Wal-Mart Needs Our Help!

[richard lichtenfelt]

I've noticed that the Walmart stores in the ritzier neighborhoods have a better selection of blu-rays. I've been to three in really expensive areas that have displays in the middle of the main aisle running parallell to the front of the store in front of the electronics dept. I've been to a couple of walmarts in areas that are more average and they only have a few located at the bottom of the PS3 display. Who knew that Walmart did so much Targeting?

[ReduxInflux]

Originally Posted by richard lichtenfelt

. Who knew that Walmart did so much Targeting?

no pun intended?

[Wet1]

Originally Posted by ReduxInflux

when you buy your bd's today...keep wal-mart in mind. we need to tell them what the consumer really wants....

I would if they carried them in my local WM, but they don't. Of the three I've been into, only one had HDM. Even that one story only had a handful of each type. I can't buy what they don't stock.

[Maximus]

I would put it that Wal-Mart don't particularly need anyone's help. The best way to get WM to stock Blu-ray is to keep buying them as normal and getting the Nielsen numbers to do the work.

[Wet1]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

The best way to get WM to stock Blu-ray is to keep buying them as normal and getting the Nielsen numbers to do the work.

Which ironically, Nielsen does not include WM in the sampling.

[TruBlu2]

Originally Posted by ReduxInflux

CRUCIAL: Should we be concentrating our purchasing efforts at Wal-Mart???

first off: okay, so there have been rumors about BLU-RAY (not HD-DVD) players that might be showing up in wal-mart. i'll believe it when josh posts it, but for now, i do not. now that that's out on the table, read on:

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Format Backers Say Hardware Coming Before End of Year
By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 8/24/2007

With much fanfare, the HD DVD Promotional Group announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January that Chinese manufacturers would begin selling low-price HD DVD players in the U.S. this year.

But as of mid-August, no manufacturer or retailer has announced a firm date for the players, although HD DVD backers say they still believe players will arrive this year.

Ken Graffeo, Universal Studios Home Entertainment executive VP of marketing and head of high definition, said he hasn’t heard a confirmed release date for the players.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them by the end of the year,” Warner Home Video senior VP worldwide for high-definition Steve Nickerson said.

HD DVD backers are betting low prices on players will sway the format war in their favor and Chinese manufacturers would help bring in even lower-priced players.

Wal-Mart, which had been rumored to be considering bringing in low-cost HD DVD players from a Chinese manufacturer, isn’t talking about its plans.

In an e-mail response to a question about the mass merchant’s fourth-quarter high-definition plans and whether it will bring in players from Chinese manufacturers this year, a spokeswoman said, “We are still evaluating the situation and not making a decision to go solely with one over the other right now. Ultimately, the decision comes down to providing what the customer really wants. At Wal-Mart, we will continue to sell both DVD formats at compelling prices and let the consumer clearly vote with their purchases on which format wins out.”

Other retailers said they haven’t heard anything about possible players from Chinese manufacturers coming this year.

Value Electronics president Robert Zohn said he has contacted some Chinese manufacturers that are making Blu-ray Disc players and HD DVD players, but he doesn’t expect to bring any in this year because of concerns about player compliance.

“We don’t want to import products that don’t meet specs,” he said.

Zohn said he thinks that major retailers such as Wal-Mart are likely to be the first to bring in low-cost players because they have more resources to make sure players are compliant.

GOOD NEWS:

At my Super Walmart, they have begun to sell BD players and NO hddvd players. Also, when they started selling BD and hddvd's they had 5 columns in the case for each format. For the last 4 months they now have 8 columns for BD discs and 2 columns for hddvd. BD is kicking hddvd butt at my Walmart!!