Alternatives to Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart for Mainstream Releases

[martydmc12]

There's a thread about boutique releases from Arrow, Criterion, Kino, Shout! Factory, etc., with suggestions to online Canadian retailers like Unobstructed View.

But what about for mainstream studio titles? For example the Paramount Presents label, or Steelbooks? Firstly I dislike the bilingual packaging, and refuse to buy it. However even if that wasn't a problem for me, going to any of the Best Buys in my city, I wouldn't find the latest releases of Steelbooks or standard packaging to begin with. I remember when the JAWS 45th Anniversary 4K release came out, I couldn't find it anywhere in my city. It never hit the shelves on the day it was released, and still isn't anywhere to be found. Even my local Walmart is hit and miss, usually miss. It's pretty clear that the megastores in this country are squeezing out physical media more and more everyday.

Surely there must be an online retailer in Canada that supplies not only boutique labels and titles, but also carries mainstream studio titles as well?

[captainjoe]

For Paramount Presents title specifically look into WOWHD. Fairly good prices right now around $29.99 Canadian and free shipping.

[GoodAsBlu]

I have pretty much abandoned all hope of buying anything here in Canada.

Steelbooks are about as rare as a dinosaur, Disney is now all bilingual packaging, no store "exclusives" (packaging, bonus-disc, LE), late street-date availability, late shipping of new releases, etc. Other than saving a few dollars here and there (which is now a lot better for us than it was even 6 months ago), there is no incentive of purchasing anything in Canada. Higher prices and crappy packaging.

However, I still use UV for deals, specials and promotions on some of the boutique labels, but that's about as far as I go there. I use Deep Discount for all North American releases and I buy direct from 88Films, Eureka and Arrow for all European releases. Zavvi, I had used for steelbooks, but has now lost my business because I've had multiple, yes multiple, packages not arrive, just in the last 4-6 months. Unfortunately, the only way to get some of the US/UK steelbooks, or LE's of certain Disney films (Target, etc.) is to use ebay, but that is a definite last resort.

There are many ways you can do it. The big decision you have to make, is if you're willing to take a small loss on some things that you know will sell-out quickly, going out-of-print immediately and then just waiting on other things you can get with a 10% or 15% discount every few weeks.

In the end, my choice and my opinion are crystal clear.

[reynaldo]

Originally Posted by GoodAsBlu

I have pretty much abandoned all hope of buying anything here in Canada.

Steelbooks are about as rare as a dinosaur, Disney is now all bilingual packaging, no store "exclusives" (packaging, bonus-disc, LE), late street-date availability, late shipping of new releases, etc. Other than saving a few dollars here and there (which is now a lot better for us than it was even 6 months ago), there is no incentive of purchasing anything in Canada. Higher prices and crappy packaging.

However, I still use UV for deals, specials and promotions on some of the boutique labels, but that's about as far as I go there. I use Deep Discount for all North American releases and I buy direct from 88Films, Eureka and Arrow for all European releases. Zavvi, I had used for steelbooks, but has now lost my business because I've had multiple, yes multiple, packages not arrive, just in the last 4-6 months. Unfortunately, the only way to get some of the US/UK steelbooks, or LE's of certain Disney films (Target, etc.) is to use ebay, but that is a definite last resort.

There are many ways you can do it. The big decision you have to make, is if you're willing to take a small loss on some things that you know will sell-out quickly, going out-of-print immediately and then just waiting on other things you can get with a 10% or 15% discount every few weeks.

In the end, my choice and my opinion are crystal clear.

I pretty much agree with everything stated here. Until Sunrise has a website that you can actually pre-order stuff on, just look outside the border if you actually want to buy anything. I know you can pre-order things in-store at Sunrise however.

Personally speaking, I've had zero issues with Zavvi and every steelbook and limited edition I've ordered from them has shown up in perfect condition, but I realize I may be one of the lucky ones! Sadly, I've had a couple bad experiences with Unobstructed View, so that plus their ludicrously high pricing has been enough to turn me off them completely.

[GoodAsBlu]

Originally Posted by reynaldo

I pretty much agree with everything stated here. Until Sunrise has a website that you can actually pre-order stuff on, just look outside the border if you actually want to buy anything. I know you can pre-order things in-store at Sunrise however.

Personally speaking, I've had zero issues with Zavvi and every steelbook and limited edition I've ordered from them has shown up in perfect condition, but I realize I may be one of the lucky ones! Sadly, I've had a couple bad experiences with Unobstructed View, so that plus their ludicrously high pricing has been enough to turn me off them completely.

Sunrise, I had only used for the DC Comic steelbooks that were Target in the US and I also tried to get the original Gamera set, but that was a cluster-f for the ages. I haven't used Sunrise in over a year and a half now because it's so "behind" on everything. I don't know if they'll recover, as I know some stores have closed completely during the CV-19 lockdowns.

