[kwlug-disc] Technology big box stores

[CrankyOldBugger]

There's a thing in retail called "The Best Buy Effect" (or something like
that) that describes the problems most brick and mortar stores are having
now: people go into a store, look at the products on the shelves, decide
what they want, then go home and order it online, cheaper.  I sometimes do
the same thing myself.

But I should add that I'm finding more and more that big stores don't carry
as much inventory as their websites do.  For example, when I was in
California last week I went looking for a Kohl's department store as a
friend recommended it for men's clothing.  Their website has a large
selection of big and tall men's clothes, so I drove to two different stores
in two different towns.  In both cases, there were no b&t items on the
shelves.  Clerks in both stores told me that b&t is available only on the
website.  So how am I going to try something on to be sure it fits ok?


On Sun, 12 Apr 2015 at 10:10 Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com> wrote:

> Add to that TheSource. Which is just another Futureshop/BestBuy clone.
>
> Also you have the online only guys, like NCIX.
>
> Others specialize more, such as Staples with office and furniture, and
> Canada Computers with more tech stuff.
>
> Futureshop was sold to BestBuy a long time ago (10+ years?) It did not
> make any sense to keep the two brands going, with stores close by. Almost
> everything in their inventory overlapped. I am surprised that it took them
> that long to realize this is not efficient.
>
> I found that sometimes ordering some items online is cheaper than the same
> items in store (if they had that in the inventory), even when you add
> shipping. I am talking about the same item from the same store online vs.
> retail.
>
> The trend it seems that stores will rely on online sales as their main
> revenue/profit source, with stores shrinking, perhaps in size and in
> numbers.
>
> On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 9:59 AM, <jekerr at sdf.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi gang
>>
>> Tiger Direct has everything in the store up to 40% off the lowest ticketed
>> price. Two big box stores have merged and closed stores. I think Staples
>> has closed some stores as well.
>>
>> Are the profit margins strong enough to keep so many stores open?
>>
>> Are we seeing a trend here?
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
> 2bits.com, Inc.
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