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Local Target offers up Major BD Expansion
I was in one of the Super-Center Targets this morning and to my surprise, they have relocated their BD section away from the main DVD section. Not only that, but they have increased the BD section significantly. Each column has 5 spots and there appeared to be room for at least 150 different titles. The new section is facing the aisle containing the TV Boxsets.
Not surprisingly, there were alot of empty spots, but I'm sure stock is on its way. Too bad the pricing still mirrors Best Buy. However, it's nice to see such a huge expansion and it's only June. This was done a few days ago as I was in there recently. I'm sure the other larger stores will follow. |
too bad they cant lower the prices
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Originally Posted by butterbean
too bad they cant lower the prices
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Mine has been stocking that many titles for a long time now and its just a normal Target. It is still in the DVD section/wall.
Moving it away from that wall seems like it would actually hurt sales as people are more likely to look at the wall of DVDs that go down the small little aisles. |
Saw this in my local regular Target but most of the slots were empty.
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Sony must have made a nice donation to Target to get that much new space. Trust me I used to work in retail and they get the companies to pony up the cash for shelf space.
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I've bought a total of one HD DVD/Blu-ray at a B&M store. I've bought hundreds of DVDs at local stores. If Blu-ray wants to beat out DVD then they're going to need to get me to buy them from places not named Amazon.com.
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Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
I've bought a total of one HD DVD/Blu-ray at a B&M store. I've bought hundreds of DVDs at local stores. If Blu-ray wants to beat out DVD then they're going to need to get me to buy them from places not named Amazon.com.
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Originally Posted by Just Lurking
Maybe places not named Amazon.com need to price Blu-rays better if they do not just want to sell budget $5 dvds.
Catch-22. |
Originally Posted by Spoon
In my massive collection of 30, I can only recall 3 that I've bought at a BM. I'm thrilled that Blu is getting more shelf space but I can't imagine spending 30+ for each title.
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I counted the shelves and slots at my local, small Target. It has room for 120 movies on the normal DVD wall. They also have another 25 over in the DVD Player section next to their overpriced BDP-300 and another 15 or so in the new release wall.
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What's interesting is Best Buy was supposed to be the new grand leader of Blu, but I've noticed as well at my Target, more Blu-rays being added. At my Best Best buy, I see less Blu-ray. In fact, Blu-ray used to have an entire half-aisle in front of the store as you walk in, but now it's been reduced to 50% of that for new DVD releases.
I'll probably being purchasing most of my Blu-rays online like the rest of you once I get a player. |
Definitely an expanded selection and fancy shelving now at the Target I frequent, but like others said, no change in the price which ultimately is what matters most.
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Was in Target last night. Looked nice, but they won't get any sales from me until the pricing is as attractive as the shelving.
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We have BestBuy (that's a laugh), Target, Hastings, and Walmart locally. I don't even bother with the first three for new releases. They NEVER have a reasonable price on a new BD release. I check Walmart, where on occasion a new release is priced about the same as it is on Amazon. Otherwise, Amazon gets all my BD money.
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Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
What's interesting is Best Buy was supposed to be the new grand leader of Blu, but I've noticed as well at my Target, more Blu-rays being added. At my Best Best buy, I see less Blu-ray. In fact, Blu-ray used to have an entire half-aisle in front of the store as you walk in, but now it's been reduced to 50% of that for new DVD releases.