I've never had a problem with UV, but again, I've never ordered that much to begin with and any problems I have had (back-orders, in-stock, etc.), they were addressed quickly.

In my experiences, Zavvi is hit-or-miss, especially lately. I've been ordering items from there for many years and I've had a package or two go astray, but have always gotten a replacement sent out. I've had packages "lost" for 60 days in some rare cases, but just since the beginning of this year, I've had 3 packages, out of about 11 shipments, that have "disappeared" in just a few months. It's alright if you're ordering a common title or release to go missing, but it's quite another when an exclusive, steelbook, or LE goes missing and they've sold all stock. Right now, Zavvi is on "hold".

[martydmc12]

And this is why I hate ordering from Amazon.

Very rarely do I not receive damaged Blu-ray's. I especially love how in the returns part of Amazon's website they tell me I have to send it back in a BOX, whereas they ship to me in an envelope. What a joke.

[Templeton Peck]

I'm always looking for alternatives. I bought the Shout Factory Friday 13th Collection boxset and Best Buy shipped it in a large bubble envelope. My collector's 4K edition copy of Tremors from Amazon.ca came damaged.

[JohnnyCanuck]

C&L Internet Club in Vancouver/Burnaby offers free shipping in Canada with no minimum order prerequisite .

They have a walk in store on Marine Drive & Boundary , open Noon till 5:00 PM everyday . Most of their titles have no French on them .

Prices vary . Some are crazy expensive , some are fairly cheap . If you live in the area , check them out . Their selection blows Sunrise Records away .

Blu Rays , DVD's , 4K , tons of Manga/Anime books .

[TolerancEJ]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCanuck

C&L Internet Club in Vancouver/Burnaby offers free shipping in Canada with no minimum order prerequisite .

They have a walk in store on Marine Drive & Boundary , open Noon till 5:00 PM everyday . Most of their titles have no French on them .

Prices vary . Some are crazy expensive , some are fairly cheap . If you live in the area , check them out . Their selection blows Sunrise Records away .

Blu Rays , DVD's , 4K , tons of Manga/Anime books .

I live reasonably near them and have been buying from C&L for many years. Correct on the pricing. Make your comparisons before you go. Many titles will be less expensive elsewhere.

Their major benefit is a huge assortment of anime, manga, etc. I’ve located many hard to find titles. The have a good assortment of in-stock MOD Blu-rays and DVDs. I have also ordered a few MOD titles through them.


If you live nearby and plan a visit, have your list ready in advance. Register an account online in advance because you’ll need a membership number for entry. The physical arrangement itself is more like a library than a retail store. On your first visit, you may ask the store clerk to advise the arrangement, so you can find the titles you want. 4K has a section, most Blu-rays are in their own section, sections for Criterion, Arrow, KL, Anime… DVDs are arranged by MGM, Warner, Burnaby Vista, etc and a long section of Miscellaneous.

They occasionally have 10% off sales (In Store Only) on holidays. I would estimate Easter may be the next sale.

[Deadend45]

If its steelbook trinkets you are looking for.......ebay.

[martydmc12]

It seems to be getting worse here for us Canadians.

Walmart and Best Buy are pretty much ghost towns for new releases, at least in my area. Every single new release that comes out as a Best Buy Steelbook exclusive, they never get any in-store, all sold out with online pre-orders. Walmart for a sliver of time was getting some of the latest Paramount releases, not the Paramount Presents titles though, and even occasionally had some Shout! Factory releases. Not anymore in the last year.

London Drugs has a healthy selection for the most part, but it's way, way overpriced, plus bilingual packaging.

I've been ordering from UV when things go on sale, otherwise I've been stuck with Amazon.com.

Us Canadians are really getting the screw job from distributors and retailers, that's for sure. We're forced to deal with high prices, shipping, customs/duty/import fees, and an exchange rate. Sure making this hobby expensive and unaffordable for a great many of us.

[Brian81]

Walmart seems like they get nothing lately, after being the strongest the prior two years.

[GreatGreg]

Best retail options would be Walmart and Sunrise. Best Buy gets a few releases, but only for the big titles. You should also check your local independent stores.

Nowadays I am buying more online direct from studios like Kino and Arrow. I'm also shopping more internationally like Europe, Australia and Asia. Also some from the US.

[martydmc12]

Originally Posted by GreatGreg

You should also check your local independent stores.

What do you consider "local independent stores?" No such stores exist in my city, not for movie buying at least.

As I said, there are three big retailers that carry physical media, Walmart, Best Buy and London Drugs. I'm not sure if Superstore still has an entertainment section, as I haven't been one of those stores in years (can anyone comment on Superstore?).

We have no HMV, Sam the Record Man, or smaller music/movie retail stores like bigger cities such as Vancouver or Toronto has. We have one video rental store left in Edmonton, The Lobby, which caters mostly to horror. We have a few vinyl record retail shops, but none carry movies.

