Do people really dislike B&M stores? - Blu-ray Forum

Blaze_Chamberlin · 08-29-2016, 05:09 AM

An article on MSN.com interviews store execs about the future of Sears and an interesting topic brought into the conversation is whether people actually dislike B&M stores or not. It's an interesting view.

thetony · 08-29-2016, 03:52 PM

I don't think most people dislike B&M stores, but I do think in terms of customer service, places like Sears (mentioned in OP) sadly just don't stack up most of the time. And that goes for many B&M stores. Not that online retailers have a monopoly on sensible customer service, I just seem to have more poor experiences with CS at B&M locations.

It's the norm at this point to struggle to find a customer representative at these places who a) can even be bothered to help and not act like you're inconveniencing them and b) can speak intelligently about the products they carry. There's more times than I care to count when it was apparent that I knew more than they did about their products.

I think it's foolish to wish that B&M went away, and honestly I don't think it's going away any time soon - the fact that online retailers like Amazon are testing B&M outlets demonstrates that. However, it's is definitely true that neither can rest on their previous accomplishments or history and expect that to carry them forward - that's a path to irrelevance.

neoz · 08-29-2016, 09:11 PM

I don't know why they would dislike B&M stores then again chalk it up to one word laziness.

Here are the excuses I commonly hear.

Don't want to waste gas.
Don't have to pay taxes.
Don't have to go to the store.

What I hear, lazy. Sorry but those excuses are piss poor if anything. They use the guise of convenience to mask the true word of being lazy. One, many of these people that shop online live within a driving distance of the store. Two, they say oh the store doesn't have that. Lets think about this logically. If you aren't shopping at a store then why would the store bother to carry it at all then? The more foot traffic a store receives the more inclined they will be to stock more stuff. Third, many people use stores as a showroom and argue you oh I can get it cheaper online. Sadly in reality said online place usually being "Amazon" is just price matching a B&M store to being with.
Then there are the taxes excuse. Well sadly if you live in a state like I live in the taxes on online stuff is already there. But don't worry, sooner or later your state will feel the pinch and want that online revenue. So enjoy it while you can. And personally I would rather go and pick out something myself then order it online and it come damaged. I usually count on 75% of my stuff online being damaged do their complete lack of packaging protect. So that in turns requires to me go out and have to deal with that crap. Why do that when I can just get what I want in store and be able to pick the best looking one? Then I'm not to lazy to where I can get up and shop, and I actually enjoy shopping. I don't have the attention span of a goldfish unlike today's generation.

Long story short keep shopping online. In the end it only screw up things more.

Carlanga · 08-30-2016, 04:23 AM

I like going to stores, but I don't have the time to visit them all. There are too many stores and items are spread out thin between them.
Usually I go to stores where I need to get 3 or more items or the store brought something new I reallyyyy have to check out in person.
Besides that, I find that I spend less online since no temptation about random deals you might find in store. But deals are great, just wish I had more money.

WhySoBlu? · 08-30-2016, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

One, many of these people that shop online live within a driving distance of the store.

Yes, but driving distance to a Best Buy for me is ~15-20 minutes one-way. That means a trip for a movie is going to take at least 40-50 minutes, take a certain amount of gas, and at the end of the day, unless you're doing in-store pickup, there's no guarantee that the title(s) you want will be there, regardless of what the online inventory says. There are benefits to both types of shopping, but the stores are chipping away at the reasons to go into their locations, especially if you're shopping for movies other than newly released blockbusters.

"Many of these people that shop online..."

You do realize virtually everybody shops online these days, right? Railing against it will be just as effective as railing against using Netflix streaming or smart phones. When my elderly grandparents are shopping online, I'd say the battle's over. B&M stores aren't going anywhere anytime in the near future, so there's no reason to pretend there's no benefit to shopping online.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

Two, they say oh the store doesn't have that. Lets think about this logically. If you aren't shopping at a store then why would the store bother to carry it at all then? The more foot traffic a store receives the more inclined they will be to stock more stuff.

