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Best Buy intentionally hurting Zune sales?
comment: 43 | Friday, January 12 (2007) 08:34PM | Posted by Michael
I like shaking things up every now and again and today happens to be one of those days. While browsing through Best Buy's site I noticed their DAP selection was broken down into four separate categories:

1,) Music Only
2.) Music + Photo + Video players
3.) Music + Photo + Movie players
4.) Music + More players



I was pleased with these categories for the most part until I came to the third one. This category is supposed to be for the major HD players such as the Apple iPod, Creative Zen Vision:M, and the Microsoft Zune. But wait, the Zune was nowhere to be be found. I found it hiding in the last category amongst satellite radios and communication devices.

All this because it has built-in Wi-Fi? I could understand if Microsoft made great use of the Wi-Fi but the sharing feature is quite limited. The player really sticks out in that fourth category, and should really be placed with it's fellow competitors in the third category. I'm sure this isn't having any impact on sales whatsoever, but consumers are unable to use the sites comparison feature to compare the iPod to the Zune because they're in two different categories. We should all contact Best Buy and demand that they put the Zune into the 3rd category!

LINK
Comments

dap_pad

Comments: 519
 		Jan 12 (2007) 09:26PM  

Um... true LOL i would've never noticed that since the Canadian Best Buy doesn't organize like that. They sort by iPods, Flash Mp3 Player and Hard Drive Mp3 Players.



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Jan 12 (2007) 10:48PM  

Yeah that's another thing that gets me. When I see retailers saying "iPods and MP3 players".It's just one more way to make iPods stand out from the crowd.


jbhitter24

Comments: 351
 		Jan 12 (2007) 10:58PM  

well i think the reason many retailers realize that not all consumers are intelligent, especially possible ipod buyers. more then many a time ive had people ask me what new ipod to get or what kind of ipod i have, or when i say mp3 player they go 'oh, those things that are kind of like ipods'. so i guess they do that for the kindof people who will see 'mp3 players' and be all wtf?! no ipods?

[Linky]
im really suprised by the ignorance of some of the responses.



Digitalbath83

Comments: 87
 		Jan 13 (2007) 12:04AM  

Wow people are ignorant. I'm introducing friends to other types of DAPs and they are amazed. Most people think the iPod is the only thing out there. In the end they usually pick up an iPod, but atleast it's an informed decision


rockinamigo14

Comments: 188
 		Jan 13 (2007) 12:12AM  

i really don't like this newer Best Buy setup. I liked the way it was: Flash Players and Hard Drive Players.



blessingx

Comments: 27
 		Jan 13 (2007) 12:43AM  

What's the difference between:
2.) Music + Photo + Video players
3.) Music + Photo + Movie players
Does #3 have film loops?



LiQuiD_FuSioN

Comments: 111
 		Jan 13 (2007) 12:58AM  

It's not Best Buy's fault for poor sales.. it's Microsoft's fault for making such a generic-looking DAP.



egloskerry

Comments: 410
 		Jan 13 (2007) 02:57AM  

There are still many, many people who come in and ask "what's the difference between an mp3 and an ipod?" SSJ, you have to realize that if "ipods" were not one of the categories, people would be asking why BB doesn't have ipods on their site. If we don't put "ipod" on the tag in store, we would actually get people who ask "which ones are ipods?"

If you guys want, I could forward this to the head of BB's wireless dept. and post the response.
[ edited Jan 13 (2007) 03:00AM ]



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Jan 13 (2007) 03:29AM  

I'm talking about online mostly not in stores. For instance check out Circuit City's site:


There's no need for the "iPods and MP3 player" thing. If consumers can't figure out that iPods would be found in the MP3 player section then the world really is doomed. We can't make excuses that these people out there are clueless. It's retailers that have made it so that iPods stand out from all other players. This separation by the retailers is what leads to questions like the one you mentioned eglo.

For whatever reason it reminds me of golf tournments where someone is tied with Tiger Woods for the lead yet his name is always at the top even if it's supposed to be alphabetical. If it was any other two leaders it wouldn't be that way.

Also no need to file a request, this post wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. Just an interesting observation I made and felt like sharing with others.
[ edited Jan 13 (2007) 03:32AM ]



Design Fabulous

Comments: 1038
 		Jan 13 (2007) 03:58AM  

This a page from a internet shopping center called Gmarket. I translated it so that you guys can read it. And as you can see, no "iPod" section.



The thing I am wondering is, why is the iPod so significant in some markets and not in others? What makes the markets different? I am just having a hard time thinking of how one device could create a type of device itself.
[ edited Jan 13 (2007) 03:59AM ]



egloskerry

Comments: 410
 		Jan 13 (2007) 04:34AM  

Well, that looks like an asian site, where apple doesn't have much reputation.

SSJ, I was talking about online also.

"SSJ, you have to realize that if "ipods" were not one of the categories, people would be asking why BB doesn't have ipods on their site."

These are stores whose executives probably don't know the difference either. They know that if people don't see the word "ipod" on the front page of their site, they won't bother to look and will just move on.



