Fjd Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Very cool. Nothing like this around here. Rare to see such nice demo rooms. Seems the brick and mortar stores just can't compete with online stores. I just don't see how a chain can afford to maintain what I feel to be an increasingly niche market in the high end home audio/theater offerings. Interesting post, thanks for sharing! In theory by having these ‘concept’ stores within a large chain store should help manage the overhead that the boutique brick and mortar stores cannot handle on their own. With Best Buy, here is an area where relevant product and retaining knowledgeable employees that can actually provide “real” assistance to shoppers, can potentially and hopefully turn shoppers back into customers again and keep this concept going. For a long time, whether it was the main store or the Magnolia sub-store, I found that these stores just were difficult to shop in. I would find when I would go into a store that either the item I was looking for on its web site (and confirmed to be in stock) wasn’t really in stock. Then I couldn’t find anyone to talk to, let alone anyone with knowledge while in the store. I’m not entirely sure how their current “price match” guarantee works; however, it should cut down on some of the ‘showrooming’ that goes on. I believed one of the most significant hurdles was related to keeping everything, such as availability, features, etc. synchronized across all selling channels. On a side note, when I’m in the store and I see something I want (and have faith in the seller), I will typically not have a problem paying a few more dollars just to be done with it and take the item home that same day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TasDom Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Similar to the set up at one of the last higher end audio stores (Listen Up) still standing around here. It's so refreshing to walk in to a place that doesn't try to sell you a HTIB but it sucks to see and listen to stuff you can never afford.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fjd Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Dave I guess I did not realize that Magnolia was actually a separate store since I've never seen a magnolia store other than in Best Buy. The sales rep along with several others there today had moved from out-of-state one from Texas others from various parts of the US. Maybe they are closing their doors and only moving into Best Buy's not sure. Here are a couple of links that you may find interesting with some of the history. Original purchase http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2000/12/18/daily4.html Closed the Magnolia Headquarters around 2009 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-buy-still-trying-and-failing-to-make-magnolia-bloom/ History on the Magnolia website http://www.magnoliaav.com/about-us/history 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted September 15, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted September 15, 2014 Tasdom, indeed that is a very similar looking setup to what I saw today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TasDom Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Tasdom, indeed that is a very similar looking setup to what I saw today Nice tho knowing that no matter what they show you, you already have something they can never match......a piece of Klipsch heritage being the La Scalas! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I am a little opposite, I had never known Best Buy had Magnolia in them. I was always used to visiting the Bellevue and Seattle stand-alone Magnolia Hi-Fi stores. Their demo rooms are quite impressive, not as impressive as Definitive Audio's demo rooms but still out of my budget. The Bellevue shop had a $100K, full McIntosh theater set up.. About $99K above my budget during that trip. Haha! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzydog Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Wow, I've never seen or heard of a Best Buy carrying such nice equipment. Maybe they're experimenting with their business model since Amazon continues to erode their market share. I.E...carry a few products that you can't buy on Amazon for cheaper. I've also never heard of anyone pairing a tube amp with electrostatics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldred Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 That was best buy???? Really ....come on. ....Best buy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted September 16, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted September 16, 2014 Yep....saw it with my own eyes. Pics or it didn't happen right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 When I lived in San Diego the magnolia there was similar with some nicer offerings. Their main room was a full genelec which I though sucked. Minneapolis had a very nice magnolia. Their flagship room had b&w's highest end cinema offerings (45,000$ for LCR) and it was easily one of the best setups I've heard. It was just so full and clean. Room had no rattles or buzzes. Beautifully built. Star ceiling. It was just awesome. Mines getting there. Next house will be that good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted September 16, 2014 Moderators Share Posted September 16, 2014 Sounds like a good trip Youthman, thanks for taking the time and getting some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHASLS2 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I have been in the Tampa store. I bought my AVR there. Most other BB's just have run of the mill cheap stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sully141 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I just bought my Denon 4520 from a magnolia store in Minneapolis and it looks identical to the photo youthman submitted. They are very willing to price match anybody for a sale. Its pretty nice to walk into a BB and there is actually somebody there that knows something and actually owns the stuff to bad it has to in the magnolia section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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