I'll probably being purchasing most of my Blu-rays online like the rest of you once I get a player. Best Buy Primed for 'Blu' Fourth Quarter Author: ERIK GRUENWEDEL [email protected] Posted: July 28, 2008 HomeMediaMagazine The success (or failure) of Blu-ray Disc hinges in large part on the role big box retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. Inc. play selling the format to the general public. Minneapolis, Minn.-based Best Buy arguably stocks the largest number of Blu-ray movies for sale at retail. Combined with an expansive selection of HDTVs, in-store Magnolia Home Theater and in-home Geek Squad divisions, and positive mojo among CE aficionados, the retailer continues to impress financially. With more than 1,000 U.S. stores, Best Buy generated $9 billion in revenue during the most recent quarter, including 3.7% same-store sales increase in stores open at least 12 months. Fiscal year 2009 revenue guidance exceeds $43 billion, including a 1% to 3% comp-store sales bump. Best Buy last week cut $20 from its house brand Insignia Blu-ray player, a move company spokesperson Brian Lucas said was done to jump-start dialogue with consumers about the merits of Blu-ray and high-definition packaged media. Home Media Magazine asked Jill Hamburger, VP of entertainment for Best Buy, to continue the discussion. HM: The home entertainment industry and studios are putting a major emphasis on Blu-ray in the fourth quarter. How important is Blu-ray to Best Buy? Hamburger: Blu-ray is primed to be a hot gift this holiday season. We know that customers who have invested in HD home theater systems want to watch HD content, and Blu-ray is the best way to get the most out of the movie watching experience. This will be the first holiday season where we can talk to customers about Blu-ray without the distraction of a format war. We can focus on showcasing the picture, sound and features of the format, which we believe customers will be blown away by. We also believe the lineup of movies coming out on Blu-ray this year, particularly for the holidays, will help generate a great deal of excitement. Titles such as The Dark Knight, Prince Caspian and Hellboy 2 are going to drive a lot of BD interest and will be great for showcasing the possibilities for the format. It is the content that drives the excitement, so we want to be sure customers know about the Blu-ray titles. HM: Best Buy is considered the No. 1 retailer of Blu-ray movies. What are you doing to sell and promote the new format? Hamburger: Our focus is on having a conversation with customers to educate them about Blu-ray and inspire them with the possibilities the format has to offer. We will do this in-store through displays that showcase Blu-ray’s incredible picture and sound. We will also do it by equipping our salespeople with the information and tools they need to have a great conversation with customers about the benefits of Blu-ray. You will also see regular promotions called out on our Web site, in our circular and in stores to help people get into Blu-ray and start building their movie libraries. We are constantly working to improve our in-store experience and training to be sure we are doing what we can to inspire people with what Blu-ray has to offer. Another area that really helps us in terms of getting people excited about Blu-ray is our strength in the gaming category. [Sony PlayStation 3 game] consoles have been a great way to get a very high-quality Blu-ray player into households. HM: Are you doing anything to educate consumers about what Blu-ray brings to the home entertainment experience? Hamburger: Our No. 1 educational resource is our Blue Shirt sales staff. They are the best tools we have to reach out to customers, to have a good conversation with them about Blu-ray, to demonstrate the capabilities of the format, and to answer any questions people may have. So first and foremost we want to be sure our salespeople are trained and ready to help people who are interested or curious about Blu-ray. We will have interactive displays in our stores to let people test drive Blu-ray, in addition to educational resources online at BestBuy.com. We will also use our Magnolia Home Theater listening rooms to give demos of the format so customers can truly experience the impact of HD picture and sound. HM: Is the side-by-side visual display still the best tool to promote Blu-ray? Hamburger: It’s one way to promote Blu-ray. We also believe sound is important in generating excitement for the format. We try to promote the format in different ways throughout our store. In the main sales floor it’s mostly about the picture … showcasing the movies on large 1080p screens. In the Magnolia Home Theater areas we are better able to showcase the sound. We believe the more we can engage customers and get them to interact, look and listen to Blu-ray, the more likely they are to invest in the format. HM: What do say to consumers who say they are satisfied with DVD? Hamburger: DVDs continue to be a strong category for Best Buy. For many people who have smaller televisions or don’t have 1080p screens, DVDs are probably the best option. But for people who have HD home theater systems and want the best movie watching experience, the difference is compelling. Our job is to ask customers the right questions to figure out what is best for them. If they are movie lovers and have a large HD television, we think Blu-ray is something they want to learn about. Once they get a look at the picture and hear the sound, customers are inspired by the difference. HM: You sell upconverting DVD players. Don’t they undercut the argument to buy Blu-ray? Hamburger: Not really. Upconverting DVD players are an inexpensive option for people looking to maximize the picture quality of their existing DVDs. If you don’t have a 1080p screen or if you have a smaller television, upconverting DVDs is a great option. Blu-ray offers both upconversion and true HD. For people looking to get the most out of their home theaters, it’s the best option and with prices coming down it’s becoming even more attractive to mainstream customers. There is a place for both types of players in the house. HM: Is Best Buy pursuing a streaming or download strategy? Hamburger: We are not able to comment on any tests or future plans in this area other than to say we are always looking at options to meet customers’ needs. |
Originally Posted by Erik Gruenwedel
The success (or failure) of Blu-ray Disc hinges in large part on the role big box retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. Inc. play selling the format to the general public.