Let's think about this logically: if the store doesn't carry what I want to buy in-store, there's literally no reason for me to go to that store shopping for that item. Me going into the store and buying something they do offer isn't going to make them suddenly carry the title I want in-store. The reality is that a ton of titles that aren't available in-store are available online, and this is true of every major retailer. It is what it is.

And I used to go into Best Buy nearly every Tuesday to buy new movies back in the day (back when you could walk the aisles endlessly, and even the horror section was huge.) It's not my fault that they made the decision to stop catering to my sort of customer and jacked their prices up while cutting their selection. And that was what? 10 years ago? If memory serves, that was also around the time that Best Buy was pulling their "we're hosting a second version of Best Buy.com with higher prices than the real site so we can deny price matches of our own site" BS.

Even now, it seems like my local Best Buy is cutting back on how many titles they have and they keep moving the movies to more remote areas of the store. When they start behaving as if they want my business, I might just give them more of it. As it is now, buying online from Best Buy isn't worth it for me in most cases, given the cost of shipping, so I primarily use them for new releases and titles I can order for in-store pickup. That, and Black Friday, especially when they give away free shipping.

neoz · 08-30-2016, 07:21 AM

My store is 30 minutes one way. So again, driving to pick up a movie that I can pick out isn't a big deal. Not only that but I get to talk to my friends that all work at BB, WM, and all the other retail places I go to. And BB is cutting back because they aren't getting the foot traffic anymore.
They used to carry much more but then AMZ and showrooming took that all. If people would have just kept coming in then maybe just maybe BB would still carry stuff. Showrooming kills all the B&M places.

veritas · 08-30-2016, 08:41 AM

If its simply going to the store that's not to bad. If I need to look online see if its their then go their and sometimes its not or it is but I then have to fight somebody over a price match why waste the time?

I actually prefer to buy most items at a B&M because if their is any problem a return would be way easier theoretically and I can check the product for damage. If that store pisses me off though even over something trivial I have found i will avoid shopping their for very long periods of time.

Amazon has never pissed me off in fact they are so generous with returns they actually make me feel bad enough that I will buy even more stuff from them.

Ruined · 08-30-2016, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blaze_Chamberlin

An article on MSN.com interviews store execs about the future of Sears and an interesting topic brought into the conversation is whether people actually dislike B&M stores or not. It's an interesting view.

Depends on the type of store, deals available, and type of product:

-Media: If they only carry run-of-the-mill mainstream products like Best Buy, why bother unless there is an instore-only super sale?
But, if they carry a wide selection of boutique labels like Barnes & Noble, I have actually used the B&M store as a social shopping destination/event numerous times - such as gatherings for the Criterion 50% off sale.

-Electronics: This one depends on the buyer and the product. For a Blu-ray player, it is hard to make a case for a B&M store. But for a TV, some feel they need to see the picture in person to determine if it the picture quality is good; while I personally feel that is essentially impossible due to store lighting conditions and cherry-picked settings, seeing the ergonomics or amount of screen reflection in store could still be helpful. Cameras are another category where a lot of people will want to "play" with the product before buying - the catch is, even with these "play" products, if the retail store has their price beaten by Amazon or B&H, some shoppers will try our the product in store then snarkily buy online.

-Clothes: This is another store I think B&M will survive. For fabrics, there is nothing like picking up, seeing and feeling the item in person to determine if it is for you.

WhySoBlu? · 08-30-2016, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

My store is 30 minutes one way. So again, driving to pick up a movie that I can pick out isn't a big deal.

For you. It isn't a big deal for you.

That doesn't mean that those who disagree are lazy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

Not only that but I get to talk to my friends that all work at BB, WM, and all the other retail places I go to.

Okay, but you have to realize that that's not typical. Most people don't treat a trip to the store as a social event, nor do most people have friends who work at all of the stores they go to (or make friends with the people who work at the stores you frequent.)

Again, that doesn't mean that those who disagree are lazy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

And BB is cutting back because they aren't getting the foot traffic anymore.

