Retail outlets contributing to WP slow growth?

[kurtd]

Stopped by Best Buy today to take a look at the Lumia icon and Samsung Ativ SE. Apparently they don't have a single windows phone in the entire store. I find that strange since they have a dedicated Samsung section with like 10 galaxy devices. The rep said they had one once but it didn't sell well so they stopped selling it. I find that reason BS since they have tons of other crap that nobody wants. My guess is some kind of secret google deal not to carry them or that best buy is just plain dumb.

Later in the day I stopped by a Verizon store and they didn't have either device either. It was a smaller store with a lot of non working models but still could of had a non working WP at least.

I've been using Windows Phone 8.1 and it's amazing. I'm wondering how the average consumer will discover and buy it with all these dumb retailers.

You can email best buy here and let them know your thoughts. onlinestore@bestbuy.com

Glad we have Microsoft stores. Just need one a bit closer.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I guess it depends on the particular retail store. I was in Walmart yesterday, and they had a very prominent display for the 521 on T-Mobile.

 

[Korlon]

I share your concern about windows phones exposure in brick and mortar retail outlets. Here in Toronto I've been looking for a decent windows phone from our service providers and have found the selection limiting. Windows phones readily available are the HTC and select Samsung phones, but compared to the selection of Android we're talking about a ratio of 5:1 or higher. If you want a Nokia, forget it. Rogers, our largest cell provider, offers the 1020 or the 520 on a pay as you go plan. Telus, the third largest offers the 520, Bell doesn't offer a Nokia, but offers the HTC and a Samsung model. We have a pretty pathetic selection to choose under normal circumstances, but if you want a WP it's even worse. The only phone they seem to have an abundance of are the iPhones and Samsung. It's pretty infuriating.

 

[sd173]

I think it's the manager's preference. The managers of the Best Buy and Verizon stores probably didn't have an impartial view towards smartphone OS's like they should. Most likely they haven't even heard of WP 8.1 or even try to learn about Windows Phone.

I think the scarcity of Microsoft stores is a big factor contributing to the general public not knowing about Windows Phone as much as they would about iPhone or Android.

 

[TonyDedrick]

Maybe it's Microsoft's fault? And is every single thing that doesn't go right for Windows Phone going to be blamed on Google?

 

[Visa Declined]

My guess is some kind of secret google deal not to carry them

You have got to be kidding me. Do you seriously believe that? I seriously don't even know what to say.

*edit*

The reasons why you'll find that stores don't carry Windows Phones is because they don't sell well enough. There's no conspiracy theories. If Best Buy can make money on a product, they'll gladly sell it.

 

[tgp]

You have got to be kidding me. Do you seriously believe that? I seriously don't even know what to say.

I see by your post count that you haven't been around here long. Get used to it! :wink:

 

[Laura Knotek]

It definitely has nothing to do with Google. HTC Androids aren't exactly selling great either. At least in the US, the Android market is the Samsung market. Google wouldn't conspire to make HTC's Android device sales tank.

 

[Guytronic]

Retail outlets contributing to WP slow growth?

One outlet I know of always has Windows phones.

Fry's Electronics has WP's...
It's the first place I got to see the massive Nokia Lumia 1520.

The young sales dude there was raving about the AT&T 1520.

 

[Visa Declined]

Yep, I really like Fry's. The one in Sacramento Ca is fantastic.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I wish we had Fry's here. I've heard a lot of good things about them.

 

[thatotherdude24]

I disagree that it is a secret Google deal.

Retail is in a tough spot. Retail controls what sells but they will only sell what sells......

Places like Walmart and even Best Buy don't employ people who know tech, they employ people who are salesmen. So many times the sales rep doesn't know anymore than the person they're selling to but by showing confidence you can make anybody believe anything. Essentially the confident blind leading the blind.

Sent from my Bambo and Orange Moto X

 

[Guytronic]

Fry's Roseville here...
I can easily bicycle up there.

 

[Editguy1900]

The reasons why you'll find that stores don't carry Windows Phones is because they don't sell well enough. There's no conspiracy theories. If Best Buy can make money on a product, they'll gladly sell it.

No, the main reason is sales peoples bias against Windows Phone. I had to insist that was what I wanted at a T-mobile store while the "kids" working there told me that WP's are crappy and how much better Android or iOS is ( and they clearly knew very little about any smartphone, just what they like). It wasn't just me every person I've recommended has had to argue with their carrier stores or Best Buy to get them to sell them the WP they wanted.

 

[elmacho]

I agree. I had this same experience when buying my windows phone. The sales rep tried his level best to sell me an android, though i stood by my decision to buy the WP device.Before selling it to me finally,he gave me a kind of warning "It doesn`t have the apps and we will not take the device back if you try to return it soon,resale value is also very less because no one buys it,..". I had been around here for sometime,so i was able to argue with him about the app situation and so on but i am pretty sure somebody who is not that tech savvy would never have bought it after hearing something like that.

 

[smoledman]

No, the main reason is sales peoples bias against Windows Phone. I had to insist that was what I wanted at a T-mobile store while the "kids" working there told me that WP's are crappy and how much better Android or iOS is ( and they clearly knew very little about any smartphone, just what they like). It wasn't just me every person I've recommended has had to argue with their carrier stores or Best Buy to get them to sell them the WP they wanted.

Keep believing that it's all bias. I'm sure that will sell the next 100 million Windows Phones. Since when did whining ever get Microsoft to where it is?

 

[Visa Declined]

Fry's Roseville here...

That's crazy, I moved out of Roseville right after they finished building that Fry's. My parents still live there though, so that's the Fry's I go to the most.

 

[psudotechzealot]

I wish we had a Fry's in NC.

 

[sd173]

I wish we had a Fry's in NC.

I wish we had multiple Microsoft stores in NC.

 

[dznk]

Well I'm not in the US so can't really comment on your stores, as we don't have those ones here in the UK. However, we do have a good amount of mobile phone and electronic retailers here. I don't believe it's a secret Google deal that you mention, but companies, like Samsung that was mentioned, do deals with these stores for prominent displays and advertising etc. I've gone into this in a thread I created a while back, where I was disappointed with the lack of WP displays and demo units etc that I saw here in the UK. Like in the US, some shops are better than others, but on the whole I would agree that some retailers are contributing to the slowish growth. I've been into a couple of very well known national retailers and the lack of interest and knowledge in Windows Phone sometimes is appalling.

I think if in-store training was a bit better and perhaps less concentrated on shifting certain stock/models, it would help quite a bit. It also comes down to Microsoft needing to push them a bit harder with demo units being available and advertising media etc. Both the retailers and Microsoft could do a better job from what I've seen