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Originally Posted by Rogue588
I would think the success (or failure) of Blu-ray Disc hinges more on the price. Try lowering these ridiculous MSRP of these discs. Especially the catalog titles.
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Strange that they would expand their selection of a niche format, presumably at the expense (in terms of shelf real estate) of a much more entrenched format.
The WalMart near me (Toronto, Canada) has cleared out the entire Blu-ray section, which to me is almost as strange. Surely a happy medium would suffice. |
Originally Posted by The Cow
That is second. People need a reasonably priced player first.
But the disc prices are a really screwy thing. With DVDs, online prices were usually cheaper but the Best Buys, Targets and such were usually at least competitive. When I first went HD (with HD-DVD), I didn't want to wait to get a movie so I went to Target and bought a few. Imagine my shock after opening them and then seeing how much they were at Amazon. :eek: I figured I would be spending a couple of bucks more, never imagined they would be that much more. I still make some B&M purchases, but it's only items that are on sale and only after checking the current price on Amazon. |
I'm noticing a new good trend from Target, at least in my area. Up until recently, for almost 100% of the time, any catalog release that had a retail price of $29.99 was always priced at $24.99 at Target.
Lately, they are starting to price those catalogs at $19.99, matching Amazon.com. "Tommy Boy", "Dumb and Dumber", "Serenity", "Days of Thunder", "Old School", and several others have a $19.99 price tag. It appears Target is moving in a more consistent direction for catalog pricing. There are still plenty of titles they carry that are $24.99, but newer catalog releases are getting a lower price. Also, I noticed at a Super Target last night, they have cleared out one side of their cheap dvd sections and replaced those with 4 rows of BD titles. These titles weren't faced outward, but turned to the side. They had a bunch of them. |
Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
(Post 9165392)
I'm noticing a new good trend from Target, at least in my area. Up until recently, for almost 100% of the time, any catalog release that had a retail price of $29.99 was always priced at $24.99 at Target.
Lately, they are starting to price those catalogs at $19.99, matching Amazon.com. "Tommy Boy", "Dumb and Dumber", "Serenity", "Days of Thunder", "Old School", and several others have a $19.99 price tag. It appears Target is moving in a more consistent direction for catalog pricing. There are still plenty of titles they carry that are $24.99, but newer catalog releases are getting a lower price. Also, I noticed at a Super Target last night, they have cleared out one side of their cheap dvd sections and replaced those with 4 rows of BD titles. These titles weren't faced outward, but turned to the side. They had a bunch of them. On a similar note. The two closest BB's to me have increased their BD selection to an entire aisle now, just after Christmas. I'm really liking all of these changes. |
Best Buy's pricing really doesnt bother me all that much. I'm not sure what prices you guys are seeing...
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I agree the prices are hurting the format. My girlfriend asked me several times whether I had to to have the movies I wanted on blu-ray as they were much more expensive than the DVDs. She can't be alone in questioning that.
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My Best Buy here in San Antonio has 2.5 aisles of Blu-rays... and I always see people browsing and purchasing multiple titles.
I can't understand how they can pay those high prices along with the 8.125% sales tax in our area with a straight face though. ;) I only occassionally get a sale title there. Good to hear about Target lowering some catalog titles though... might have to replace my Serenity HD-DVD for $19.99 :) |
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