Best Buy to get into instrument sales

CurtZHP · Post by **CurtZHP** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:32 am

I just heard a report on the radio that Best Buy is looking to get further into musical instrument sales. The reporter literally said, "Look out Guitar Center and Sam Ash!"

Discuss.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:49 am

We did this about six months ago when they did a couple of pilot instrument sales departments in Minnesota stores. Here: http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopi ... hlight=buy

EDIT: I have this to add now that I've been through the Roseville, MN Best Buy instruments dep't: 1. They have signs around the department saying that the salespeople don't work on commission, so they should be more trustworthy; 2. There is no used stuff (no surprise there); 3. There are not many customers in there on a weekday (not during my 2 visits); 4. The sales guys are really nice and low-pressure. They haven't tried to chat me up, which is nice.

GC has ads everywhere in the neighborhood around this store (they share a parking lot). Lots of bus stop ads that you can see from your car. The ads say things like "A guitar is not a gadget" and other similar things to suggest that GC, not BB, is expert at music stuff. Fair enough. They are obviously threatened enough by this BB project to actually address it directly in ads ... which is theoretically good for the consumer who might benefit from a bit of competition.

Those are my thoughts. I don't buy much stuff, just browse when I am passing thru the neighborhood. I don't know whether they'd haggle (probably not)

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:08 am

i'm not a huge fan of BB, but i actively and strongly dislike GC...okay, i feckin' hate them.

the BB near me has sale ppl who generally know their stuff, so i would at least check them out one time if they started carrying musical instruments and accessories.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:13 am

I was just going to post this:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/b ... store.html

when I saw this thread. This story says that they will have 85 in store music instrument centers by the end of this year.

CurtZHP · Post by **CurtZHP** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:01 am

Tatertot wrote:We did this about six months ago when they did a couple of pilot instrument sales departments in Minnesota stores. Here: http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopi ... hlight=buy

EDIT: I have this to add now that I've been through the Roseville, MN Best Buy instruments dep't: 1. They have signs around the department saying that the salespeople don't work on commission, so they should be more trustworthy; 2. There is no used stuff (no surprise there); 3. There are not many customers in there on a weekday (not during my 2 visits); 4. The sales guys are really nice and low-pressure. They haven't tried to chat me up, which is nice.

GC has ads everywhere in the neighborhood around this store (they share a parking lot). Lots of bus stop ads that you can see from your car. The ads say things like "A guitar is not a gadget" and other similar things to suggest that GC, not BB, is expert at music stuff. Fair enough. They are obviously threatened enough by this BB project to actually address it directly in ads ... which is theoretically good for the consumer who might benefit from a bit of competition.

Those are my thoughts. I don't buy much stuff, just browse when I am passing thru the neighborhood. I don't know whether they'd haggle (probably not)

Sorry I missed that. Didn't mean to start a redundant discussion.

I guess I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, if Best Buy wants to sell musical instruments or even underwear that's their business. More power to them. On the other hand, I've been to Best Buy in several cities, and I seriously doubt they could offer adequate customer service in that area. Not that Guitar Center does a stellar job in that regard, but at least it's a safe bet that the sales dude knows more about guitars than the average Best Buy sales dude. If Best Buy takes the time and effort to hire the right people, time will tell.

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:07 am

does this mean that I have to listen to some douchbag murdering Metallica riffs while I shop for blank cd-rs?

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:28 am

subatomic pieces wrote:does this mean that I have to listen to some douchbag murdering Metallica riffs while I shop for blank cd-rs?

"HOLLLLD MY BREATH AS I PRAY FOR DEEEEEATH!!"

Smitty · Post by **Smitty** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:33 pm

I can never find anybody that knows anything at any of the above-mentioned stores, so it's all the same to me either way.

T-rex · Post by **T-rex** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:42 pm

Honestly I like Best Buy cause they have whateer I am looking for and I can usually always get in and out without ever having to talk to a sales person.

The few local music stores we have around here are so high, that I usually end up buying from the net instead. Maybe if they competition brings the prices down I can start shopping at the local places again.

0-it-hz · Post by **0-it-hz** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:56 am

Don't think so.... I think the net is cheap because it isn't local. No brick & mortar and no warm bodies = Cheap gear. Just pray it never breaks.

akg414 · Post by **akg414** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 3:53 am

You know, this brings up a question: who really NEEDS a salesperson when buying a piece of music or pro-audio gear? Does anyone (on this board) actually rely on a salesperson trained by "Best Buy" (or worse, GC) to answer our questions?

If something is not known, we have this place to get all the info we can even need

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:40 am

bradjacob wrote:who really NEEDS a salesperson when buying a piece of music or pro-audio gear?

this is a very good point.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:57 am

My only problem with Best Buy, which is about the only place to buy CD's where I live, is that if you buy something with a check, they will not accept a return until the check clears.

Because of a paperwork glitch on their end, I had to wait over a week to return a defective and expensive telephone, which created a problem as I didn't have the ready cash to buy a second while waiting for them to get their act together.

I shop there now, but only spend what cash in pocket I have, typically on CD's and small electronic/computer stuff; if it's a big-ticket item that I need to buy with a check, its Circus City, Sam's Club, etc. that get my business.

Smitty · Post by **Smitty** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:01 am

do they not take debit cards? just wondering.

(edit: sorry, legitimate question about their policies there.. upon review, my first response seemed snarky, which i did not mean at all!)

vsr600 · Post by **vsr600** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:40 am

bradjacob wrote:You know, this brings up a question: who really NEEDS a salesperson when buying a piece of music or pro-audio gear? Does anyone (on this board) actually rely on a salesperson trained by "Best Buy" (or worse, GC) to answer our questions?

If something is not known, we have this place to get all the info we can even need

to be fair not every GC employee is an idiot who learned everything they know about recording from a GC training module. I work at Guitar Center (gasp!) and have run my own home studio for years and visit this forum daily. In fact at my store I think most of the people in the pro audio department know and use 95% of the products we sell. The main problem I guess is that we sell so much and it's really hard to find someone who is well versed in recording gear, live sound gear, keyboards and workstations, dj gear and lighting. If someone walks in with a bunch of questions about lights then yea I'd probably look like an idiot and have to look up all the info for them. However if someone wants a good condenser microphone to record an acoustic guitar, I could probably list off about 20 different models at different price points that would work for them.
Oh yes and I refer a ton of customers just getting into recording to TOMB and UTFSF...

Message Board

Best Buy to get into instrument sales

Best Buy to get into instrument sales

Who is online