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Tag: Best Buy

  • Websites Are Shunning the Facebook Button Over Privacy

    Websites Are Shunning the Facebook Button Over Privacy

    Once almost ubiquitous across the internet, websites are increasingly shunning the Facebook button over privacy concerns.

    Facebook’s button used to appear on websites large and small, providing a fast and easy way for people to log in to a site using their Facebook credentials. As consumers have grown more concerned with protecting their privacy, social media login buttons are a growing casualty.

    “We really just looked at how many people were choosing to use their social media identity to sign in, and that just has shifted over time,” Jen Felch, Dell’s chief digital and chief information officer, told CNBC. “One thing that we see across the industry is more and more security risks or account takeovers, whether that’s Instagram or Facebook or whatever it might be, and I just think we’re observing people making a decision to isolate that social media account versus having other connections to it.”

    Dell isn’t alone in removing the Facebook button. Best Buy, Ford, Match, Nike, Patagonia, Pottery Barn, and Twitch have all removed the option from their websites.

    The disappearing Facebook button is just the latest evidence that consumers are finally valuing their privacy and interested in taking greater control over it.

  • Best Buy Debuts $200 Yearly Membership Program

    Best Buy Debuts $200 Yearly Membership Program

    Best Buy has announced a yearly membership program, for $199.99, that provides special pricing, free installation and unlimited tech support.

    Like many companies, Best Buy has been working to transition away from brick and mortar stores, in favor of online shopping. The company recently announced it had laid off 5,000 employees, and would close more stores in 2021 than in previous years.

    The company is now offering a membership program, called Best Buy Beta. The program will cost $199.99, or $179.99 for customers with the Best Buy credit card. The program will be available in 60 stores by the end of the month.

    “As we look to evolve our membership programs, the goal of Best Buy Beta is to create a membership experience that customers will love and to leave them feeling confident throughout their relationship with Best Buy,” said Allison Peterson, Best Buy’s chief customer officer. “This pilot offers premium service, complete with support aimed at anticipating our customers’ needs.”

    The service will also provide a 24/7 concierge team, available via phone, chat, email and the Best Buy app. The service is currently available in Iowa, Oklahoma and eastern Pennsylvania, with Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee next in line.

  • Best Buy Lays Off 5,000 Employees, Will Shutter More Stores

    Best Buy Lays Off 5,000 Employees, Will Shutter More Stores

    Best Buy has laid off some 5,000 employees and plans to close additional stores as customers turn to online shopping.

    American customers have increasingly been turning to Amazon and online stores for their electronics needs, putting pressure on traditional, brick and mortar stores. With the pandemic further changing consumers’ shopping habits, traditional stores have been under even more pressure. Fry’s Electronics announced it was closing Wednesday, illustrating the growing challenges traditional businesses are facing.

    Best Buy, in contrast, has fared relatively well during the pandemic. Much of this is due to the company’s online sales. According to CNN Business, the company expects 40% of its sales to come from online purchases in 2021, as opposed to 19% two years ago. The company has also been relatively successful with its physical stores, although it expects in-store business to slow this year.

    As a result, Best Buy has laid off 5,000 staff, mostly full-time employees. The company is also raising the bar for evaluating whether to renew store leases. The company already closed 20 stores a year for the past couple of years, and expects that number to go up this year.

  • Apple Pay Continues To Gain Momentum

    Apple Pay Continues To Gain Momentum

    Apple released its financial results for its fiscal year 2015 Q2 on Monday. The company had a record quarter largely thanks to iPhone sales, as well as strong performances by Mac and the App Store.

    During the ensuing conference call, CEO Tim Cook talked a little bit about the momentum Apple Pay continues to gain. Here’s what he had to say about that (via SeekingAlpha’s transcript):

    We’re seeing great momentum with Apple Pay. Discover announced today that its cardmembers in the United States will be able to make contactless payments in participating stores through Apple Pay beginning this fall.

    And last month, we said that the number of locations accepting Apple Pay has tripled, and we continue to see great progress with merchants. Best Buy, which has been a longtime, strong partner of ours, has just announced that it’s now offering Apple Pay in-app and later this year will offer Apple Pay in all of their U.S. stores.