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Jan 13 (2007) 05:11AM  

I just noticed BB has the Archos 604 WiFi in the simple flash player section. If anything eglo you can send a request to correct that: [Linky]

This player I believe is worthy of the fourth category, but not the Zune
[ edited Jan 13 (2007) 05:12AM ]



Sebhelyesfarku

Comments: 398
 		Jan 13 (2007) 07:16AM  

There should be an addditional category: 5.) Players That Look Like a Turd. It would contain the brown Zune.



Dominic
Location: Ireland.
Comments: 2396
 		Jan 13 (2007) 09:03AM  

yes mysterious Sebhelyesfarku there should be....gosh is there no end to your wisdom



BoSox

Comments: 44
 		Jan 13 (2007) 11:35AM  

I get so mad when people ask if I have an iPod or an MP3 player.

The general consensus among the average consumer, as far as I've seen, is that the iPod is great, while MP3 Players are for people who can't afford iPods.



Thebassness
Location: In a crappy little place called duluth,ga
Comments: 168
 		Jan 13 (2007) 11:55AM  

Yea it's amazing what people think. Although when i had my u10 people thought it was amazing and didn't ask the classic "is that the new ipod?" but they called my zvm ugly....:(



Michael
Location: New York City
Comments: 2786
 		Jan 13 (2007) 01:02PM  

I wonder if it's going to be iPhones and Cell Phones at retailers when that product comes out too.



Dominic
Location: Ireland.
Comments: 2396
 		Jan 13 (2007) 01:52PM  

no. hehehe.



pecker

Comments: 501
 		Jan 13 (2007) 02:07PM  

I agree with your point of view, but websites have, PC and Mac sections they are both personal Computers but mac has its own sub title.

Same sort of argument! Just seems apple is dominating the electronics world so much.

I hate it when people say what type of ipod is that. (they know it isnt an 'apple' ipod but they class it an ipod as it plays music.

But i understand egloskerry, why would a company put there self at risk of not getting a sale, whan all they need to do is add 1 word IPOD!



Ricardo Dawkins

Comments: 380
 		Jan 13 (2007) 05:41PM  

total dissapoinment....nothing to show @ CES.
Tomorrow is 2 months and after that MacW show...they should come from the dark firing at full cylinders ...but wait NO...they are promoting the WHS and crap like the Vistagami.....ummm WTF ???

No announcement about firmware updates.
No ZM updates.
No new SKU...

[Linky]
Integrate the damn thing with the X360 Already....!!!
Are they slow or what ?



Philip_0729

Comments: 22
 		Jan 13 (2007) 06:45PM  

.. that yahoo link was depressing



Allen
Location: Dub Vee Ooo
Comments: 1511
 		Jan 13 (2007) 07:12PM  

Meh.. I wouldn't buy any dap from bb or cc anyways



pata2001

Comments: 141
 		Jan 13 (2007) 11:06PM  

Blame it on MS. They could have done what Apple did, requesting their own shelf space. I've seen Target doing this for a short period of time, having the Zune on its own special shelf. MS, just like most other iPod competitors, never realize what is important for a consumer electronic product. The think rebadging a Toshiba gigabeat and adding a useless wifi feature can entice consumers, but they didn't even pay attention to their own buggy software. With hardware features around the same, software is the key, and iTunes works for most people. Heck, the least MS could have done was made the Zune a UMS device, but no.



Donnie

Comments: 247
 		Jan 14 (2007) 02:32AM  

Heh, I disliked Best Buy since my first DAP purchase last year, a Samsung YP-T7J. Although I didn't need the help anyway, except for a price inquiry, chasing an associate down to check on the price was like playing a real-life Pac-Man game (when all of the ghosts turn blue and stuff - though I don't eat the staff, ).

Now I've got a gift card from the boss, which was spent on something else that had another gift card (unknowingly, ick).

But CC sucks too, just in my town, not as much as BB.

Back to the point, MS is screwed, since their Zune offering is a little too late in this game. Maybe on the next big thing, whatever it is in a few years.



dustin24
Location: AZ
Comments: 39
 		Jan 14 (2007) 04:46AM  

Some of you guys have labeled people stupid or ignorant for not knowing there is no difference between an ipod and an mp3 player. That kind of bothers me because it's that whole elitist attitude that drives people from becoming interested in learning. Everyone from physicists to football players to the unemployed own ipods and a vast majority of them don't know and really don't care to know as much as we do about daps and pmps. They just want to listen to music in the easiest possible way. I'm not saying that Apple deserves its own special section in searches, but I think BB's new search system reflects what is easiest for the average consumer. Many cars are sold with an "ipod attachment", when of course it's just an analog input that any source can use. Shouldn't we be mad that they don't call it the ipod/zune input?



pdream

Comments: 65
 		Jan 14 (2007) 07:24AM  

dustin24:

It's not so hard. Most people know that the songs they put on an iPod are MP3's. It's a popular term anyway. Then, wouldn't it be rather easy to figure out that an mp3-player simply is capable of doing the same, and in that respect, actualy do the same?

Really, I live in The Netherlands, and most people use the term "MP3" for a DAP here, are Americans that much more stupid?



