2009.05.26
Outdoor furniture at Best Buy
It's back to the daily grind after the long Memorial Day weekend. I hope your holiday was enjoyable.
Memorial Day seems to mark the start of grilling season and warm evenings spent lounging on patio chairs.
There's an unlikey newcomer to the outdoor furnishings scene, just as the warm weather returns and many people (including myself) are on the hunt for new patio furniture.
It's Best Buy.
This mega electronics retailer is getting into the outdoor furniture business and joining the wave of big box retailers that are trying to be many things to many different shoppers. Now at Best Buy, you can find firepits, pergolas, grills, tables, chairs and more.
But only select Best Buys in California are selling this furniture and equipment in stores, according to this news story. Most of the items can be purchased on Best Buy's Web site.
These outdoors offerings aren't necessarily inexpensive. For example, a white pergola sells for $3,199.99, while a wicker cushioned loveseat is $1,263.99. A 1500 watt infrared heater is $375.99 and a brown french colonial style gas lantern is $319.99.
This article discusses whether or not Best Buy should be testing these new product categories. The retailer also is selling fitness equipment, musical instruments and electric scooters.
What do you think?
Have people not learned the lesson that has led to the demise of so many businesses of doing something and doing it well? Why branch out to non-electronic items when they still struggle in many ways to handle their primary business? Trying to be a jack of all trades and a master of none will doom Best Buy. Remember when Hardee's would do fried chicken, burgers, breakfasts, hot dogs, fish, roast beef, and all sorts of other stuff? How many of us actually ate at a Hardee's then? Their food was awful in those days. Then Carl's Jr. bought them out, re-focused them on burgers...and they're booming again. They still do the breakfasts because that's one area they continually excelled in, but the point is valid. Like with Wal-Mart, their expertise is in selling a wide array of products at low prices. They don't master any area within their store, not by a long shot, but they have prices that beat almost anyone out there for what they do sell. Wal-Mart may have a mini grocery store, pharmacy, toy store, furniture store, shoe store, houseware store, hardware store, outdoors store, nursery, clothing store, bookstore, vision center, automotive store, electronics store, craft store, ans staionary store all lumped under one roof...but can anyone honestly say that they are better than the stand-alone stores focused solely on each of those particular areas...on anything other than pricing? I certainly can't. Stick with what you're good at, or at least what you're supposed to be good at, and keep focusing on ways to improve on it.
Comment by Other John — May 26, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
I'm a pretty stronger believer that retailers should stick with their core competencies as much as possible. Some musical instruments might be a logical outgrowth of current product lines at Best Buy, but I think outdoor furniture is really a stretch. They'd be better off setting up a separate chain or investing in one in the area if they think their overall management strength would apply to other retail lines.
Comment by KevinL — May 26, 2009 @ 2:01 pm
This is the dumbest idea I have ever heard of. Worse than Kroger selling furniture. They can't even get the electronics part right. No sock and no help. Worse than Wal-mart. I have not set foot in Best But since February after making the third trip back to buy a receiver for my surround sound and finding a total lack of stock and unable to find any help. Talked to the manager who was the biggest jerk I have ever dealt with. Gave me a look like he wanted my head to explode like in the movie Scanners. I was firm with what I had to say,didn't raise my voice and used no foul language. Tried that tactic for once instead of the usual, storm out and not come back for six month never saying a work. I have had so many problems with Best Buy since they came here. But somehow keep going back. The 0% interest has brought me back of which I pay off before the end of the deal.Then there is the " I can't find it anywhere else" If they can't get this right then why try to add something else they will suck at. I wish something better would come to town.
Comment by Mike D — May 27, 2009 @ 1:41 am