    And merchants aren’t the only ones jumping onboard. Earlier this month, a leading healthcare payment network announced acceptance of Apple Pay for its clients, so over 50 major hospitals across the country, including Stanford Healthcare and Aspen Valley, will accept Apple Pay this year for copays and bill payments at registration and check in.

    Both Discover and Best Buy put out press releases about their Apple Pay integrations on Monday.

    Best Buy said customers can immediately start using Apple Pay to make purchases in the Best Buy app on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. An update is now available in the App Store.

    “Today’s consumers have many different ways to spend their money and we want to give our customers as many options as possible in how they pay for goods and services at Best Buy,” it said. “The acceptance of Apple Pay in the Best Buy app is the latest enhancement for our mobile platform.”

    The company also noted that it is opening a technology innovation office in Seattle this summer, which will largely focus on mobile.

    “In addition to paying in stores with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, millions of cardmembers can also use Apple Pay with iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 when paying for goods and services within apps beginning this fall,” Discover said of its integration.

    “As the mobile payments landscape matures, Discover remains committed to giving cardmembers secure options for using their cards and mobile devices,” added Diane Offereins, Discover’s president of payment services. “Discover’s focus on simplicity and value for our cardmembers aligns well with the way Apple Pay makes purchases easy and convenient.”

    The company notes that when cardmembers add their credit or debit card to Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers.

    As part of the agreement, it said, Discover Network will enable eligible financial institutions, including Discover Debit issuers, to let their cardholders use Apple Pay.

    Earlier this year, Apple partnered with USA Technologies to make Apple Pay available in over 200,000 vending machines, laundry pay stations, parking meters, etc.

    Image via Best Buy

  • Cyber Monday Sales: Best Deals On Video Games

    Cyber Monday is like the rushed sequel to Black Friday. That doesn’t make it any worse than America’s annual celebration of cheap TVs and trampling old people though. In fact, it might even be the superior holiday since you don’t have to brave the elements or that jerk down the block to score cheap goods.

    We’ve already previewed a few of the Cyber Monday deals coming from major retailers, but the video game fans out there are going to want to pay attention to this year’s Cyber Monday. For starters, Amazon is hosting a week of Cyber Monday sales starting today. One of the standout deals is half-off Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor for Xbox One and PS4. For only $30, you too can explore the vastness of Mordor while making enemies out of every orc you let live. Other notable deals on Amazon include Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition on PS4 for $18 or the recently released Lords of the Fallen for $40.

    For more deals, be sure to check out Amazon’s landing page for Cyber Monday. There will be new sales all week as the world’s largest online retailer attempts to siphon money out of gamers across the country.

    What about GameStop? Does the nation’s largest games specialty retailer have any good Cyber Monday sales in mind? While the retailer has yet to send out its annual Cyber Monday ad, it has already lowered the prices on the games that will be seeing discounts come December 1. Of particular note is recently released The Evil Within – the $60 PS4/Xbox One title has seen its price slashed in half for Cyber Monday.

    If you’re in the market for some last gen consoles, GameStop has you covered with some rather generous bundles. For starters is the Wii Holiday Blast from the Past bundle that throws in a Nintendo Wii and five games – New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Wii Sports, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Just Dance 2. The bundle retails for only $90 on Monday.

    If the Wii is a little too underpowered for you, GameStop is also offering a first gen Xbox 360 with a 60GB hard drive for $99. To make the deal even sweeter, the bundle throws in a free copy of last year’s excellent Tomb Raider reboot.

    Best Buy’s Cyber Monday sales are a little more disappointing. The best deal available is the Destiny White PS4 bundle for $419. It’s safe to assume that most of those bundles were picked up at better prices on Black Friday so it’s probably not worth the $30 unless you really want Destiny and a PS4.

    Last but not least, PC gamers still have the Steam Exploration Sale that lasts until Tuesday. We won’t know what Cyber Monday deals are in store for us until 9 a.m. PST tomorrow, but there’s likely to be some good deals. In fact, there are already over 5,000 titles on sale right now.

    Like all Cyber Monday deals, we may not be seeing the full picture until the namesake day rolls around at Midnight. Be sure to keep checking back at your favorite online retailer all day on Monday to see if the game you want for Christmas goes on sale.

  • Cyber Monday 2014: Best Buy Deals

    Cyber Monday, the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, was a term coined in 2005, as a marketing ploy to encourage consumers to shop for their wares online.

