![]() “As the economy remains challenging, we expect this difference to only grow,” Widlitz said.īest Buy does reportedly control 22% of the CE market, according to The Stevenson Co. She said third part research found that 72% of Circuit City customers cross-shop at Wal-Mart, compared to 55% at Best Buy. Widlitz said that in talks with Wal-Mart executives last year, the retailer believed it could usurp Best Buy’s perceived advantage in securing the retail void left by Circuit City. Wal-Mart said retail sales (excluding Sam’s Club and foreign) ended May 1 topped $19.3 billion, up 7.7% from $17.9 billion during the same period last year ended May 2, 2008. “Circuit City's business is up for grabs right now and we expect to get our share,” Gary Severson, SVP of home entertainment for Wal-Mart, told The Wall Street Journal. The departure of Circuit City left upwards of $10 billion in annual CE revenue for the taking, said analysts. “The knock on Wal-Mart’s electronics department, up until about a year ago, was that the company did not carry top brands,” said Pali Capital analyst Stacey Widlitz, in a note. Last year, the retailer unveiled a $128 Blu-ray player leading up to Black Friday. In 2003, Wal-Mart bowed a $39 DVD player, which many say jumpstarted wider consumer adoption of the format. She said there are currently no plans to expand the kiosks to more stores.īentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart heretofore predicated its CE business predominantly around budget-priced product, including China-made HDTV and DVD players. “We will watch with interest how the pilot does," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien. The company will also be accepting trade-ins for certain games for the Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with credit applied to a customer’s credit card. The machines are being installed in stores that do not have Redbox movie rental kiosks and are owned and operated by third party e-Play. Separately, Wal-Mart said 77 stores in the Northeast are installing e-Play kiosks, which offer selections of DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and video games for rent from $1 per day. CE product, including the latter’s highly anticipated Pre smartphone. ![]() The retailer will have standalone sections devoted to Apple, Nintendo and Palm Inc. The upgrades, which include expanded offerings of Blu-ray players and movies, high-definition televisions, PCs and mobile phones, come despite an industry wide 12% CE sales decline in April - the worst since last December. 2 consumer electronics retailer Circuit City Stores. to fill the void left by the shuttering of No. this week is reportedly upgrading its electronics departments in 3,500 stores as the retail behemoth aggressively battles Best Buy Co. “As we work on expanding it to all sellers, we will keep you updated on the application process and program requirements,” according to the Walmart Restored program page.ĮBay recently launched a certification partnership for used electronics, and Amazon started Amazon Renewed.Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Sellers are added to the platform by invitation only. The program is currently online only, but will be rolled out in some stores in the fall, the press release added. Walmart offers 90-day free returns on the items. ![]() “In a year when customers are looking for ways to save money, like-new refurbished products have become an increasingly popular way to cut down on costs without sacrificing quality,” Michael Mosser, general manager of Walmart Marketplace, said in a press release. All end user data must also be removed following the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard on media sanitization. In addition, products must be in “excellent technical condition” with battery life at 80% or higher, have no dead pixels on displays, be restored to their original factory settings and be upgradeable to the latest firmware supported by the OEM. Standards include that the products have no visible cosmetic imperfections when held 12 inches away and that items be shipped with the accessories expected to come with a new product. | chrisdorney/Shutterstockįollowing other big companies such as Amazon and eBay, Walmart launched a platform called Walmart Restored for selling refurbished electronics.įeaturing all kinds of technology and some small appliances, the program aims to let consumers buy refurbished products that “have been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new by top-rated, performance-managed suppliers,” Walmart said on its website. Walmart’s refurbished electronics marketplace will only include products in excellent technical condition.
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