Yes and no. They originally started cutting back and focusing on different customers around 2004, if memory serves. The ceo decided that the loss-leader approach wasn't working and they started actively courting other types of customers while shunning the movie customers. This was the beginning of the end for how it used to be at Best Buy.

Now, of course, they keep reducing the selection but I would say it's less because of a lack of foot traffic and more that people in general aren't buying as much physical media. And those who are want a better selection (read: not just titles that came out in the last two or three months) and competitive pricing.

Then there's the reality that movies just aren't very profitable, especially when you're in competition with online stores that have far less overhead and can therefore price their titles lower.

Blaming the enthusiasts here for the demise of the Best Buy media section is misguided at best. We're the ones still doing at least some of our shopping at these stores, while the general public torrents their movies or waits for them to show up on their friend's Netflix account. The reality is that we're in the minority, and even if we all dedicated ourselves to buying a certain number of movies per week from a particular chain of stores, it wouldn't make any difference. There's just not enough money in movies anymore, and these stores have bills to pay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

They used to carry much more but then AMZ and showrooming took that all. If people would have just kept coming in then maybe just maybe BB would still carry stuff. Showrooming kills all the B&M places.

It wasn't just showrooming, though. It was also the realization that pricing movies as loss-leaders wasn't having the affect on sales that they hoped it would. They can't compete with online stores on selection and availability, and the only way to compete on price is to make little or not profit on the sale. Quite frankly, I think they would have stopped selling movies altogether if not for the fact that they still sell players.

It is what it is. By all means, rail against online shopping all you want, but you have to realize that it's the equivalent of trying to drain a lake with a teaspoon. You're simply not going to have an affect.

bookcase · 08-30-2016, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoz

I don't know why they would dislike B&M stores then again chalk it up to one word laziness.

Here are the excuses I commonly hear.

Don't want to waste gas.
Don't have to pay taxes.
Don't have to go to the store.

What I hear, lazy. Sorry but those excuses are piss poor if anything. They use the guise of convenience to mask the true word of being lazy. One, many of these people that shop online live within a driving distance of the store. Two, they say oh the store doesn't have that. Lets think about this logically. If you aren't shopping at a store then why would the store bother to carry it at all then? The more foot traffic a store receives the more inclined they will be to stock more stuff. Third, many people use stores as a showroom and argue you oh I can get it cheaper online. Sadly in reality said online place usually being "Amazon" is just price matching a B&M store to being with.
Then there are the taxes excuse. Well sadly if you live in a state like I live in the taxes on online stuff is already there. But don't worry, sooner or later your state will feel the pinch and want that online revenue. So enjoy it while you can. And personally I would rather go and pick out something myself then order it online and it come damaged. I usually count on 75% of my stuff online being damaged do their complete lack of packaging protect. So that in turns requires to me go out and have to deal with that crap. Why do that when I can just get what I want in store and be able to pick the best looking one? Then I'm not to lazy to where I can get up and shop, and I actually enjoy shopping. I don't have the attention span of a goldfish unlike today's generation.

Long story short keep shopping online. In the end it only screw up things more.

Judgmental much? I shop online because it's convenient, not because I'm lazy -- call it a guise or whatever else as you wish. If I can get home after a long day and commute and find the movie on my doorstep, rather than hauling myself to a store, why wouldn't I? I'm not against B&M, and it's not like I never shop at a store. I just prefer online more often than not for items such as movies.

But honestly, why do you care? What works for you, works for you. There's no need to call others lazy because they shop differently.

obssessive · 08-30-2016, 07:30 PM

Depends what you're going for, but obviously we are talking about movies, so:

Yes, I hate B&M stores. It's more of a hassle driving to a location, then waiting in line 10+ minutes to get what you came for (if they have it).