    In 2013, Cyber Monday online sales grew by 20.6% over 2012, hitting a record $2.29 billion, with an average order of $128.

    Best Buy posted its Cyber Monday deals on its site – though there might be a catch. Bestbuy.com went offline twice for roughly an hour on Black Friday, due to an overload of mobile traffic. Online consumers were greeted with the message, “We’re sorry. Best Buy.com is currently unavailable. Come Back Soon.”

    A representative for Best Buy said in a statement that the site was shut down due to a “concentrated spike in mobile traffic triggered issues.” Consumers took to Twitter to vent their frustration over the site being offline:

    Black Friday is second only to Cyber Monday in regards to online shopping. If the big-box retailer can keep its online marketplace open, the following notable deals can be had:

    – A Sharp 42″ Class LED 1080p HDTV for $299.99
    – A Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Camera with 18-55mm IS Lens for $449.99
    – An Asus 15.6″ Laptop – Intel Core i5 – 4GB Memory – 500GB Hard Drive for $399.99
    – A Lenovo S8-50 Tablet – 16GB for $159.99
    – A T-Mobile Prepaid Nokia Lumia 530 No-Contract Cell Phone for $34.99

  • Black Friday 2014: The Best Deals

    Black Friday 2014: The Best Deals

    Black Friday, which historically has occurred on the day after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November), is often regarded as the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

    Some of the most notable deals from various businesses include:

    Best Buy, which opens at 8 a.m., local time, and closes at 10 p.m.:

    – a Panasonic 50″ Class LED 1080p HDTV for $199.99
    – a 15.6″ Dell Touch Screen Laptop for $299.99
    – a 7″ DigiLand Quad-Core Tablet for $39.99
    – a Samsung 55″ Class LED 4K Ultra HD Smart TV for $899.99

    Regarding the 50″ Panasonic HDTV for $199.99, a Greenville, South Carolina man has been spotted camping outside a Best Buy store since Monday, in hopes of snagging the television.

    Kohl’s Black Friday deals include:

    – a Toshiba 40″ 1080p LED HDTV for $329.99
    – a 7″ Polaroid Tablet for $59.99
    – a Beats Pill 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker System for $179.99
    – a Toshiba 50″ 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV with Smart TV for $549.99
    – a Vizio 15.6″ Thin + Light Ultrabook Laptop for $1,169.99

    Walmart’s Black Friday event commences at 6 a.m., and lasts through the weekend. Select merchandise is 30% off from 6 a.m. until noon. Items include Samsung TV’s and home audio, all music CD’s and all artificial Christmas trees and lights.

    Black Friday Walmart deals include 20% off all firearms, 30% off all hunting apparel and discounts on Goodyear tires.

    Notable Sears Black Friday deals include:

    – an RCA 52′ 1080p HDTV for $379.99
    – an RCA 40″ 1080p HDTV for $249.99
    – a Kenmore stainless steel refrigerator for $999.99
    – a Kenmore washer/dryer duo for $799.98

    Home Depot is selling poinsettias for $.99 all day, and expects to move roughly 3.75 million of the plants this Black Friday.

    Lowe’s is offering:

    – a GT 35-inch steel firepit for $39
    – a Studio Sync Speaker Shelf for $49.98
    – a SHOP-VAC 12-gallon 6.0 PEAK HP VAC for $39.98
    – a 6.5-foot Pre-Lit Color Changing LED Artificial Tree for $59

    Here enthusiastic consumers challenge one another over underwear:

    Amazon’s electronics deals include:

    – a Samsung 40-inch Smart 1080p LED TV for $328
    – a Samsung 55-inch Curved Smart 4K Ultra HD LED TV for $1,298.

  • Best Buy Black Friday 2014 Deals

    Best Buy Black Friday 2014 Deals

    Black Friday, a ritual when ravenous consumers hoard big-box retailers to secure their deals, is right around the corner, and Best Buy is offering deals online now, and will commence in-store deals on Thanksgiving day.

    The online deals are now live, and the in-store doorbusters begin on Thursday at 5 p.m., local time, and over 1,000 stores in 47 states (Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have laws against this) will be open until 1 a.m. on Black Friday. The stores will reopen at 8 a.m., and close at 10 p.m.

