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Apple Pulling iPad 2 from Best Buy?
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We have an Apple Store
We have an Apple Store/Computer Village in Rapid City. Great folks, helpful and very knowledgeable. They've even helped me with questions about Apple products I've bought from other retailers.
We have an Apple Store/Computer Village in Rapid City. Great folks, helpful and very knowledgeable. They've even helped me with questions about Apple products I've bought from other retailers.
I don't know if anyone has explained Best Buy's actions at all and why they would hold back on selling stock the have yet.
I run a branch for a construction supply company and am judged based on daily and monthly goals.
It doesn't matter if I do three times my monthly goal this month if I don't hit goal at all next month. It doesn't make sense but it is the way business works. I have held orders that come in at the end of the month for the beginning of the next if I have already hit this month's goal so that I get a head start on next month's.
For the manager at Best Buy he probably felt that it served him better to the corporate big wigs if he hit his goal every day rather than pass his goal one day and not reach it the next.
Is it best for the COMPANY or for the CONSUMER? No... But in this world of sales and numbers managers tend to do what will make their bosses happy, which is to make sure that when they check the numbers on the spreadsheet every day they hit their numbers and don't get yelled at.
I run a branch for a construction supply company and am judged based on daily and monthly goals.
It doesn't matter if I do three times my monthly goal this month if I don't hit goal at all next month. It doesn't make sense but it is the way business works. I have held orders that come in at the end of the month for the beginning of the next if I have already hit this month's goal so that I get a head start on next month's.
For the manager at Best Buy he probably felt that it served him better to the corporate big wigs if he hit his goal every day rather than pass his goal one day and not reach it the next.
Is it best for the COMPANY or for the CONSUMER? No... But in this world of sales and numbers managers tend to do what will make their bosses happy, which is to make sure that when they check the numbers on the spreadsheet every day they hit their numbers and don't get yelled at.
To avoid any hastle buy the ipad 2 from target. Was able to buy two on different days using their inventory tracker found on the web.. They don't hastle you with service plans, unnecessary accessories, etc which best buy does.
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Tapatalk
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Tapatalk
I have been #2 on the list since the 12th of March. Waiting for a 32 GB AT&T one. You mean to tell me that ZERO (or possibly 1) have come in? That is pretty funny.
BB needs to wake up and get a clue.
Maybe BB spreading out what inventory it does receive so as to give other potential customers coming the next day and the day after that and the day after that a possible opportunity to actually get one if they are lucky to be there and BB hadn't sold their quota for the day versus nope don't have any don't know when next shipment coming in.
Which is what I was told on several occasions from the Apple rep at BB. It was her suggestion when the store last received iPads to check online that same day for inventory status. Sure enough, week later BB was showing a pitiful quantity of only a few models, but I was able to purchase from BB my iPad sooner than some of the people griping on these message boards that their online order placed weeks ago still hadn't been filled. Apple quota anyone?
It's one thing to intro a product and not know whether it will be a hit or not and you wouldn't want a glut of inventory, but haven't these inventory shortage issues, until things settle out, been seen with the iPhone 4! 4 not 1...
Not excusing BB but just a thought to the question why would BB put a quota on the limited availability iPad 2.
100% agree with you and people need to realise how stupid people high up the ladder are, and out of touch with reality with these things, which then cause the behaviour you have explained to happen.
Actually by selling more than your expected quota this month may even end up with your expected quota being increased for future months.
Effectively shooting yourself in the foot.
To put it in it's simplest form, say someone paid you $5 to walk to the shops and buy them a pizza, and give you 15 mins for the journey. You go the task, get your $5 dollars and everyone is happy.
Now, once you decide to jog a little and arrive back in 10 mins, wow that's great, so much quicker. but from now on, will will only allow you 11 mins to get the pizza for the $5 payment.
Then you are silly enough to run a little one day and come back in just 5 mins, wow, this is an improvement. Head office have now decided to allow you 6 mins to perform the task for your $5.
