Retailing!!
Where can I buy
a PlayStation 4? Can I buy it online? Can I go to the supermarket and get one? Can
I call Sony and buy one?
I visited a Best Buy a few
weeks ago and I was testing the PlayStation 4 and I really was sucked in and
was ready to purchase one and go home and play. I asked a sales associate at
the Best Buy if they had any consoles in stock he said no but he did add that
all the accessories are available if I wanted to purchase that while waiting
for my PlayStation to be delivered because the PlayStation 4 is on and order
only demand. Going to Best Buy did help but being told I would have to wait
only made me upset because my attitude as a consumer is that I want what I want
at that moment in time, call me impatient but why should I wait for something when
I want it now.
Last week I walked into a Gamestop
while waiting for class to start and I asked if the PlayStation 4 was in stock
and the associate told me that they were out of stock. This was making me
frustrated because I wanted to purchase the console and play at home. What’s
really interesting about both these retailers is that they offer the console
and all its games and accessories at the same prices and they are both out of
stock. The difference between these retail channels is that Gamestop only
offers video games, tablets, and phones. They also allow the consumer to trade
in their old products and the money go towards new product or they can receive cash.
Best Buy has a huge variety of electronics has and offers an array of products from
musical instruments to Blu-ray movies and televisions.
This is normal for Sony to
offer their products at these retailers and it offers a direct channel to the
consumer as well because you can also purchase any Sony product through its
website, and they also have the Sony Wonder store in Manhattan that also offers
the consumer direct access to their newest products. I didn’t get a chance to
visit the Sony Wonder store, but I did go to Toys R’ Us in the Bronx and I asked
for the console and was told that I would have to place a hold on it and pay a
little now and the rest later. Like I mentioned in other posts the PlayStation
4 is doing amazing in sales crossing over the 5 million unit mark last month
and is projected to be on only available to order and will be always available at
retail stores in April.
I really liked the layout of
Gamestop their window display showed upcoming games and they had boxes of
PlayStation 4 consoles in the window display to lure the consumer inside. Once
inside I was greeted and told if I needed anything to just ask. The customer
service was great even though there were only two employees working. Behind the
register was a huge display of accessories and prices for new and used consoles
and also a display for recent and upcoming games that were available either to
purchase or pre order. I have been to many Gamestops’ across the city and their
layout is generally the same with the same displays and items to purchase, what
I did notice now is that they offer new and used tablets so they are opening
their market to meet the needs of the changing target market and offering
products that suit the consumer needs now which is great.
Sony has a unique way of
offering their products to its target market and they do a great job with
creating displays and producing signs and offering new products on a monthly
basis to keep luring the customer inside the retail stores. I being a consumer
was lure in to it as well and I loved my experience at Gamestop, I tend to
always do because I can get what I want and their store layout makes it easy to
shop and their employees have a ton of product knowledge that helps with any
question I have.
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