Best Buy and Apple - Together Again?

[MacRumors]

As first reported by ThinkSecret, Apple and Best Buy are in talks to bring Apple's products back into the national retailer.

Earlier this month, insiders confirmed that the two companies are still considering a plan where Best Buy would sell Apple products, and Apple would staff the stores with its own employees to help boost sales.

A recent report indicates that the Apple's return to Best Buy could take place as early as August 3rd, 2003. Best Buy has been carrying Apple's iPod. This new deal would presumably include more hardware -- though details are not available at this time.

 

[Freg3000]

God I hope Best Buy will be better than my CompUSA.

 

[bobindashadows]

can't be too bad

probably iSights, iPods, anything else. Wonder if Apple will make iSight cross-platform?

 

[MetallicPenguin]

Sweet

 

[Longey Nowze]

thats good to hear! to bad they are not working on international dealers/resellers!

thank you
MaT

 

[Sedulous]

I dunno if I like this. Is it likely that Best Buy sales staff know anything about Apple stuff? I guess it is a good development for those not located near an Apple Store.

 

[Java]

sweet if it happens

I would be happy if they had a deal with Best Buy. That way I could go there to get my Apple gear instead of CompUSA.

 

[robotrenegade]

That would rock and bring a lot of biz to apple.

 

[superspaminacan]

Macs ARE the BEST BUY, no doubt!

People WILL buy Macs at Best Buy. This is a smart move. Everytime I visit a store remotely related to electronics/computing that doesn't carry Apple wares I always make a point to mention to the manager that I came to their store EXPECTING they would carry Apple and leaving disappointed that they don't.

 

[Java]

CompUSA bites

Originally posted by Freg3000
God I hope Best Buy will be better than my CompUSA.

<off topic>
I know this is a bit off topic, but my CompUSA really stinks. They always have Apple products mislabed.
</off topic>

 

[shecky]

i can say for a fact that the Apple ASC program will extend to Best Buy.

 

[Custom Pbook12]

Best Buy and Apple, seems like a good combo, but i do think that i would still buy stuff from my local apple store, (even if the price is higher) just because i can talk circles around most of the people who work at best buy. the only good thing about it would be the possible accessories that are 3rd party, and more mac compatible software.

 

[kibit]

OH let's hope it's true

I'd love to be able to buy a G5 on my Best Buy account, 6mo. or 12 mo. at 0% sweeetttt!!

 

[Waluigi]

Bad Idea

Best Buy (at least the one where I live) is a great place to look, but is the worst place to buy. The staff are idiots and never help you, the customer is always wrong, there is a guy harassing you to sign up for MSN every other second, and they double up on you when you are in the cash register to pressure you into their extended warrantys. This is the last place I would want apple to sell their high quality products, espically since most buyers would need to be explained why a 1.8GHz Apple is superior to the 3GHz PC next to it.

This is a step towards misinforming consumers, and won't help sales at all. Just my 2 cents.

--Waluigi

 

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by shecky
i can say for a fact that the Apple ASC program will extend to Best Buy.

As can I. I work at Best Buy (btw, I resent that whole "Best Buy employees not knowing Apple product" crack), and I can go ahead and confirm that the SKUs for all new Apple hardware are in our inventory tracking system and ready for deployment. That's all I'll say, as I think it's all I'm allowed to say.

 

[wsteineker]

Re: Bad Idea

Originally posted by Waluigi
Best Buy (at least the one where I live) is a great place to look, but is the worst place to buy. The staff are idiots and never help you, the customer is always wrong, there is a guy harassing you to sign up for MSN every other second, and they double up on you when you are in the cash register to pressure you into their extended warrantys. This is the last place I would want apple to sell their high quality products, espically since most buyers would need to be explained why a 1.8GHz Apple is superior to the 3GHz PC next to it.

This is a step towards misinforming consumers, and won't help sales at all. Just my 2 cents.

--Waluigi

Sucks that you've had such a negative experience with my company. Still, I don't think the problem you describe is systemic. It's probably just your store, honestly. Everyone I've encountered with the company has been knowledgeable and friendly. Next time you're down this way be sure to stop in and see me. I'll make sure you're taken care of.

 

[Waluigi]

Re: Re: Bad Idea

Originally posted by wsteineker
Sucks that you've had such a negative experience with my company. Still, I don't think the problem you describe is systemic. It's probably just your store, honestly. Everyone I've encountered with the company has been knowledgeable and friendly. Next time you're down this way be sure to stop in and see me. I'll make sure you're taken care of.

If this rumor is true, I really hope that it is only my local Best Buy (West Hartford Ct Store #381) that is bad. I'll take your word for it though, and check out some more stores before I jump to a conclusion on this.

