Comparing Amazon to B&M stores

[HarakoMeshi]

I thought its interesting the way HD DVD players sell better than Blu-ray on Amazon, but over the whole market including B&M stores, Blu-ray sells better.

One difference is that with a web strore like Amazon, the consumer isn't exposed to any HD or BD setups to see, no shelves to compare, no in store advertising, no salesperson to tell them HD DVD is losing the war.

Around my area, most stores are very Blu, and I think it highlights the importance of retail support.

[zombieflanders]

Best Buy is known to be the biggest seller of hi-def by "a wide margin", so that helps explain it.

[josuff247]

Originally Posted by zombieflanders

Best Buy is known to be the biggest seller of hi-def by "a wide margin", so that helps explain it.

Don't ask me why, with their prices....On media anyway.

[DAMNSAM77]

Originally Posted by HarakoMeshi

One difference is that with a web strore like Amazon, the consumer isn't exposed to any HD or BD setups to see, no shelves to compare, no in store advertising, no salesperson to tell them HD DVD is losing the war.

great point...almost a blind buy online, while when you go to the store you see these ridiculously amazing Blu-ray Demo Endcaps with surround sound and amazing picture with a nice little mini-shelf of available blockbusters on BD within the end cap and just excellent overall presentation. It never fails everytime I am at BestBuy there are 2-3 dudes glued to the Sony BD demo endcap, and during the holidays I saw close to 10 people gathered up watching the demo...

As far as shelfspace, most best buys I have been in Denver either have equal shelf space for both formats or in many cases Bluray had 2-4 times the shelfspace of HDDVD, which can all be pretty telling of where Bluray is and where HDDVD has been.

[theflux]

Originally Posted by HarakoMeshi

I thought its interesting the way HD DVD players sell better than Blu-ray on Amazon, but over the whole market including B&M stores, Blu-ray sells better.

One difference is that with a web strore like Amazon, the consumer isn't exposed to any HD or BD setups to see, no shelves to compare, no in store advertising, no salesperson to tell them HD DVD is losing the war.

Around my area, most stores are very Blu, and I think it highlights the importance of retail support.

I was thinking the same thing today.

[Geoff Gibson]

I think with movies we are conditioned to want to see them right away. So instead of saving some money getting a DVD or Blu-Ray from Amazon consumers go to Best Buy and buy it. Most mainstream shoppers (non-enthusiasts) only know when a disc is coming out when it get advertised -- like when a movie opens. They don't pre-order from amazon (or from Best Buy for that matter) they buy it within a few days of release.

As for hardware I think most people are disinclined to buy Electronics over the internet. This is why companies like Apple and Dell sell their computers in Best Buy or in their own B&M stores. People like to see what they are buying. They like to touch it. Its like buying a house. You may look online to see what you interested in, but you rarely buy sight unseen.

[DikkyMoe]

Originally Posted by Geoff Gibson

I think with movies we are conditioned to want to see them right away. So instead of saving some money getting a DVD or Blu-Ray from Amazon consumers go to Best Buy and buy it. Most mainstream shoppers (non-enthusiasts) only know when a disc is coming out when it get advertised -- like when a movie opens. They don't pre-order from amazon (or from Best Buy for that matter) they buy it within a few days of release.

As for hardware I think most people are disinclined to buy Electronics over the internet. This is why companies like Apple and Dell sell their computers in Best Buy or in their own B&M stores. People like to see what they are buying. They like to touch it. Its like buying a house. You may look online to see what you interested in, but you rarely buy sight unseen.

I think you have a point about buying electronic hardware over the internet. I have been buying books, dvds, and CD for years on Amazon, but I never trusted buying any hardware, due to possible warranty, shipping, or return issues (unwarranted I know). I could just picture a guy on the loading dock throwing boxes around with expensive hardware inside. I just felt more comfortable in being able to stand face to face with someone and to take home something immediately from a B&M store.

The HD-A3 last November was my first hardware purchase, grudgingly. I primarily purchased online due to the people here and the confidence they had in online hardware buying, and the deal was too good. Still I was apprehensive about it. I think that many others feel the same way. So, for a few(or many) dollars more, B&M's are going to continue to lead the way in sales volume for some time.

As for software, most people aren't aware of new relaease dates until they see ads shortly before. The look in the weekly ad, see a sale or a new title, and visit the store that week to pick up. One of the issues with posters here is the feeling that most consumers are aware of the upcoming release schedule and such, which I don't think is true. Just ask a non-format involved person what the release date is for (insert your most hotly anticipated title here) and you will probably get a shrug. Here, we are all over a BOGO or big sale within hours, which jacks up the rankings for the sale items and not others, which doesn't usually match up with B&M sales.