I speak this way only because I remember the days you could go to BBY and browse for a good 30 minutes to an hour, because their stock was that much better and that much diverse. I used to love walking into Circuit City to find the Tartan Extreme titles and those little known horrors that made their way onto the shelves with 1-3 copies. Times have change, alot unfortunately...

neoz · 08-30-2016, 09:33 PM

lazy.....ya'll just pissy cause I called people lazy. If you aren't lazy then good for you, I honestly don't care. Get triggered all you want because I do not care. It is true that people are lazy there is no denying it. If you want to shop online then do it. I never said doing it was bad for that person. I'm saying there are people that are lazy that don't want to do into the stores. Oh I can do

these too.
People want to complain when stores get shut down but then never want to admit they had some part in it.

If you don't like my opinion then oh well.

My opinion is valid as I was answering the OP. People that get defensive over something like calling people lazy is sad. Also it isn't a "big" deal. Shop online but don't cry when stores going out of business because there isn't foot traffic.

WhySoBlu? · 08-30-2016, 10:08 PM

Just to be clear, you'd prefer it if we stopped making purchases on Amazon using the affiliate links from this site and instead shopped in actual stores, giving the site nothing. That way we're not being lazy. That is what you're telling us, right?

Groot · 08-30-2016, 10:18 PM

Is it considered lazy if the online price (even with shipping) is cheaper?

DetroitSportsFan · 08-30-2016, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhySoBlu?

Just to be clear, you'd prefer it if we stopped making purchases on Amazon using the affiliate links from this site and instead shopped in actual stores, giving the site nothing. That way we're not being lazy. That is what you're telling us, right?

You don't think mods get paid, do you?

WhySoBlu? · 08-30-2016, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

You don't think mods get paid, do you?

Where did I suggest that?

But that is one of the primary sources of revenue for the site, is it not?

neoz · 08-31-2016, 02:38 AM

If I got paid for being here then that would be awesome! But nope, we don't lol.
We do it for the love of the site and the members.

Even if we butt heads sometimes.

thetony · 08-31-2016, 04:37 AM

Yeah, I think it's a little misplaced to put WM or BB or the like up on a pedestal. It's not like they were the first to do retail, they took retail and made it a big business. In doing so, they did put a lot of mom & pop and independent media retail outlets out of business. In the last decade plus, online retailing has grown from a boutique business to big business as well, and in some case put some of the big retail chains out of business (in part, let's not pretend places like CC, CompUSA, Borders didn't have bigger issues at hand as well).

It's simply the evolution of the market. When retail behemoths rose, it didn't put every small retailer out of business. And the same will be true for the large retailers with the advent and rise of online retailers.

prkchopexpress · 08-31-2016, 09:50 AM

the problem with b&m stores is and always has been lack of selection. this is what drives people online. if i have to order it to a b&m store, i'm just gonna get it delivered to my house.

Kellz · 08-31-2016, 11:24 PM

i would go to Best Buy all the time if it wasn't a 45 minute drive each way. the closest Target is 20-25 minutes away and the closest Walmart is about 10 minutes away, but has the worst customer service and organization i've ever seen. i avoid that store as much as possible, not to mention that it hardly carries any blus to begin with.

i went to Moviestop 1-2 times a week before they went out of business. By far my fave B&M store for blus, and the customer service was second to none.

i work odd schedules, so sometimes i have to shop online because i can't always get to a store before it closes.

08-29-2016, 05:09 AM	#1
Blaze_Chamberlin Blu-ray Knight Member since:Jul 2012 4K collection:12 Blu-ray collection:481 DVD collection:156 MA collection:2 Digital collection:126 iTunes collection:1 Trading Score:638 Timezone GMT: -6	Do people really dislike B&M stores? An article on MSN.com interviews store execs about the future of Sears and an interesting topic brought into the conversation is whether people actually dislike B&M stores or not. It's an interesting view.

08-30-2016, 08:41 AM	#7
veritas Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Dec 2015 4K collection:234 Blu-ray collection:1777 Trading Score:9 Timezone GMT: 0	If its simply going to the store that's not to bad. If I need to look online see if its their then go their and sometimes its not or it is but I then have to fight somebody over a price match why waste the time? I actually prefer to buy most items at a B&M because if their is any problem a return would be way easier theoretically and I can check the product for damage. If that store pisses me off though even over something trivial I have found i will avoid shopping their for very long periods of time. Amazon has never pissed me off in fact they are so generous with returns they actually make me feel bad enough that I will buy even more stuff from them. Last edited by veritas; 08-30-2016 at 08:51 AM.