--Waluigi

 

[iJon]

apple resellers get shafted again, guess thats the way it goes.

iJon

 

[djwu]

not surprised

I'm not surprised that this is going to happen. I read an article on a Canadian subsidiary of Best Buy opening up mini-Apple stores in its establishment like CompUSA a while ago. I don't remember what the Canadian store name was though.

Now, I wonder what CompUSA is feeling right now. There's a Bestbuy and a CompUSA across the freeway from where I live. right next to each other. And where I work, there's an Apple store in the Galleria, Microcenter, CompUSA, and now Best Buy within a 1-2 mile radius!
I guess BestBuy will help Apple sell its products out in the suburbs especially.

 

[j33pd0g]

I don't know best buy service... never shopped there... I bought my first mac however from comp usa... the sales guy tried to tell me that macs didn't really have a whole lot of apps... that video editing would be a pain in the ars... and that you had to bring it back to the store or ship it to apple if you wanted more ram. Oh, and that they were over priced compared to the PC.
If I hadn't been using a mac at work, or had done my research... I would have been hornswoggled out of it - and had some lame HP tower.
The list went on... made me so mad that I almost didn't buy it there... but that new mac needed liberating, so I did. I hope best buy gets a schooling if they are to sell more than iSights and iPods. Comp USA needs more than schooling... they are on the little bus right now.
I think anybody that goes to buy a mac will know that the mac is the computer they want. New customers with no mac experience or background will be tossed to the PC side of the road, and left to die - never knowing the true beauty of the mac experience. Their ghosts will echo on, haunting the souls of the living, wailing wicked ignorance.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I have mixed emotions about this. I've yet to find a BB (or compUSA) CSR that really knew what they were talking about. They knew enough to think they knew what they were talking about. And they knew enough to make the average customer think they knew what they were talking about. But they usually don't know anymore than what's on the product description tag on the shelf. Case in point. I went to CompUSA a few months ago to look for a 15" iMac. A Sales rep approached me and asked if I needed help. I said I stopped by to look at their iMac selection. He promptly leads me over to the shelf w/all the TiBooks. And that's not the first time that's happend either.

If Apple starts selling boxes at BB I can already hear the PC-centric sales-reps steering people away from the "crappy, expensive" Macs as fast as they can. Oh well... time will tell.


Lethal

 

[Ja Di ksw]

I hope this is true. It would be nice to be able to go over to Best Buy and toy with the new Macs before deciding to get one. I've read a few different times in here how people don't like Best Buy, but I've always liked them. No, they aren't experts by any stretch of the imagination, but they aren't complete idiots (plus Apple will have it's own people there who know what's going on). What I really like about Best Buy is their 4 year warrenty. I get that on everything expensive I buy there. If something goes wrong (and it usually doesn't) and a later model is out, they usually let me pay the difference and get the new model, as they stopped stocking the old one that I had.

 

[jzieske]

Again?

Didn't Apple and Best Buy try this once before, a few years ago and it failed.

I can only see it working with Apple sales people or else lots of training for current Best Buy employees.

 

[bitfactory]

Re: Re: Bad Idea

Originally posted by wsteineker
Sucks that you've had such a negative experience with my company. Still, I don't think the problem you describe is systemic. It's probably just your store, honestly. Everyone I've encountered with the company has been knowledgeable and friendly. Next time you're down this way be sure to stop in and see me. I'll make sure you're taken care of.

<way off topic>
not just HIS store... the two where i live are exactly the same way... i've already written a letter to the Best Buy Corp office on the high-pressure way they try to sell you the extended warranties on EVERYTHING. i bought a mid-size WEGA television in there not too long ago and was pressured to buy the extended warranty at the counter in the back (said, "no thanks" - "why?" - "uh, the chance of anything going wrong with this television after the warranty are nil'" - "well, wouldn't you feel safer knowing..." - "nope, just ring it up"...

made my way from the back to the front with the TV on the cart... got to the front door to show the guard my receipt and was harrassed AGAIN for not buying the EW. after turning it down two more times to him, i finally couldn't take it anymore and went OFF on him...

jesus, just take NO for an answer... extended warranties from companies like Best Buy are a JOKE. they make SERIOUS money off of it, less than 4% of people who buy the policies ever use them (PrimeTime Live, 2002).
</way off topic>

that said, it'd be nice just to get the exposure... but i only buy CDs there now... they don't sell warranties for them.

 

[jzieske]

Extended Warrenties on CD's

I wish they did not sell extended plans on CD's my grandma got roped in to paying $2.50 for extended service on a $18 CD.
That is just SICK.