[UES]

Originally Posted by HarakoMeshi

One difference is that with a web strore like Amazon, the consumer isn't exposed to any HD or BD setups to see, no shelves to compare, no in store advertising, no salesperson to tell them HD DVD is losing the war.

In my local (Manhattan) CC there are no HD-DVD setups to see. The local BB replaced a HD-DVD endcap display with a Samsung 5000 dual format player.
Both have equal rack space for disks though.

[HarakoMeshi]

My local BB used to have equal shelf space, but more recently they have double the space for Blu.

For CC it is more hardware biased... its total Blu-ray setup bonanza, whereas the only HD DVD players they had were piled up on the floor in front of the HD DVD disc shelves.

[UES]

Originally Posted by HarakoMeshi

For CC it is more hardware biased... its total Blu-ray setup bonanza, whereas the only HD DVD players they had were piled up on the floor in front of the HD DVD disc shelves.

That's similar to my CC except that last week they had one HD-DVD player (an A30) on a shelf with a clearance tag and yesterday all that was left was the tag.

[Captain Jake]

Originally Posted by DikkyMoe

I have been buying books, dvds, and CD for years on Amazon, but I never trusted buying any hardware, due to possible warranty, shipping, or return issues (unwarranted I know). I could just picture a guy on the loading dock throwing boxes around with expensive hardware inside.

LOL. How do you think the merchandise gets to the store in the first place?

[Captain Jake]

Originally Posted by Geoff Gibson

I think with movies we are conditioned to want to see them right away. So instead of saving some money getting a DVD or Blu-Ray from Amazon consumers go to Best Buy and buy it.

Personally I suspect that people that just have to see a movie right away go to the theatre and watch in higher-def, bigger screen and better sound than they would get if they waited for it to beg available on disk. This is probably why movie studios are still making a lot of money at the theatre box office.

People who buy disks tend to be the ones that want to own the movie long-term. In that case, they are likely building a collection and are much more price sensitive, because they are buying more than just the one movie.

Having said that, I would love to know what percentage of sales are impulse buys (which would be almost exclusively at a B&M store). I was driving home a few nights ago, and decided on the spur of the moment to stop in at BB and pick up the HD versions of Zodiac, knowing full well that it would cost a lot more than if I bought it online. But I felt like watching it that night, so I had little choice. Paid $37 for it as a result. (Yes, it is was worth it, but I have a preference for thrillers, true crime and related genres, so YMMV).

[HarakoMeshi]

Originally Posted by Captain Jake

Personally I suspect that people that just have to see a movie right away go to the theatre and watch in higher-def, bigger screen and better sound than they would get if they waited for it to beg available on disk. This is probably why movie studios are still making a lot of money at the theatre box office.

People who buy disks tend to be the ones that want to own the movie long-term. In that case, they are likely building a collection and are much more price sensitive, because they are buying more than just the one movie.

Having said that, I would love to know what percentage of sales are impulse buys (which would be almost exclusively at a B&M store). I was driving home a few nights ago, and decided on the spur of the moment to stop in at BB and pick up the HD versions of Zodiac, knowing full well that it would cost a lot more than if I bought it online. But I felt like watching it that night, so I had little choice. Paid $37 for it as a result. (Yes, it is was worth it, but I have a preference for thrillers, true crime and related genres, so YMMV).

Discs are great if you're not single. If you have 2 people go to the cinema the cost is higher than buying a disc that you can keep and watch as much as you like. If you have kids its a lot harder to go at all; if they're little it costs money for babysitters... if they are older it costs money to take them with you and you're limited to which ones you can go see. Home media is great and relatively inexpensive.

[DikkyMoe]

Originally Posted by Captain Jake

LOL. How do you think the merchandise gets to the store in the first place?

By magic? I know, I know. I did say that the thought was unwarranted. I guess I felt better when I think of a bunch of players shrink wrapped on a pallet or something, banding together to fight off the people who would like to harm them. I just pictured my single boxed item getting tossed around like the gorilla tossing the luggage in that old Samsonite commercial.

I meant more like if something was wrong with the player, it is generally more comforting to many people to be able to just return it to a B&M store, where you can take out your frustrations on a poor unsuspecting clerk, who had nothing to do with it.

[Stories]

I think many people forget the main purpose of shopping online for most people: to save money.

This is why Amazon might not be truly indicative of what the greater market is doing. Online shoppers are even more fickle to price than the typical BB or CC buyer.

If this line of reasoning holds, that would suggest that it's no surprise HD DVD sells better on Amazon.