I honestly find it fascinating how an entire industry (the home video market) went from being a successful business model and money printing machine just 20 years ago, to now nearly extinct, all because the masses embraced streaming. It really is all about what's trendy and convenient for most people, isn't it?

What's even worse is I find so many younger people telling us physical media collectors that we're out of touch, and that we need to "get with the times," which I've had said to me on several occasions. I find it can be somewhat upsetting and frustrating that people like us have to conform to the rest of society, where everything we've grown up and lived with for most or our lives, gets thrown out because it's "old" and not what younger people know or understand.

But I digress.

[TolerancEJ]

Originally Posted by GreatGreg

Best retail options would be Walmart and Sunrise. Best Buy gets a few releases, but only for the big titles. You should also check your local independent stores.

Nowadays I am buying more online direct from studios like Kino and Arrow. I'm also shopping more internationally like Europe, Australia and Asia. Also some from the US.

The only thing BestBuy seems to be in demand for are the exclusive 4K Steelbooks. And occasionally they list a few titles at a lower price than Amazon, causing me to swap pre-orders. (But sometimes the opposite has also been true. I have also swapped pre-orders to Amazon when they had a lower price.)

[martydmc12]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

The only thing BestBuy seems to be in demand for are the exclusive 4K Steelbooks. And occasionally they list a few titles at a lower price than Amazon, causing me to swap pre-orders. (But sometimes the opposite has also been true. I have also swapped pre-orders to Amazon when they had a lower price.)

I haven't seen a Steelbook in Best Buy in years. The stores in my area just deal with online orders only, which 99.9% are sold out with pre-orders. In store purchases of stuff like that is non-existent nowadays. My nearest Best Buy only has one small rack in a isle, which is mostly all Disney/Marvel/Star Wars movies, and some of the "newish" releases. Otherwise, Walmart has a better selection, and that's saying something.

[GreatGreg]

I don't think it should come as a surprise that everything is about convenience today.

Why are ebooks sometimes more expensive than physical books? Why are people willing to pay 5x to 10x more for coffee or hamburgers? Why did people stop using cash and tap instead? It's all about convenience.

Having said that, streaming has vastly improved its quality over the years with better compression algorithms and higher bandwidth to the home -- something that simply couldn't be done 10 years ago.

Although I am still buying DVDs and Blu rays, I hardly ever buy CDs anymore.

Times are changing and we live in a capitalist society so you have to go where the money is.

Sounds like Edmonton doesn't have a big collector market, but some mid-sized cities still have independent outlets that carry new releases.

As for chains, besides grocery stores like Independent, FreshCo and Giant Tiger, Cinema1 has some good selection as well.

[TolerancEJ]

Originally Posted by martydmc12

I haven't seen a Steelbook in Best Buy in years. The stores in my area just deal with online orders only, which 99.9% are sold out with pre-orders. In store purchases of stuff like that is non-existent nowadays. My nearest Best Buy only has one small rack in a isle, which is mostly all Disney/Marvel/Star Wars movies, and some of the "newish" releases. Otherwise, Walmart has a better selection, and that's saying something.

Oh, I need to correct my statement. Virtually all my BestBuy purchases over the past year or so have been online. My local BestBuy layout has become exactly as you indicated. It's a single 4-sided standee, placed at the very back of the store. It's not even full.

[Deadend45]

Originally Posted by martydmc12

We have no HMV, Sam the Record Man, or smaller music/movie retail stores like bigger cities such as Vancouver or Toronto has.

HMV and Sam the Record Man are long gone. As for BB, years ago the stores were turned into oversized mobility kiosks that sell TVs on the side.

[R1978]

From a practical perspective at this point and the last 4 years or more, there is few options left other than online.

Depending what people are actually into that can also affect things greatly. In my own situation I buy from Amazon, Ebay ( when it's oop ) and directly from Kino, Criteron, Shout/Scream Factory, Severin, and Vinegar Syndrome now has a Toronto warehouse where you can get them shipped from within Canada.

Amazon USA vs Amazon Canada also varies, because many BR that are no longer sold ( or at high prices ) are only sold on Amazon USA now, sometimes for a very low price even though the shipping can suck. While I don't know if the situation has changed, for a while during Covid Amazon.USA stopped shipping to Canada to make matters worse.

For mainstream titles I don't really bother with that, pretty much anything that is niche is going to be almost always directly online so you might as well find it at the lowest price given that many of those releases tend to be in our 25-50 ( 4k for the later ) price range.

Chapters/Indigo has not sold Films for years now, and as far as Walmart and Best Buy goes those days of having quality selection are a joke now.

Perhaps at some future point the situation could or may change, it's happened with other products over time. For now it's best to accept the reality for those of us who still collect and buy physical media. I don't exactly like having to pay 30 bucks on average for many titles, on the flip side there is at least a comfort always having those films in our libraries regardless of what happens out in the streaming and virtual world.