    On Monday, employees of roughly 1,400 Best Buy stores were running mock drills of how to handle the hoards of consumers that will be present on Black Friday. About ten sales associates per store are designated to plainly replenish holes in stock laid out on the sales floor, and all employees are permitted to wear their most comfortable footwear, as opposed to their normal black shoes.

    Online electronics deals include:

    – An LG 49″ Class LED 1080p HDTV for $399.99
    – A VIZIO P-Series 65″ Class LED 2160p Smart 4K Ultra HDTV for $1499.99
    – A GoPro HERO4 Black 4K Action Camera & Free $20 Best Buy Gift Card for $499.99
    – A Sony 40″ Class LED 1080p 60Hz HDTV for $299.99

    In-store deals will include:

    – A Panasonic 50″ Class LED 1080p HDTV for $199.99
    – A 15.6″ Dell Touch Screen Laptop for $299.99
    – A 7″ DigiLand Quad-Core Tablet for $39.99
    – A Samsung 55″ Class LED 4K Ultra HD Smart TV for $899.99

    Regarding the 50″ Panasonic HDTV for $199.99, a Greenville, South Carolina man has been spotted camping outside a Best Buy store since Monday, in hopes of snagging the television. Brian McCauley, who is posted up in a lawn chair, commented, “Well, it’s a spur of the moment thing for me. I just packed a bag with some ravioli in it, some Chef Boyardee, a couple of hoodies, a jacket, that’s about it.”

    Below is a clip of some Black Friday mayhem, as enthusiastic customers hope to achieve shopping success:

  • Apple Pay Is Missing Some Key Retailers

    Apple Pay Is Missing Some Key Retailers

    Apple announced new payments platform Apple Play at its big iPhone/Apple Watch event on Tuesday.

    The feature, which makes use of the NFC technology present in the newest iPhone models, will allow consumers to pay for goods and services online and offline by scanning their phones rather than swiping traditional credit and debit cards.

    Apple Pay might just be the most significant announcement from the event. The company already has some major brands on board for 220,000 locations. Participating brands include: Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Bloomingdales, Disney, Duane Reade, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Nike, Petco, Staples, Subway, Unleashed, Walgreens, and Whole foods.

    It also works in apps from Groupon, Panera, Instacart, Sephora, Tickets.com, MLB.com, Starbucks, Uber, OpenTable, and Target.

    It’s missing at least a couple of key retailers, however. The New York Times reports that both Walmart and Best Buy are declining to participate in Apple Pay, and will continue to support the Merchant Customer Exchange, which seeks to replace card networks itself.

    Apple Pay does have support from the following banks: American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo.

    Image via Apple

  • Laptop Sales See New Revival After Decline Of Tablet

    Laptop Sales See New Revival After Decline Of Tablet

    Laptop sales have been increasing lately with the decline of tablet sales. The tablet, once touted as the laptop killer, is slowly sinking in popularity.

    The reason behind the increase in laptop sales is said to be partly due to Microsoft stopping its support for the Windows XP operating system.

    Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly stands by this idea as the driving force behind increasing laptop sales.

    He said on Wednesday, “The tablets boomed and now are crashing. The volume has really gone down in the last several months. But I think the laptop has something of a revival because it’s becoming more versatile.”

    With the introduction of devices like the Microsoft Surface, the lines between tablet and laptop became somewhat blurred. This has been a popular option, especially for students. Who wants to carry around both?

    Joly said of the combination, “So, with the two-in-ones, you have the opportunity to have both a tablet and laptop, and that’s appealing to students in particular. So you have an evolution. The boundaries are not as well defined as they used to be.”

    The growth in laptop sales isn’t astronomical, but it is enough to make one not see them as down for the count.

    Joly says part of the problem with the tablet, which is causing its sales to decrease and laptop sales to rise, could be that there hasn’t been a great need for replacement if you have a tablet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lay532mncvg

    “As a consumer. I think replacement is the issue. The penetration has gone so fast that it’s reaching an amazing degree and therefore it becomes more of a replacement market, and the level of innovation in the past year has not been as great as it had been in the previous two years. So, there again, the jury’s out in terms of what’s going to happen, because it’s going to depend on what innovation comes to market. But you need a reason to replace.”

