Brien S.
Due to the fact that Samsung does not have a chain of stores like many other retailers, I decided to visit the next best thing which was Best Buy. Samsung did have a location in the Time Warner building in NYC called the "Samsung Experience," but that has been closed for over a year now. Best Buy does sell a bulk of Samsung products however, along with many other electronics and appliances.
With stores in the U.S., China, Mexico, and Canada, Best Buy happens to be the world's largest multi-channel consumer electronics retailer. BestBuy.com ranks among the top ten online retailers in the U.S.; their physical stores bring in foot traffic of over 600 million visitors yearly. Best Buy's central focal point is their commitment to deliver on their Customer Promise:
1. The latest devices and services — all in one place
2. Knowledgeable, impartial advice
3. Competitive prices
4. The ability to shop when and where you want
5. To support you for the life of your products
Most Best Buy stores have the same layout when a person first enters; they are normally greeted by strategically placed showcases of high end mobile devices and tablets. These gadgets are always hands on, and there is normally an associate nearby to assist with any inquiries a customer may have. In reference to the retailing mix discussed in this chapter, this is a very effective way of advertising to the consumer, simply because the 6 Ps (product, place, promotion, personnel, price, and presentation) are all implemented as soon as a person walks through the door. This also draws in the customer to continue to look around to see what other new products are in the store. The rest of the store contains computers, movies, televisions, etc., and has personnel that specializes in each department. The store is also amazingly uncluttered, with products organized by genre. An example is the home theater showroom that proudly boasts the most current, hi-def televisions from various manufacturers. The walls are laden with huge flat screens surrounded by comfy couches to draw in the movie or sports enthusiast.
Best Buy offers weekly deals and showcases many of them in the front and middle of the store. These can range anywhere from blu-ray movies to computer hard drives. A huge feature that Best Buy offers is their price match guarantee; the promise that they will offer a product for the same price that another retailer has if it's cheaper. This leaves the consumer satisfied knowing that they can walk out with a purchase and not have to worry if they could have saved money elsewhere. Best Buy's staff will also direct a customer to its online store for items that may temporarily be unavailable, and even assist them and place an order for the customer in the store. They also have fully knowledgeable representatives from the various mobile carriers that will answer any questions a person may have when choosing a device to purchase. Best Buy also offers rewards for returning customers, something retailers like Apple and Walmart have yet to pick up on.
The experience at Best Buy is quite enjoyable, even more for someone who is tech savvy. Their service is the best I've seen so up to date, with them helping me on numerous occasions with rebuilding my computer, setting up my surround sound home theater system, and most recently purchasing a television. In August I bought a 55" Samsung Smart TV that wasn't available in the store at that time. A sales rep answered all my questions about the product including features, price, and even the longevity of the device. He also placed the order in the store for me, saving me the hassle of having to do it once I returned home. With the television arriving only two days after the order was placed, I was quite pleased with the service I received as well as the quality of my device. Best Buy has truly proven it can hang with the "best" as a retail leader in the marketing world.
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