Philip_0729

Comments: 22
 		Jan 14 (2007) 09:45AM  

"Shouldn't we be mad that they don't call it the ipod/zune input?" im mad they dont just call it an aux input which is what it is



egloskerry

Comments: 410
 		Jan 14 (2007) 12:29PM  

Dustin, I actually am mad car manufacturers don't call it that, because people come in and say "my car has a thing to hook an ipod to it" and when I ask them if it's specifically for an ipod or if it's just for anything, they're like "oh I don't know". Then I ask them if the cable is short and thin or long and flat, and they still don't know, even after I show them the cable.



Don

Comments: 4
 		Jan 14 (2007) 02:04PM  

Even though the Canadian Best Buy may not organize the same way, they and their affiliate Future Shop do make rather dumb sortings of players sometimes. Especially Future Shop, who has buried players in wrong categories that don't come up using their search tool.

But I doubt this is all intentional. I think it's simply incompetence.



Malloc

Comments: 46
 		Jan 14 (2007) 02:40PM  

Heh, working for Apple's European tech support, I have a little figurine with a detach-and reattachable head by my desk, coupled with a mini guillotine. People with 'Archos iPods' or 'Creative Apple Mp3's' make that head roll alot.
[ edited Jan 14 (2007) 02:40PM ]



jbhitter24

Comments: 351
 		Jan 14 (2007) 04:04PM  

@Dustin

it would be one thing if someone came over to dapreview, asked a question that might 'stupid' or 'common knowledge' and we just laughed at them so much they were permanately scarred from daps. thats not the case, i believe us here are condusive to all levels of dap expertise. there has been many a case where a new guy comes in with a seemingly silly question, or wants clarification on an abbreviation used in the forums, and we give him the info he needs and hes content. heck, i was one of those guys once (and i still am compared to most people here) and the reason im still here after whatever my initial questions were answered, is that i was confronted with a positive, friendly group here.



dustin24
Location: AZ
Comments: 39
 		Jan 14 (2007) 05:55PM  

I of course agree with you JB or else I wouldn't be using this forum. I should have made it more clear I guess. It seems that many people get an Insta-Tude when someone doesn't know as much as they do about a certain topic. People are labeled noobs and shunned. 99% of people on this forum and in real life are not like that, but that small minority gives the rest of us a bad name. It was just the first few posts on this topic that irked me. When someone asks if your Creative Zen is a new Ipod, they are not trying to offend you, they just don't know any better. Can you imagine how noobish we all must seem to doctors?



jbhitter24

Comments: 351
 		Jan 14 (2007) 06:41PM  

haha. yup i see your point dustin. you still cant help but get a good laugh out of some of the cases.



Who ME

Comments: 41
 		Jan 15 (2007) 09:58AM  

Why is the nano listed under the Music + Photo + Video category?

I thought only Creative, Insignia, Sansa and Samsung players did that?



Ricardo Dawkins

Comments: 380
 		Jan 15 (2007) 02:12PM  

^^ BB IS DUMB..THAT IS



LiQuiD_FuSioN

Comments: 111
 		Jan 15 (2007) 04:44PM  

I bought my Karma at BB.



doobydoo

Comments: 3
 		Jan 15 (2007) 09:28PM  

Best Buy is a crappy place to buy junk from salespeople who often know very little*. They are far too stupid for this to be premeditated. That being said, there are greater injustices in the world. I'm putting this in my Who Gives a Sh*t file.

*NOTE: If you're competent & knowledgeable and work at Best Buy, your colleagues are not doing you any favors.

[ edited Jan 18 (2007) 11:43PM ]



egloskerry

Comments: 410
 		Jan 16 (2007) 02:07PM  

Hey, dooby, I work at BB.



MrMEC

Comments: 9
 		Jan 17 (2007) 01:36PM  

Before I bought my Archos 504 I visited a Best Buy in my neighborhood looking to see if they had one I could check out. So I go to the MP3/iPod section and ask, "Do you carry the Archos 504?"

The guy answers, "what is that, a cellphone?"

Here's the kicker, the guy was a manager.

I no longer shop at Best Buy.



dustin24
Location: AZ
Comments: 39
 		Jan 18 (2007) 01:16AM  

You should have said it was an Ipod.



egloskerry

Comments: 410
 		Jan 19 (2007) 11:59PM  

MEC, was he a manager or a sup? If he was a manager, that's normal. The role of a manager in any store is not to know the product, but to be able to deal with customer issues and be able to, above all, manage, which many are unable to do.

If he was a sup, then it's not as OK, but it's still pretty common. Again, the role of a sup is to supervise and be able to run a department. I have never had a sup that has known anywhere near as much as I do. Our current sup is pretty much clueless about everything in our dept, and he's been our sup for about a month.

So, the next time management doesn't know about a product, don't be surprised. The company doesn't want them to train on product. They do very little selling, and therefore don't need to know about it.



Dominic
Location: Ireland.
Comments: 2396
 		Jan 20 (2007) 03:55AM  

i'm not surprised when floor staff don't know anything because, fair enough, I know that their wages aren't great and they won't be taking the job seriously...but a manager, now, he/she should know the store he/she is managing inside out.



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