08-29-2016, 03:52 PM	#2
thetony Expert Member Member since:May 2015 Location:Ope! Trading Score:4 Timezone GMT: -6	I don't think most people dislike B&M stores, but I do think in terms of customer service, places like Sears (mentioned in OP) sadly just don't stack up most of the time. And that goes for many B&M stores. Not that online retailers have a monopoly on sensible customer service, I just seem to have more poor experiences with CS at B&M locations. It's the norm at this point to struggle to find a customer representative at these places who a) can even be bothered to help and not act like you're inconveniencing them and b) can speak intelligently about the products they carry. There's more times than I care to count when it was apparent that I knew more than they did about their products. I think it's foolish to wish that B&M went away, and honestly I don't think it's going away any time soon - the fact that online retailers like Amazon are testing B&M outlets demonstrates that. However, it's is definitely true that neither can rest on their previous accomplishments or history and expect that to carry them forward - that's a path to irrelevance.

08-29-2016, 09:11 PM	#3
neoz Moderator Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:2 Blu-ray collection:1664 DVD collection:8 Trading Score:84 Timezone GMT: -6	I don't know why they would dislike B&M stores then again chalk it up to one word laziness. Here are the excuses I commonly hear. Don't want to waste gas. Don't have to pay taxes. Don't have to go to the store. What I hear, lazy. Sorry but those excuses are piss poor if anything. They use the guise of convenience to mask the true word of being lazy. One, many of these people that shop online live within a driving distance of the store. Two, they say oh the store doesn't have that. Lets think about this logically. If you aren't shopping at a store then why would the store bother to carry it at all then? The more foot traffic a store receives the more inclined they will be to stock more stuff. Third, many people use stores as a showroom and argue you oh I can get it cheaper online. Sadly in reality said online place usually being "Amazon" is just price matching a B&M store to being with. Then there are the taxes excuse. Well sadly if you live in a state like I live in the taxes on online stuff is already there. But don't worry, sooner or later your state will feel the pinch and want that online revenue. So enjoy it while you can. And personally I would rather go and pick out something myself then order it online and it come damaged. I usually count on 75% of my stuff online being damaged do their complete lack of packaging protect. So that in turns requires to me go out and have to deal with that crap. Why do that when I can just get what I want in store and be able to pick the best looking one? Then I'm not to lazy to where I can get up and shop, and I actually enjoy shopping. I don't have the attention span of a goldfish unlike today's generation. Long story short keep shopping online. In the end it only screw up things more.

08-30-2016, 04:23 AM	#4
Carlanga Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Feb 2013 Location:I live where you vacation 4K collection:5 Blu-ray collection:604 DVD collection:62 MA collection:472 Digital collection:590 iTunes collection:572 Prime collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:81 Timezone GMT: -4	I like going to stores, but I don't have the time to visit them all. There are too many stores and items are spread out thin between them. Usually I go to stores where I need to get 3 or more items or the store brought something new I reallyyyy have to check out in person. Besides that, I find that I spend less online since no temptation about random deals you might find in store. But deals are great, just wish I had more money.

08-30-2016, 07:21 AM	#6
neoz Moderator Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:2 Blu-ray collection:1664 DVD collection:8 Trading Score:84 Timezone GMT: -6	My store is 30 minutes one way. So again, driving to pick up a movie that I can pick out isn't a big deal. Not only that but I get to talk to my friends that all work at BB, WM, and all the other retail places I go to. And BB is cutting back because they aren't getting the foot traffic anymore. They used to carry much more but then AMZ and showrooming took that all. If people would have just kept coming in then maybe just maybe BB would still carry stuff. Showrooming kills all the B&M places.

