Photo Equipment and Best Buy

Two weeks ago I tried to shop for a video camera at BB. They were very low on stock, but the clerk told me they were getting a huge shipment in very shortly. I went back yesterday. Very low stock and a different clerk said they were "in a period of transition". They seem to have lots of camera bags and P&S cameras but few DSLR's and extremely few video cameras. I've heard rumors BB is having financial difficulties. Does anyone know what's going on?

Thanks.

I imagine that with the closing of Circuit City that Best buy is getting some pretty good incentives from their suppliers and financiers. They also reported better than expected revenue from the last quarter.

But the rumors are not rumors... Best Buy is certainly having financial difficulties- right alongside every single other retail business on the surface of the planet.

I went to buy a new laptop when Windows was switching from XP to Vista and they had 10 computers in total in the whole store. I was a bit stunned until I found out why. I went back a month later and got the computer.

Best Buy here is rockin', even though their customer service absolutely sucks. I once spent 45 minutes in there standing next to the $1500 computer I was going to buy, and nobody even spoke to me. The first 30 mins I was there I was going to buy the darn thing, the last 15 minutes was just to tell whoever talked to me that I was going to go buy the exact same PC at Circuit City. Anyways, the BB here is doing well, in fact they opened another store within a 10 minute drive of the current one (that now sits across the street from a closed Circuit City).

I went back today and they had one FS200 camcorder in stock. Beleive me, I snatched that sucker up quick! Maybe they will get more, but they do seem to have inventory problems and I didn't want to wait and be even more frustrated.

Several big box stores seem to have inventory issues. PetSmart never has the aquarium supplies I need. Office Depot has shortages of cameras and laptops.

These stores use the most sophisticated inventory control available so it can't be that. What the heck is the problem????

^
the 16 year old part timers on the floor who just don't care whom are hassled by 30+ year old high school drop outs that enjoy bossing little kids around because that's the old thing that they have going on in life.

Inventory comes in crates and boxes that are mixed with $2 CDs with $1,500 car stereo accessories, photo equipment, etc. If you take a look back at their staging and storage in the back, you could probably find 5 year merchandise that was never put on the floor.

I don't know where you are, but the Best Buy around here is chock full of gear. Chock full.

Its funny, in my city, there's already one best buy and there's another one being built down the street. lol.

Rainyday wrote in post #7670728
These stores use the most sophisticated inventory control available so it can't be that. What the heck is the problem????

That's the problem, they are trying to micro-manage their inventory. DSLRs and laptops are quite expensive, so I'm sure in this less than ideal economy, they are trying to keep their inventory cost down.

I hate transition times. I work at a retail store, and the end of quarters and beginning of quarters suck, because we're lower on option (not on stock, just options).
Best Buy is starting to get back on its feet, but slowly, I would hate to have them go under.

I agree that customer service sucks. I wait more than a half hour before anyone realizes that I'm there.

I have heard from a Best Buy employee at the Best Buy in Brooklyn (Belt Parkway/Bay Parkway Exit) that Best Buy was in the process of opening more Best Buy locations. At least 3 (maybe more) busy Circuit City locations in Brooklyn closed so now Best Buy is swamped.

highv0lt6ge wrote in post #7690859
That's the problem, they are trying to micro-manage their inventory. DSLRs and laptops are quite expensive, so I'm sure in this less than ideal economy, they are trying to keep their inventory cost down.

It could be that inventory of the larger ticket items are only going to stores that show a higher demand for them, ie, the bigger stores in more metro areas...

If you live in a more rural area or are going to a smaller Best Buy, they might not be getting the inventory because Best Buy is playing things cautious right now

I think Best Buy is doing ok so far to be fair, they arent in the same level of trouble that Circuit City was in thats for sure

As for going there, Honestly, I've had few problems with my Best Buy, the ones in my area actually seem to get some genuinely knowledgeable and helpful people, my last problem there was about 6 years ago...

I'm actually seriously thinking of buying my next body at Best Buy rather than online, just to have instant satisfaction..

I went to get a cheap tri-pod today and the camera guy there said they are starting to stock more professional camera items. Honestly where I live there is like nothing left to buy from or even rent.

They just got in a 70-200 2.8L . He didn't even know, we both double taked when we saw.

Armitage wrote in post #7701690
I went to get a cheap tri-pod today and the camera guy there said they are starting to stock more professional camera items. Honestly where I live there is like nothing left to buy from or even rent.

They just got in a 70-200 2.8L . He didn't even know, we both double taked when we saw.

I also did a double take last time I went in and saw the 17-40 f/4L in the display case. I had never seen an L at BB before.

Dont forget you can go to Bestbuy.com and order items online to be shipped to your home. Or speak to an associate about ordering the camera to the store (no postage fees) it cant be done for every item, but some items are ordaerable through a special system allowing them to get the product for you.

At my location in VA I think we have 6 or more (I cant remember) Best Buys in a radius of 30 miles, including a new store that opened last August. Best Buy is also opening stores In Europe, although according to CNN the build date has been delayed as they are not set on location.