    What do you think? Are you ready to ride the wave of increasing laptop sales and give up your tablet? Or do you still love the convenience and portability of a tablet too much?

    Image via YouTube

  • Laptop Deals: Top 10 Black Friday Laptop Deals

    Laptop Deals: Top 10 Black Friday Laptop Deals

    There are only two more days until the shoppers will be bombarding their local retail stores in search of the year’s best deals. One of the main items on people’s lists this year is laptops. If you are planning on going on the hunt for a new laptop, we have the top 10 best deals for Black Friday.

    I4U.com has compiled a list of the best prices on laptops for you Black Friday shoppers.

    1. $177.99 Dell Inspiron I15RV-1952BLK at Best Buy
    2. $178 HP 2000-2D09WM notebook at Walmart
    3. $199 Dell Inspiron 15 at Dell
    4. $248 11.6-inch Acer Touch-Screen Laptop at Walmart
    5. $299.99 Dell Inspiron 15 Core i3 Laptop at Dell
    6. $300 15-inch Asus touchscreen laptop at Best Buy
    7. $349.99 Toshiba Core i3 Laptop bundle at Best Buy
    8. $349.99 HP Pavilion 17.3″ AMD Elite Quad-Core A8 at Office Max
    9. $499.99 HP Split x2 at Best Buy
    10. $799.99 HP Envy TouchSmart 17.3″ Core i7 at Best Buy

    Many of the stores participating in the Black Friday extravaganza have limited quantities of the laptops listed, and some people are already camping out in front of the stores to try to get the one-day deals. That’s right…the weather hasn’t stopped those die hard shoppers. If you choose not to fight the crowd and want to search for good deals at home, online retailers, such as Amazon, will be offering discounts on their laptops as well.

    If you do choose to go shopping on Friday, be careful and good luck!

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Best Buy Black Friday Doorbuster Deals

    Consumer electronics big-box retailer Best Buy has posted some of its Black Friday 2013 doorbusters online.

    Amidst Walmart’s complicated 2013 triad of pre-Black Friday sales events, which some might say have diminished the entire concept of Black Friday retail deal-rushing madness, as well has Sears’ online member’s-only presale, Best Buy has launched its own complex pre-Friday sales-viewing advertisement.

    What does it all mean? Essentially, Best Buy customers can shop for doorbusters in-store, as soon as brick and mortar locations open at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 28. Later, on Thursday evening, consumers can get a glimpse of ‘Midnight Mystery Doorbusters,’ beginning at 10 p.m. Any deals gleaned there will become physically available in-store at midnight on Friday, November 29.

    Another slew of Best Buy in-store doorbusters will become available at 10 a.m. on Friday as well. No word if there is an online preview scheduled for that wave, though Best Buy, much like Sears, does employ a preferred shopper’s program, known as Elite and Elite Plus. Elite Best Buy shoppers can access ultra-secret deals.

    Notable deals Best Buy has already posted online include:

    -a MacBook Pro 13.3″ Display 4GB Memory 500GB Hard Drive for $999.99
    -a Samsung 55″ Class 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV for $699.99
    -a Lenovo 7″ 16GB Memory Tablet and Case for $129.99
    -an Insignia 32″ Class 720p 60Hz LED HDTV for $169.99
    -an HTC One Phone for Verizon Wireless, AT&T or Sprint for $49.99

    All sales include free shipping.

    Below is a clip documenting the general pandemonium that occurs when aggressive pricing begets aggressive shopping, at various big-box retailers during Black Friday events:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBk32OUxCnU

    Some Twitter commentary regarding the Best Buy 2013 Black Friday sales event:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Samsung Galaxy S4s are Free on Black Friday (Whoa)

    Samsung Galaxy S4s are Free on Black Friday (Whoa)

    The day after Thanksgiving could be your day to finally upgrade your phone: The most recent edition of the highly popular Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S4 will be free on Black Friday.

    Of course, this is with a two-year contract only. This is still a great deal, especially for those who have been looking at their Galaxy S3s with a little less love since the S4 has been released.

    The Black Friday Best Buy and Walmart ads both explain their unique ways of providing this offer. At Walmart, you pay $99, but they in turn give you a $100 gift card. Yes, it is only a dollar back, but that is still an extra dollar that you didn’t have before! Plus, receiving a gift card could also scratch an item off of your Christmas list. All in all, kudos to Walmart’s ingenious marketing plan to keep the money in-house with a little extra incentive.

