iPad mini What's up with BEST BUY?? not selling Mini Ipads in stock?

[cdesigns]

I went to my local Best Buy to find an iPad Mini, of course they told me they didn't had any on stock only the 64GB wifi version. I told him I wanted the 64GB version and they guy went to the upper cage to get it, they were behind a white board, he told he only had (1) 64gb in black and (1) 64gb in white, nothing else. He got called by another employee and I decided to jump in the lather and see what they had on top of the shelves in the cage..................Wellllll they had more than 30 boxes with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB's in white and black, I told him why you told me you only had the 64gb if you have a bunch up there and the 16Gb I asked for? after he talked to the manager they told me they could not sell me the 16gb or 32gb because they were not scanned on the system yet total BS. I told them you lost my business and left.

 

[djransom]

Best Buy does this alot. They will hold stock for a few days and advertise it for sale in the sales papers and then sell them on a weekend. Doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[NT1440]

So you want them to sell stuff before its actually logged into the inventory?

Tell me sir, what would you do when he scans it up and the point of sale system doesn't have a price to assign to that UPC code (because thats exactly what happens at Best Buy when selling an item that hasn't been received in inventory)? Hmmmm?

Retail requires certain processes to happen in certain orders before the consumer can get the goods. Thats life.

Is a day or a few hours really going to hurt you?

I grow more and more cynical every day working there seeing grown ass men become infants when told they cant get their new shiny item right then and now, people literally get loud and stomp their feet as if we have somehow caused them harm. Consumerism has made infants of us all, and its pathetic.

 

[Batavian]

Well at least they didn't have you arrested for trespassing.

 

[AppleRobert]

So they are going to take them out of the cage to do the inventory? Why isn't that done in the back before it goes in the store into a cage? Does not make sense to me.

 

[NT1440]

So they are going to take them out of the cage to do the inventory? Why isn't that done in the back before it goes in the store into a cage? Does not make sense to me.

Because in most Best Buys there simply isn't "a back". Just a woefully inadequate warehouse section that truly cannot contain the volume of product that comes in this time of year. The best we can do is hide stuff on the top stock with a sign saying when we are allowed to sell an item.

 

[cdesigns]

So you want them to sell stuff before its actually logged into the inventory?

Tell me sir, what would you do when he scans it up and the point of sale system doesn't have a price to assign to that UPC code (because thats exactly what happens at Best Buy when selling an item that hasn't been received in inventory)? Hmmmm?

Retail requires certain processes to happen in certain orders before the consumer can get the goods. Thats life.

Is a day or a few hours really going to hurt you?

I grow more and more cynical every day working there seeing grown ass men become infants when told they cant get their new shiny item right then and now, people literally get loud and stomp their feet as if we have somehow caused them harm. Consumerism has made infants of us all, and its pathetic.

The ipad 64gb's were mix with the other models on the same cage, they know is a hot item and like the other guy said, they do this a lot, my question is why?

Sprint did the same thing when I bought my 4S when they came out, they told me they only had the 64GB version and my cousin went to the same store 1 hour later and asked for the iphone 4s 64gb and they told them the samething , he told them ok I will wait then for when it comes in stock.........the guy told him, WAIT let me double check and walllaaaa a 4S 16GB appeared 2 min later.

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So they are going to take them out of the cage to do the inventory? Why isn't that done in the back before it goes in the store into a cage? Does not make sense to me.

The cage is visible on the top shelfs, this one in specific had the ipad MINI's with a white board blocking the view.

 

[emjaycee18]

Best Buy is also doing online ordering with instore pickup now for the iPads and minis. There's a chance that those in the cage were already sold.

 

[NT1440]

The ipad 64gb's were mix with the other models on the same cage, they know is a hot item and like the other guy said, they do this a lot, my question is why?

Here's the dirty little secret about a god awful place like Best Buy. They cut the staff so short that we are running around all the time just trying to keep things going. You wanna know why those things haven't been entered in inventory yet? Probably because the people who are supposed to do that are now the sales people, who as soon as the door opens that day, have no time for anything other than contacting as many clients as possible.

That is of course, until a manager finally realizes the issue, pulls ONE employee off the floor (replacing him with someone from an entirely different department, thus understaffing them at the time) to do it.

The company is run like a **** show, enjoy it while it lasts.

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Best Buy is also doing online ordering with instore pickup now for the iPads and minis. There's a chance that those in the cage were already sold.

Those would be in the customer service area if that was the case. Online orders are rounded up and kept in a different area from regular sales floor stock.

 

[bbeagle]

Is a day or a few hours really going to hurt you?

Best Buy should cater to the customer, not hassle the customer.

This policy is just going to cause more lost business for Best Buy.

If I walk into a mall, check out the Best Buy, 'No, sir. We don't have this product', I'll proceed to another store, say Radio Shack, the Apple Store, AT&T store, etc. and find my product there. Only if it's not anywhere else will I go back to Best Buy.

No wonder Best Buy is losing money.

