Flickr Find: Apple shop at Best Buy

Fred,

The difference is that Macs at best buy are identical to the ones found on the Apple store. PC laptops and desktops at Best Buy are exclusive to the stores. This makes the comparison across stores difficult for the shopper. Macs are identical everywhere and priced exactly like the Apple store. The big special we get on Macs is 50$ off (oh wow). Allot of PCs I sell are 200-300 dollars below regular price, which makes us sell them 'at a loss'. We do have to sell geek squad services and service plans to make up. We get allot of pressure about that trust me.

There's really no reason to buy a Mac at Best Buy unless you want it right now or you want to try it out before you buy (which is understandable I guess). What it boils down to is that it's publicity for Apple. You go to Best Buy, you try it out, you go 'wow', and then you buy it online with your free shipping, iPod nano, and 100$ off if you're a student.

That being said, I do sell Macs once in a while to people who are interested (Although I never push much). I also have a good score of selling service plans with them since customers who are willing to shell out an extra 500$ for an equivalent PC are also susceptible to give 350-450$ more.

So, what is everyone's problem with Best Buy? To answer a few things, here goes...

1) The service plans are more expensive because they cover accidental damage such as spills and drops, something AppleCare doesn't. $350 vs. $430 for accidental coverage isn't bad. Put it into perspective.

2) While I understand that TUAW readers thing Apple Retail is the an orgasm of IKEA furniture and Steve Jobs thinking, be glad for this. This pushes Macintosh computers further into the consumer view and will increase market share. Is that something we're against?

Like, really people. Enough of the anti-Best Buy bull****.

I work at a Best Buy in Texas and was able to make a copy of this promotional DVD that was played in a meeting at our store. Needless to say, I really want this position! Here is the video I posted on YouTube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=z7WVPnpfl9E

At the Best Buy @ 119th and Metcalf in Kansas near the Sprint world headquarters, the Apple area just opened a week or so ago. This comes not long after the CompUSA across the street closed up and where a Apple area was located for this part of town. The Apple Expert from CompUSA is now the Apple Expert in the Best Buy as are many of the other sales people, many of which knew Apples quite well. Hopefully these employees will be able to accurately weigh the buyers choices and explain things better than your typical "PC Only" sales reps.

I will say the floor space for the Apple sections is much nicer than what was previously at the CompUSA. I have also seen quite a few people purchasing Mac Books, iMacs and such. With a town that only has one true Apple store, any other outlets for people to buy is a plus in my book.

whoops, *A couple days ago was an Intel-HP training down in Ft. Lauderdale, and at the training, our 3 tables of people were nothing BUT Apple comments against HP.

I'm the "Apple Expert" at the Best Buy in Boca Raton, and despite the past Apple tries, we're doing really well. All the employees in PC-Home Office now want an Apple next, which says a lot because of the Anti-Apple Bandwagon.

All Best Buys with Apple Stores are also getting an "Apple Consultant" who is hired and payed by Apple to work in the Best Buy stores when the "Apple Expert" is not.

A couple days ago was an Intel-HP training down in Ft. Lauderdale, and at the training, our 3 tables of people were nothing about Apple comments against HP. Which lets me know I've done my job. And I don't plan on letting Best Buy's and Apple's partnership fail this time.

As far as our Performance Service Plans go, the iMac PSP's are overpriced considering we don't have the 24/7 Apple Support that AppleCare provides. But our Accidental Performance Service Plans are much better because cover EVERYTHING except lost, stolen or submerged (spill damage is covered) which I don't believe AppleCare supports.

Honestly, right now we don't sell as much as i'd like, because it's more word of the mouth at the moment. It still amazes me how many customers I get a day that have never seen Apple's, and how they want to go home and research them now that I've showed them all the benefits. As soon as Bootcamp is final, I expect no problems ever selling them to non-exporters.

And just so everyone knows, Retailers don't make money off Laptops or Desktops anymore, they lose money. Computer Departments are dying, and this partnership will keep them afloat because we at least make something now. Best Buy and Apple have failed in the past, but I can tell you a lot of thought, time and detail is going into the project and it's going to be a success.

Tristan, you should know that there is zero margin in hardware anymore. The trick to sales is ink, and cables, and service plans.

I work at a Best Buy in Canada as sells person in the computers department (summer job). The mac section is terribly under-maintained and the selection of mac software is quite small. Plus, most of the staff doesn't know how they work. I'm the only one there that is able to sell any to mac neophytes.

The problem with Apple's products is that retail stores barely make a margin on them, so they have to make up with more expensive service plans. Apple's prices are also terribly non-competitive compared to HP's or Acer's products. For example: You can get a Quad-Core desktop with a 19 inch screen for the price of the 17 inch iMac. How can you justify that unless your a big Apple fan like me? Usability and design is a good point but features for the buck for most people is more important.

Pond or no, Best Buy has a website, of course, if you're curious about the big box electronics store.

After looking at all the pictures, am I shallow to be repulsed by the ugly yellow Best Buy price tags stuck on those beautifully packaged Apple products?

Fortunately we have 4 apple stores within reasonable distances of the Denver Metro area.

@8 Comp launched their "store within a store" with the iMac, and it was a huge success. Then they neglected that part of the store, and it became this dark cave that they shuffled all the old crap in the store too. Apple finally, stepped in and started sending their own reps in, but by then it was pretty much too late, and while they still have reps, nobody ever goes there.