08-30-2016, 07:30 PM	#11
obssessive Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2010 Location:South FLA 4K collection:439 Blu-ray collection:2933 DVD collection:36 Timezone GMT: -5	Depends what you're going for, but obviously we are talking about movies, so: Yes, I hate B&M stores. It's more of a hassle driving to a location, then waiting in line 10+ minutes to get what you came for (if they have it). I speak this way only because I remember the days you could go to BBY and browse for a good 30 minutes to an hour, because their stock was that much better and that much diverse. I used to love walking into Circuit City to find the Tartan Extreme titles and those little known horrors that made their way onto the shelves with 1-3 copies. Times have change, alot unfortunately...

08-30-2016, 09:33 PM	#12
neoz Moderator Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:2 Blu-ray collection:1664 DVD collection:8 Trading Score:84 Timezone GMT: -6	lazy.....ya'll just pissy cause I called people lazy. If you aren't lazy then good for you, I honestly don't care. Get triggered all you want because I do not care. It is true that people are lazy there is no denying it. If you want to shop online then do it. I never said doing it was bad for that person. I'm saying there are people that are lazy that don't want to do into the stores. Oh I can do these too. People want to complain when stores get shut down but then never want to admit they had some part in it. If you don't like my opinion then oh well. My opinion is valid as I was answering the OP. People that get defensive over something like calling people lazy is sad. Also it isn't a "big" deal. Shop online but don't cry when stores going out of business because there isn't foot traffic.

08-30-2016, 10:08 PM	#13
WhySoBlu? Banned Top contributor Member since:Sep 2014 Location:Vegas Blu-ray collection:842 Trading Score:24 Timezone GMT: -8	Just to be clear, you'd prefer it if we stopped making purchases on Amazon using the affiliate links from this site and instead shopped in actual stores, giving the site nothing. That way we're not being lazy. That is what you're telling us, right?

08-30-2016, 10:18 PM	#14
Groot Banned Member since:Aug 2015 Location:Thanos Cock Trading Score:14 Timezone GMT: -5	Is it considered lazy if the online price (even with shipping) is cheaper?

08-31-2016, 02:38 AM	#17
neoz Moderator Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:2 Blu-ray collection:1664 DVD collection:8 Trading Score:84 Timezone GMT: -6	If I got paid for being here then that would be awesome! But nope, we don't lol. We do it for the love of the site and the members. Even if we butt heads sometimes.

08-31-2016, 04:37 AM	#18
thetony Expert Member Member since:May 2015 Location:Ope! Trading Score:4 Timezone GMT: -6	Yeah, I think it's a little misplaced to put WM or BB or the like up on a pedestal. It's not like they were the first to do retail, they took retail and made it a big business. In doing so, they did put a lot of mom & pop and independent media retail outlets out of business. In the last decade plus, online retailing has grown from a boutique business to big business as well, and in some case put some of the big retail chains out of business (in part, let's not pretend places like CC, CompUSA, Borders didn't have bigger issues at hand as well). It's simply the evolution of the market. When retail behemoths rose, it didn't put every small retailer out of business. And the same will be true for the large retailers with the advent and rise of online retailers.

08-31-2016, 09:50 AM	#19
prkchopexpress Blu-ray Ninja Member since:May 2016 4K collection:235 Blu-ray collection:1691 Timezone GMT: -4	the problem with b&m stores is and always has been lack of selection. this is what drives people online. if i have to order it to a b&m store, i'm just gonna get it delivered to my house.

08-31-2016, 11:24 PM	#20
Kellz Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:Sep 2011 Location:USA 4K collection:117 Blu-ray collection:1131 DVD collection:4 MA collection:238 Digital collection:1509 iTunes collection:225 Prime collection:10 Trading Score:509 Timezone GMT: -5	i would go to Best Buy all the time if it wasn't a 45 minute drive each way. the closest Target is 20-25 minutes away and the closest Walmart is about 10 minutes away, but has the worst customer service and organization i've ever seen. i avoid that store as much as possible, not to mention that it hardly carries any blus to begin with. i went to Moviestop 1-2 times a week before they went out of business. By far my fave B&M store for blus, and the customer service was second to none. i work odd schedules, so sometimes i have to shop online because i can't always get to a store before it closes.

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