 

[NT1440]

Best Buy should cater to the customer, not hassle the customer.

This policy is just going to cause more lost business for Best Buy.

It's not a policy, its the company taking its self out at the knees from chronic understaffing. THATS whats going to kill the company.

 

[ActionableMango]

Best Buy employees say the darndest things

This weekend I called ahead to make sure AT&T Minis were in stock and they said two. I get there and the person says there are no AT&T Minis in stock.

Then the other guy says that AT&T Minis aren't even released, because AT&T "hasn't decided on how to make SIMs for them yet".

This is probably the same guy that tells people to get Monster HDMI cables in order to make your HD "faster".

 

[mattopotamus]

Best buy will not be around much longer ....they are closing stores at an insane rate. They just cannot keep up with online, and people are not interested in their overpriced appliances. They need to figure something out or they will be out of business really really soon. Same thing happened to circuit city

 

[Haifisch]

Best buy will not be around much longer ....they are closing stores at an insane rate. They just cannot keep up with online, and people are not interested in their overpriced appliances. They need to figure something out or they will be out of business really really soon. Same thing happened to circuit city

That's the problem with B&M stores in this era; they have to compete with online retailers. People demand that they price match, but want the luxury of seeing the products in person or need service. Those can't be had for nothing. B&M stores have expenses that online retailer don't so in order to maintain profit, they have to cut costs. Imagine mom and dad spending 20min out of a sales rep's time to learn about tablets. And then they order from Amazon. How is any business going to stay alive?

This is my understanding but I maybe wrong about the economics. Maybe B&M businesses enjoy a traditionally higher profit margin than online retainers and don't want to give that up.

 

[NT1440]

That's the problem with B&M stores in this era; they have to compete with online retailers. People demand that they price match, but want the luxury of seeing the products in person or need service. Those can't be had for nothing. B&M stores have expenses that online retailer don't so in order to maintain profit, they have to cut costs. Imagine mom and dad spending 20min out of a sales rep's time to learn about tablets. And then they order from Amazon. How is any business going to stay alive?

This is my understanding but I maybe wrong about the economics. Maybe B&M businesses have a traditional higher profit margins than online retainers and don't want to give that up.

I'd say you nit the nail squarely on the head.

 

[mattopotamus]

That's the problem with B&M stores in this era; they have to compete with online retailers. People demand that they price match, but want the luxury of seeing the products in person or need service. Those can't be had for nothing. B&M stores have expenses that online retailer don't so in order to maintain profit, they have to cut costs. Imagine mom and dad spending 20min out of a sales rep's time to learn about tablets. And then they order from Amazon. How is any business going to stay alive?

This is my understanding but I maybe wrong about the economics. Maybe B&M businesses enjoy a traditionally higher profit margin than online retainers and don't want to give that up.

I'd say you nit the nail squarely on the head.

agreed. People just view in store and shop online. That is why places like HHGregg have really started to focus on appliances to stay in business. They are things that really need to be installed. I wouldn't buy a refrigerater online

 

[darngooddesign]

...I told them you lost my business and left.

Now how will they be able to sell all those iPads?

 

[AppleRobert]

Because in most Best Buys there simply isn't "a back". Just a woefully inadequate warehouse section that truly cannot contain the volume of product that comes in this time of year. The best we can do is hide stuff on the top stock with a sign saying when we are allowed to sell an item.

So where is all the big stock like HDTVs?

 

[EMAN19]

This is the sort of thing that upsets me to no avail. These retailers need to cater to the customers. Without customers these retail stores are as good as dead, and will continue to be eaten alive by the Amazons and New Eggs of today! Not enough staff to scan products that should be ready for sale? Too bad. Make it happen or suffer the consequences and fate that Circuit City succumbed too.

Last time I checked Best Buy were on the brink, too. If they keep it up they won't be around too long.

Those iPad minis that were stuffed away SHOULD have been ready for sale.

Customer is first. Period.

 

[NT1440]

So where is all the big stock like HDTVs?

That is all that fits in the warehouse at our location, TV's, everything else is rushed to the floor and inventory is done there.

We have a slightly smaller warehouse than most stores, but conversely, other stores have more stock than we do.

 

[AppleRobert]

Minis being scarce at retail stores, one would think they would be inventoried immediately for sale as to avoid letting the customer wait even longer than they already have.

 

[725032]

I think retailers see the mini as a bit of a fad product. Probably wont stock all the models

 

[mattopotamus]

I think retailers see the mini as a bit of a fad product. Probably wont stock all the models

That is not the case....the places that carrier them, carrier them...and the places that do not, do not. A lot of Best Buy stores have an apple area in them, so they definitely want these things in stock

 

[725032]

That is not the case....the places that carrier them, carrier them...and the places that do not, do not. A lot of Best Buy stores have an apple area in them, so they definitely want these things in stock

So why didnt they have any in stock after advertising

 

[mattopotamus]

So why didnt they have any in stock after advertising

why didn't apple?...b.c of demand. They want them in stock, but cannot keep them in stock