buy a mini, "and oh by the way you can buy it at Best Buy", then maybe this would work.

But in the past two years I think I've seen exactly one ad on TV for an Apple computer. (I admit, however, that I don't watch much TV!)

It shouldn't surprise people that some of the retail chains want to carry iPods -- you create the same sense of excitement for the mini and the retailers will stock and properly display the product.

They aren't going to tag Best Buy since the mini is going to be all over the place. Target, Best Buy, Walmart, etc. But I agree with ads. It looks as if they are meeting demands with a 4-7 DAY timeframe. I think its time Apple took this to the next level with some prime time ads during CSI, Dateline, Law&Order(Pick your version.), West Wing, etc.

[Lord Blackadder]

I remember when they sold Powermac 6400s there. Stupid sales people ccouldn't give a rat's a** about helping a prospective Mac buyer, and were ignorant about them anyway. Lets hope things are better this time around...

[Websnapx2]

I bought my Mini a month and a half ago at bestbuy in canada. Not news…

[iJaz]

Nice, now wait until Apple can increase production even more and start selling Mac mini at Wal-Mart, that will be something!

[Dont Hurt Me]

Originally Posted by B-52 Macer

Nice, now wait until Apple can increase production even more and start selling Mac mini at Wal-Mart, that will be something!

Apple use to sell at Wal Mart back in the days of 25% marketshare. If Apple ever wants to go mainstream(again) it better find the WalMarts,Sears,Best Buys (again). Nothing beats walking into a local store and getting what you want now. Why Apple doesnt have a display of pods,macminis,software,iMacs and a few goodies in Retail stores today is a marketing flop by the think different crowd. No wonder 93% of the world today buy something else.

[CanadaRAM]

Originally Posted by Dont Hurt Me

Apple use to sell at Wal Mart back in the days of 25% marketshare. If Apple ever wants to go mainstream(again) it better find the WalMarts,Sears,Best Buys (again).

Those were also the days of 30% reseller margins. They will never get into Sears and Walmart with sub 3% margins. Never.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Originally Posted by CanadaRAM

Those were also the days of 30% reseller margins. They will never get into Sears and Walmart with sub 3% margins. Never.

True but who's fault is that? this stuff is being made in China so you know its Dirt Cheap. All those profits go into the top brass just like every other company these days. But you are right about those margins, i remember a reseller telling me years ago they got like 6%. why bother selling.

[GFLPraxis]

Sweet! My sister works at Best Buy. I'll let everyone know if she spots a Mac Mini.

[swissmann]

They just need to train the workers so they know what on earth they are talking about when it comes to Macs.

[GFLPraxis]

Originally Posted by swissmann

They just need to train the workers so they know what on earth they are talking about when it comes to Macs.

NO KIDDING.

I'll make sure I give my sis the rundown so she can spank the other workers if they're uninformed

[bdkennedy1]

Lord how many times do we have to hear about this Best Buy merry-go-round.

[KREX725]

As an ex-blue shirt employee from the days of Mac Performas and the original iMac, I wouldn't expect many great things to come from this.

As much as it may sound like a great way to get the Mini out there, the way BB typically keeps any Apple products (cluttered area, no desktop protection, etc.) could end up providing a negative image of Apple to prospective switchers. Not to mention the common negative attitude of the blue shirts in the computer department.

I'd rather see a kiosk in a mall or grocery store than leaving the Mini in the hands of BB employees.

[SiliconAddict]

Oh god people. You make this out like you have to con a user into buying a Mac. If a Mac is all that and a bag of microchips it should sell on its own and shouldn’t need some car salesman to convince someone to purchase a Mac.
And as for the area its not like they are going to be tagging the monitor it has with anti-Mac slogans or leaving Cheetos bags laying around the freaking system.
They will keep the area clean but I wouldn't expect them to baby it. Treat it as they would all the other computers.
The fact that there are going to be minis there at all should be a major score for Apple. Stop being an elitist snob about what environment is around the system. My biggest concern isn't keeping the area clean but locking down the system. PC's have all kinds of packages that lock down the computer so tight you can't even run safe mode command prompt. These packages were designed to keep people from tinkering with the OS. I can easily see some immature, smuck Windows user come by and format the drive or something. These systems need to be configured to avoid tampering.

[clayj]

Originally Posted by SiliconAddict

These systems need to be configured to avoid tampering.

Can't they just configure them the same way they're configured in the Apple Stores? I thought I read somewhere that each machine in an Apple Store is "reset" each evening... I would assume that this also includes disabling anything that could cause the machine to malfunction.

[ClarkeB]

Originally Posted by SiliconAddict

anti-Mac

I still don't understand this. I've tried to read about it, but it makes about as much sense as anti-widescreen (when widescreen is the OAR).

[ender78]

As eluded by someone lese here, BestBuy in Canada has had the mini for quite some time. Only problem is that at my local time, its display is piss poor. The unit sits and the end of an endcap with a mismatch of peripherals (a logitech keyboard and a puny 17" monitor. The machine being so small, most people miss it the first time, they dont even know they're looking at it.

[Macheath_Messer]

Originally Posted by SiliconAddict

Oh god people. You make this out like you have to con a user into buying a Mac. If a Mac is all that and a bag of microchips it should sell on its own and shouldn’t need some car salesman to convince someone to purchase a Mac.

I think what most people have a problem with is workers who won't let the product speak for itself. I remember how Best Buy employees at this location (Athens, GA) used to treat their Macs: turned off, unplugged, or locked up with 1 bazillion windows open on the desktop (I'm talking the days of OS 7.5.x here). I had a PC at the time, but I was interested in looking at the Macs. The fellows in the computer department did all they could to get me to walk away from the Macs, citing "Apple's about to go out of business, there's no software for these things, etc., etc."

In that context, the product was NOT allowed to speak for itself. Most people who are responding to this thread remember those days, and know it went pretty much the same way the second time around with the iMacs (5-pack color requirements from Apple notwithstanding).

And as for the area its not like they are going to be tagging the monitor it has with anti-Mac slogans or leaving Cheetos bags laying around the freaking system.
They will keep the area clean but I wouldn't expect them to baby it. Treat it as they would all the other computers.

See my statements above. No, the employees at the time didn't tag anything with derogatory slogans. They did just as much damage, however, by neglecting the product they were being paid to sell. That's what I found amazing. "Oh, you don't want that [crappy] Mac over there! What you really want is this snazzy teal and charcoal gray Acer!"

I'll agree with you on one thing, though: lock down the dang systems! Protect them from customer and employee alike!

Anyway, hope this sheds some light on how the situation has been 2 times around with Best Buy. I'm not sure what's going to change things. Perhaps with the Mac Mini selling like hotcakes through other channels, Best Buy might be willing to put some effort behind educating their "Geek Squad".

FWIW,

Mackie