    Best Buy keeps it a bit simpler, but with their own advantages: If you get your Galaxy S4 from Best Buy, you have the choice of using Verizon, AT&T and Sprint as your carrier. Best Buy is also the only place where you can get the attractive Blue Arctic color.

    It’s pretty hard to say that this isn’t a great deal. While this probably means that the Galaxy S5 is coming soon, which it definitely is according to some, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great phone that normally costs over $200. If you or someone you know needs an upgrade, Black Friday might be the best time to do it.

    Image: Samsung

  • Best Buy CEO Dumps Stake To Pay For Divorce

    Divorces are always a little messy. They tend to be especially harsh when there is money involved. That is the lesson that is being learned the hard way by the CEO of electronic retail giant Best Buy.

    Hubert Joly, who has lead Best Buy to a resurgence and accompanying increases in profit, reportedly sold 20% of his stake in the company recently. What is he reason behind the sudden dumping of such valuable stock, you ask? The answer lies with the former Mrs. Joly who received a massive divorce settlement.

    The company cleared the air via a statement: “This sale reflects only one thing — Mr. Joly has recently gone through a divorce and needs to sell a portion of his holdings in order to cover the costs of that unfortunate event.”

    Joly sold a hefty 451,153 shares in the company, which totaled a whooping $16.7 million. After paying $6.3 to exercise stock options Joly was left with just over $10 million to hand over to his ex-wife.

    While $16.7 million is a lot of money for anyone to lose, Joly is in a good position to earn it back; after all, he’s not just any Joe Schmo with a 5-figure paycheck and a mortgage. Since assuming control of Best Buy in August of 2012 the price of shares in the company have tripled after some initial lag. If that trend continues Joly should recover nicely.

    [Image via The Street]

  • Best Buy Jumps The Gun On New Nexus 7 Pre-Orders, Confirms Android 4.3’s Existence

    Google will be hosting an event this morning with Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai. We all kind of assumed it would have something to do with Android, but the specifics were still a mystery until Best Buy jumped the gun.

    Best Buy launched the pre-order pages for both the 16GB and 32GB variants of the Nexus 7 this morning way ahead of Google’s announcement. The retailer quickly pulled the devices from appearing in search results, but you can still access the product pages via a direct link.

    Of course, we already pretty much knew the new Nexus 7 was being announced today. What we didn’t know were the official specs. Now we do thanks to the Best Buy product listing.

    According to the product page, the new Nexus 7 comes equipped with a 7-inch 1920×1200 display, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 5MB rear camera, a 1.2MP front camera and Bluetooth 4.0.

    The product listing also confirms that the new Nexus 7 will ship with Android 4.3. Unfortunately, it doesn’t detail any of the new features coming to the updated OS, but it does confirm that it’s still called Jelly Bean.

    Here are some of the official product shots from the pre-order page:

    Best Buy Jumps The Gun On New New Nexus 7 Pre-orders

    Best Buy Jumps The Gun On New Nexus 7 Pre-Orders

    Best Buy Jumps The Gun On New Nexus 7 Pre-Orders

    It should be noted that the pre-order page confirms the leaked prices from last week – the 16GB Nexus 7 will cost $230 and the 32GB will cost $270. What the pre-order page doesn’t say is when we’ll start seeing it in stores. That’s not too big of a deal, however, as a leaked Best Buy ad from earlier this week said it will become available on July 30.

    Best Buy may have spoiled the fun, but we’ll still be bringing you any and all news from Google’s big event this morning. Who knows – Pichai might have something more for us besides Android 4.3 and a new Nexus 7.

    [h/t: Engadget]

  • Square’s POS Solution Square Stand Is Now Available at Apple Stores, Best Buy, and Online

    Square has just announced that its point of sale system Square Stand, first announced back in May, is now available to purchase. It’s not only available online, but you can also buy it at both Best Buy and Apple Retail stores.

    “Neighborhood retail locations are an important resource for small business owners looking for new opportunities and technologies that can help them grow. Customers can purchase Square Stand in both Apple retail stores and Best Buy stores. In Best Buy, customers can also experience Square Stand with interactive product demos that will roll out to over 1,000 locations in the coming months,” says Square.

