ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Never Did I ever think I'd see B&O in Argos....
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/ArgosPromo3/includeName/bang-and-olufsen-shop-home.htm?tag=ar:home:editrow2:slot4:bangolufsen
Bv7Mk3: Never Did I ever think I'd see B&O in Argos.... http://www.argos.co.uk/static/ArgosPromo3/includeName/bang-and-olufsen-shop-home.htm?tag=ar:home:editrow2:slot4:bangolufsen
Wow. They've gone for the quantity rather than quality approach.
Will this support the dedicated dealerships or help to kill them?
Graham
Thinking further, having a dedicated shop advertised on the Argos front page with product availability at every Argos outlet could be a much more important 90th anniversary move than the BeoLab 90.
Post deleted. Was being sarcastic and didn't want anyone to take it the wrong way!
I think this is the worst that you can get. Argos is the most down market trashy shopping experience. It's a 1980s concept. I can't see B&O Play's professional target market shopping or even entering a place like that. What's next? Aldi and Lidl?
vikinger: Wow. They've gone for the quantity rather than quality approach. Will this support the dedicated dealerships or help to kill them?
This is one of the reasons why my dealer after 25 years closed his shop from October 01, about 50Km further another dealer after 30 years selling B&O stopped also by September 01. Now I lost all of my well know advisers from the brand.
Where do I have to go now, to a large electro shop as ARGOS between coffeemachines and the laundry machines? Or maybe soon at ALDI.
"Believe nothing you read and only half of what you see, let your ears tell you the truth."
Interesting move. The price is the same as ordering directly from B&O Play online except delivery is free with B&O and you have to pay with Argos. Not much point then really. Argos normally undercut retail prices so I don't really see the logic in this except to widen the market for the brand. It's a bit like trying to sell a Ferrari in a Fiat garage!
Dealers who are struggling must be tearing their hair out - as will their bank managers!
Dave.
Duels: Post deleted. Was being sarcastic and didn't want anyone to take it the wrong way!
Were you afraid people would not like you being sarcastic or not bright enough to realize you were being sarcastic?
Fire away I say!
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
you are damned if you do and damned if you don't...
is the footfall that ventures into Argos the same that would enter a B&O store ?
a company has to open doors and create drivers..
we tend to forget there is more to design than designing.
Jeff:Were you afraid people would not like you being sarcastic or not bright enough to realize you were being sarcastic? Fire away I say! Jeff Beovirus victim, it's gotten to be too much to list!
Meet Harold Scroggins, proprietor of 'Bang & Olufsen of Sundaymarket' ... The future of High-End Retail
Funnily enough, I bought some power-link cables on eBay recently, and the seller offered free delivery to my local Argos store; I'm not the sort to usually frequent this shop, but it was a very handy way to collect my cables without having to wait at home for delivery.
So maybe the next time I'm in Argos to pick up more B&O goodies bought on eBay, I might just buy a Beolit 15 whilst I'm there...!
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
"They are just plastic hifi goods made in China at the end of the day. And if it makes cash so we can all faun over projects like the Beolab 90, then power to their elbow."
The value added to the Chinese production processes are in the Design and Development which is by B&O. If you've ever designed and produced anything which ends up being made in China you'd realise that there's more to it than sending data to a Chinese factory and waiting for the boxes to arrive in a container! The same people are probably developing the new halo speaker but then being able to monitor its productionisation in the same site.
Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1
Chris Townsend:I'm not commenting on why they are made in China, merely the fact that they are. Who the Play items are sold by should not really matter, as long as they are sold in enough volume.
I know what you mean but there's something logical about spending your Beolit money with the B&O dealer. A bit like having to walk through the BMW showroom to get to the Mini bit.
Look how the introduction of the 1 series coincided with the typical renewal time of early BMW Mini adopters...
Most Beoplay products have not needed installation but their advice is part of the price. Argos is depressing and the only way to compensate is with a lower price , which defeats the point.
Was thinking Argos was bad well on saturday was in town as my lady needed new charger for her phone and was looking around to what we could get and after a few shops went in to EE and to one side of the chargers what did I seee but B&O Play on one side.I asked the young assstant how much for the charger and also how much for an A2 was told not sure as display only been up two days but very loud and sound really good. Then left we with a new charger.
If it keeps the brand going and helps develop better higher end products then great. Professionals, young or busy working people are in any case more likely to buy from amazon after they've typed in bluetooth speaker or buy direct from the B&O play website.
Perhaps the real problem being faced now is around wether or not the market is there for a dealer dedicated to one brand when B&O makes it so expensive for them to keep running their businesses that way. Maybe it is time for multi brand dealers or the way forward is franchises in department stores? it offers customers the chance to compare equipment from other manufacturers in the same place using the same reference material - for me I would most likely still buy B&O but I would like the opportunity to compare in one place before parting with my cash.
Years ago there was dealer in Berkshire called Sewards - they sold B&O alongside the likes of technics, nad etc - the B&O when you compared the TVs and Stereos to the other offerings was always in a different league so you felt you were buying something special - anyway, they went under - I dont know why, most likely because peoples shopping habits have changed and the majority of people do buy from supermarkets or comet or even argos, the majority of people only care that equipment sounds good and is value for money. It is a small sector that care about quality and innovation and sadly the cost of retail shops means that you have to have a high footfall and high turnover to remain in business. It's quite simple logic - two shops in the same high street - one sells high end B&O, next door the same size shop sells women handbags and shoes - no brain teaser to work out which will have the highest turnover. the other part of the problem is that our high streets are being taken over by the global companies which can afford higher rents etc and this in turns makes it even harder for small independents to compete as the local councils then put up the cost of rates, parking, landlords the rent as they know they can get more because those are the shops that people want nowadays - a sad reflection on society more than anything else.
So after a lot of rambling, I probably think that B&O are right to go down those tracks and time to maybe review where and how they sell products in view of a changing market places and consumer expectations.
On the One Hand we are saying oh dear finding B&O in Currys,Argos,EE Ect does not look too great for the brand being what the brand is and how it used to be sold to customers but this is 2015 and times have changed not only for B&O but for others as well and the way things are bought and the way tv and music is used.Depending how B&O Play this,it could be good for sales and the brand as been said before introducing New People to the brand and what it is about!
As long as this helps B&O in sales and tntroducing other things that they sell/do could be good for everyone as more money and other new products in the future as developing cost can be easyer.
On the Multi selling of diffrent makes within a store,it used to be that way many years ago then one by one B&O changed all that,So selling B&O once again with other brands is the way to go!
I have no problem how something is sold as long as its done right and the service and back up is there! After all thats what keeps you coming back in the end........
If it is only B&O play items being sold in Argos then I can see the appeal to a much younger generation (than myself). The style is more lightweight in look and lighter on the purse and so for the youngsters they can achieve quality and design for their home without too much outlay and if their living space is smallish then B&O play products may fit the space very well.
Also courage is not needed to walk into an Argos store where there are probably many other shoppers browsing catalogues and not all young folk are that confident though they may appear so. I have found over the years that I've had to take a deep breath and push myself through the door of a B&O store and have only done so because I've wanted the product so badly! In fairness to these stores I've moved around the UK a bit so have bought from various stores ie JLP Oxford Street, Banstead, Chichester and Exeter and so never really got to know the staff very well in any store. (I believe that only the Exeter store is still operational now?).
My only negative thought is what happens when the item bought in Argos either doesn't work as it should or a repair is needed once out of guarantee?
If it keeps the brand going then so be it!
Chris
ps personally, I would rather drooooooool through a B&O window than a store that sells women's handbags & shoes! but.................I can be distracted by some Alessi items!