Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

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arizonaguy
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Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

Post by arizonaguy »

They're shuttering all of their mobile focused stores. I've never been in one (as I've always bought mobile phones at stores run by the mobile carriers except for one I purchased from Costco).

https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/01/bes ... stores-us/
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Re: Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

Post by SamSpade »

My first smartphone came from one of these locations. At the time, I went there because the in-mall BBM was much closer than a traditional Best Buy and I secured a good deal. I also paid into their insurance for about a year (the "full replacement" $0 deductible kind they used to offer). This is probably where they used to make so much $$$ as it kept billing and billing every month until you thought to phone and cancel. The company also eliminated that when I upgraded a few years later to a newer device.

Initially I received really excellent service, but a few years later when helping my aunt with an upgrade, they seemed to be on the "make more money any way possible" hard sale strategy. Her bill ended up not working out anything like the sales associate promised.

In subsequent years I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile, which seems to barely partner with Best Buy. Of course, my newer phone was purchased from a friend, unlocked, and only needed a SIM from the carrier of my choice.

I've heard that the mobile market is now at a 'zero sum' game and the carriers are continuously going to fight each other for market share at this point. There's really only one smaller player left in the U.S. and they mostly serve rural markets with the exception of Chicagoland (US Cellular).
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Re: Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

Post by mbz321 »

Have we finally reached the point of 'peak cell phone store'? I still don't understand how all these stores manage to exist, combined with everywhere else that sells phones, and then the prepaid carriers too. With all other forms of shopping moving online, for some reason, cell phones hasn't. Pretty much every phone I have ever purchased has been online. I saw a post online of someone quite upset that they were losing their career. I know I work in retail too, but I would never consider slinging cell phones a life long career.
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Re: Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

Post by wnetmacman »

Realistically, this isn't a big loss for Best Buy. Mall rent is far higher than traditional stores, so they've probably been operating these at a loss. Can't do that in this day and age.
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Re: Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

Post by storewanderer »

I don't see this as a loss for Best Buy so much as another loss for the malls. These were at least professional looking store fronts with employees that appeared to be under some degree of supervision. Not a loss for Best Buy at all as I doubt the stores sold much of anything.

My local mall which in the past had all "corporate" owned cell phone kiosks, a couple of the carriers, have switched those kiosks to being "dealer" kiosks. These "dealer" kiosks are really unprofessional operations. One major carrier's kiosk I visited one day, the guy was eating sunflower seeds (unshelled) the whole time I talked to him as were his two co-workers who were not helping anyone. I walked past the kiosk a few more times in the later weeks and observed them eating pizza another time so this behavior seems to be pretty common. As far as appearances go, very casual looking appearance as far as clothing went as well.
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Re: Best Buy to close all 250 Best Buy Mobile stores

Post by Super S »

storewanderer wrote: March 4th, 2018, 1:12 pm I don't see this as a loss for Best Buy so much as another loss for the malls. These were at least professional looking store fronts with employees that appeared to be under some degree of supervision. Not a loss for Best Buy at all as I doubt the stores sold much of anything.

My local mall which in the past had all "corporate" owned cell phone kiosks, a couple of the carriers, have switched those kiosks to being "dealer" kiosks. These "dealer" kiosks are really unprofessional operations. One major carrier's kiosk I visited one day, the guy was eating sunflower seeds (unshelled) the whole time I talked to him as were his two co-workers who were not helping anyone. I walked past the kiosk a few more times in the later weeks and observed them eating pizza another time so this behavior seems to be pretty common. As far as appearances go, very casual looking appearance as far as clothing went as well.
Back when I had a contract cell phone, I visited one of those dealer operations. I agree 100%. I have noticed many kiosk operations get really pushy trying to sell you something as you walk by (although this isn't limited to cell phones)

As far as Best Buy, I don't think their regular stores were really all that great for the phones themselves, but I have bought a few chargers there.

I went to an AT&T prepaid phone I bought at Walmart a few years ago and buy airtime at whichever store is convenient. I have to wonder if the wide availability of inexpensive cell phones with no contracts has eaten into the operations of Best Buy as well as other cell phone stores. There are a lot of people that aren't concerned about the latest and greatest as long as the phone does what you want it to do.
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