How stupid are you, when you could have been walking all this time and still of had your original 15mins for your $5 payment.
Perhaps you could of run in just 5 mins, but you really should of stopped and chatted to someone for 10 mins to use your allowed time up.
new information for me. did not know that BB sold
product in the past. i had thought the store in a store thing was BBs first foray.i don't understand why apple would have issues with BB - isn't more exposure good? or is this just a matter of any attention (good or bad) is good?
In Hong Kong it's nearly impossible to get an iPhone from a retailer because the retail price is below the grey market price so most employees just order as many iPhones as possible and resell them for an instant profit to small electronic stores located right next to big retailers. I wonder if Apple would ban HK stores if they knew about this 
Im not in sales, but I did use to work at Best Buy, and what your saying makes alot of sense.
Apple has been holding their stock to the next day and opening early if they have any. I think thats a pretty good way to do it rather than having people check in every half hour with a "You get any yet?" This way its simple.
Perhaps BB did something completely different? Kept them for days or weeks. Who knows?!
Believe me Apple WANTS Best Buy to sell iPads. The more places the better. So they must have done something pretty stupid to have pissed off Apple enough to pull their stock.
I say good job Apple!! Beisdes I freakin hate BB.
Apple isn't holding stock, they are inventorying it the evening they receive it in the drop-shipment. They sell it all in the morning before the store even opens for normal business hours the next day. (At least that is how they have done it every time in Cincinnati)
Yep. And maybe a little... "We don't have the iPad 2 in but let me show you this Xoom we do have in stock." Unknowing Mom or Pop fall for it.
Ta-Da! Manager meets Xoom sell totals and iPad 2's as well.
It makes total sense to hold back the units for the following reason:
Day 1: Someone calls up BestBuy to find out if they have the iPad2. They reply, "yes we have a very small amount in stock". Customer arrives at the store and they are all sold out but they are told that there will be a few more on sale tomorrow. Customer picks up some random crap like a DVD, mouse or whatever.
Day 2: Customer arrives at the store and they are all sold out but they are told that there will be a few more on sale tomorrow. Customer maybe picks up some other random crap and leaves.
Day 3: [Same as Day 2]
Day 4: [Same as Day 3] etc...
If you just release a few each day, customers will keep coming back in hope of finding one and possibly buy some other small items while in the store. If you sell them all out and have nothing for weeks, you will have no customers coming to the store. BB knows that the iPad2 is in short supply and that they will have no trouble shifting the stock if they need to so they are happy to sit on it and keep a steady flow of customers coming through the store.
Day 1: Someone calls up BestBuy to find out if they have the iPad2. They reply, "yes we have a very small amount in stock". Customer arrives at the store and they are all sold out but they are told that there will be a few more on sale tomorrow. Customer picks up some random crap like a DVD, mouse or whatever.
Day 2: Customer arrives at the store and they are all sold out but they are told that there will be a few more on sale tomorrow. Customer maybe picks up some other random crap and leaves.
Day 3: [Same as Day 2]
Day 4: [Same as Day 3] etc...
If you just release a few each day, customers will keep coming back in hope of finding one and possibly buy some other small items while in the store. If you sell them all out and have nothing for weeks, you will have no customers coming to the store. BB knows that the iPad2 is in short supply and that they will have no trouble shifting the stock if they need to so they are happy to sit on it and keep a steady flow of customers coming through the store.
Sources? Evidence? Easy to make cheap accusations, much harder to prove them.
Not surprised. Best buy has always been a super shady retailer with subpar employees. Sadly its the easiest place to buy electronics other than ordering online.
That is a good point, but it never seems to stop them from taking the coupon. Maybe I've just been lucky there,
FWIW
DLM
Could be a huge boon for Xoom sales, and even more so if the Xoom ends up being the only tablet Best Buy carries until some of the other vaporware tablets actually appear on shelves.