    Almost half of all payments processed via Square take place on an iPad, and iPad sales volume doubles that of smartphone users. With that in mind, Square launched Square Stand as a totally iPad-focused POS system. The stand holds your iPad, and also features its own card reader built right in. It bolts into your countertop, making it an all-in-one, definitely more permanent POS system.

    It surely beats the old method of attaching the original card reader you your iPad. But it will run you $299 – so it may be more of a hit with small business owners who have yet to start using any Square product, as opposed to current Square users looking for an upgrade.

    If you happened to pre-order Square Stand back in May, it’ll start shipping this week.

  • Pebble Watch Coming to Best Buy Stores This Weekend

    Pebble Watch Coming to Best Buy Stores This Weekend

    Last year, Pebble Technology launched a Kickstarter campaign for an e-paper wristwatch that could connect to iPhone and Android smartphones, alerting users to various notifications and displaying messages via Bluetooth. It turned out that the Pebble is just the sort of technology consumers were waiting for, and the Kickstarter project blew up seemingly overnight. The campaign eventually raised over $10.2 million – still the most-funded project in Kickstarter history.

    The huge success of the Pebble Kickstarter proved that there is a sizable market demand for smart watches, and established tech companies are now readying their entries into the new market. Rumors about Apple’s smart watch are reaching a fever pitch this week as the tech giant has begun to file trademarks for “iWatch.” Rumors have also suggested that Google might be working on its own smart watch technology.

    Today, Pebble revealed that it is way ahead of the competition, as its smart watches will soon be sold in Best Buy stores. The black version of the Pebble Watch will be for sale at U.S. Best Buy stores starting July 7 and will retail for $150. The red version of the watch will be coming to retail in August. Pebble stated that moving into retail is a “key step” in its plan to meet the overwhelming demand the watches have sparked.

    “It’s been so rewarding to see and share the great things our early backers and development partners have done with Pebble already,” said Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble. “Their work and our evolving app ecosystem has kept demand very high. Best Buy’s partnership with us is a big step towards meeting that demand.”

    Pebble Smartwatch 2013 video from Pebble Technology on Vimeo.

  • The Windows Store Is Coming To A Best Buy Near You

    Do you like shopping at a store while at a store? Microsoft thinks you might with its latest announcement of a Windows Store coming to Best Buy.

    Microsoft announced today that a Windows Store experience will be coming to 500 Best Buy locations across the U.S. and more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shops in Canada. In short, the Best Buy Windows Store will be “the premier destination for consumers to see, try, compare and purchase of range of products and accessories, including Windows tablets and PCs, Windows Phones, Microsoft Office, Xbox and more.”

    Microsoft even made a video for the announcement to show just how excited they are about this new partnership:

    Now, the Windows Store at Best Buy doesn’t mean that Microsoft is abandoning its own retail efforts. Microsoft’s Chris Capossela says that Microsoft Stores remain important to the company, but the Windows Store experience at Best Buy is all about hooking consumers up with the best Windows devices at the number one PC retailer in the country.

    By far, however, the most interesting thing about these new Windows Stores is just how big they are. Capossela says that the Windows Stores will take up to 2,200 square feet in stores so it will almost feel like you’re in an entirely different store. Best Buy is also hiring an additional 1,200 employees around the country to focus exclusively on selling Windows products.

    Microsoft’s partnership with Best Buy doesn’t end at the Windows Store either. Capossela says that “we will have a great Windows tablet inside the Best Buy tablet department, Windows Phones in their Phone Department, and lots of space for Xbox in their gaming and Home Theater Departments.” The online version of the Windows Store will also receive a major upgrade to mirror the resources being put into the retail experience.

    Of course, all of this begs the question – will it work? Windows PCs and tablets aren’t exactly in vogue at the moment. I hardly think that increasing their presence at an increasingly irrelevant retail outlet is going to do them any favors either.

    At this point, Microsoft needs to double down on its Windows 8.1 strategy. It’s pointless to sell Windows 8 devices to consumers wanting a more traditional Windows computing experience right now. WIth the release of Windows 8.1 later this year, Microsoft will be able to advertise the return of the Start Button and other requested features. In short, the Best Buy Windows Store strategy would be best for a soft relaunch of Windows 8.

    Regardless, the Windows Store at Best Buy will be coming to a retail store near you starting this July. The rollout will finish at some point in September. If you want a preview of the new Windows Store experience, check out the Best Buy Web site.

  • Best Buy Adopts Online Price-Matching

    Over the holiday season, Best Buy began offering its customers price-matching on products that can be found for lower prices at online retailers. The move was meant to curb incidences of “showrooming” – the term that refers to customers who use physical retailers as a space to look at and research products before purchasing them online.

    That holiday-time policy must have paid off for the big box retailer, because Best Buy today announced that it is making online price-matching an official policy.

    The company announced this weekend that it will implement the policy at its physical stores and its online store starting March 3. Best Buy will match local retailer prices, as well as the prices of 19 “major online competitors,” including Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Buy.com, CircuitCity.com, CompUSA.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com, and Walmart.com.

    The price-matching isn’t automatic, however. Customers will have to request the lower prices, and not every product in Best Buy stores is covered. Music, movies, phones, digital downloads, pre-orders, and refurbished products that can only be found in Best Buy’s online store will not be price-matched.

    Best Buy is touting its customer service as an advantage over online retailers. Whether or not this is true, the retailer will have to continue implementing tough policies such as price-matching to prevent the company from going the way of the now-defunct Circuit City.

  • Best Buy is Leaking Board Members

    Best Buy is Leaking Board Members

    Best Buy has announced through an SEC filing that two long-standing Best Buy board members have jumped ship.

    G. Mike Milkan has vacated the Best Buy board on his way to becoming president of ESL Investments. Milkan was named interim CEO of Best Buy last year, after former CEO Brian Dunn resigned his position amid a sex scandal.

    Matthew Paull, a Best Buy board member since 2008, has also resigned from the Best Buy board, and will officially leave in April. Paull’s departure is related to Best Buy board rules that require members to retire under certain conditions.

    Though the Reuters report indicated that neither Paull or Milkan resigned due to disagreements with Best Buy management, their departure does leave four empty seats on the Best Buy board.

    2012 was a difficult year for Best Buy. It’s big-box stores saw their revenue decline and the Dunn scandal marred the company’s management and board. The company’s second quarter earnings report showed a 90% drop in year-over-year profit. Much of its competition now comes courtesy of Amazon and other online retailers.

    Despite these difficulties, Best Buy tried its best to keep from ending up as another Circuit City. The company closed 50 of its big-box U.S. stores and has opened smaller stores focused on selling mobile devices. It has also laid off a considerable portion of its workforce and rolled out a price-matching offer during the 2012 holiday season. Currently, Best Buy founder Richard Schulze is looking to buy back the company.

  • Target Also Plans to Price-Match Online Retailers for the Holidays

    Target Also Plans to Price-Match Online Retailers for the Holidays

    Less than a week after electronics retailer Best Buy announced that they would be price-matching their internet competitors this holiday season, Target has also jumped on board.

    At a press event today Target CEO Greg Steinhafel unveiled the new initiative, which will see the retailer match the prices displayed online by a number of companies including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R Us, and of course, Target.com.

    The in-store price matching currently does not include Target.com:

    “If you find an item in a competitor’s printed ad that is priced lower than it is at your Target store, we will match the price. The competitor’s ad must be local and current, and the product must be the identical item, brand name, quantity and model number. Target.com is excluded from our price matching policy. Competitor catalogs can also be ad matched as long as the catalog displays a valid date and meets all other qualifications,” says the company on their current “Low Price Promise” page.

    The current price-match policy excludes “promotions or products advertised on another company’s web or mobile sites, even those advertising in-store prices” as well, so this is a big change for the company.

    It’s not permanent, however, as Target will only price-match these select online retailers from November 1st to December 16th (the prime holiday shopping period).

    Target told Mashable that the Amazon price-matching will not include third-party sellers housed on Amazon Marketplace.

    What Target and Best Buy are fighting is showrooming, the now-ubiquitous practice of finding a product you want, snapping a picture or jotting is down in your notes, and then returning home to buy it (sometimes for cheaper) online. Basically, it’s using brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy and Target as your own personal showroom – something they clearly aren’t fans of.

    Target hopes that this will get people in the door, but more importantly make sure they actually walk out with something in the cart.