Best Buy shipments

[mrbrown]

Does anybody know when Best Buy generally receives shipments and when they generally make those iPads available for sale?

The customer service rep at the store told me they receive them periodically and they put them out whenever they receive them, but knowing how Best Buy has worked with high demand products in the past (e.g. the Wii, XBOX360, etc. -- holding shipments until Sundays and putting them out when they release their weekly circular), I sort of doubt that.

 

[emaja]

As someone who has inside information, these shipments come directly from Apple and not from a BB warehouse. They come when they come and BB has a general idea when they will arrive, but nothing specific.

As far as holding products go, they are required by corporate to hold a minimum as advertised in their Sunday ads. A lot of times, they will hold more, but will have at least the minimum.

With the WiFi iPad, there were over 100 at my local BB and as late as the Tuesday after launch they still had a few in stock. They got more in during the middle of the week and put some out, but held out some for Sunday's ad.

 

[fusarium]

@emaja,

I am trying to see if my local Best Buy had iPads for sale last week. The weekly ad shows nothing except iPhones and iPods. There is no mention. I assumed it was just my area, so I looked at some of the shops in Chicago. Still, nothing.

Is it possible I'm looking at the ads wrong? Or hasn't there been any advertisement in the weekly ad since release?

The people I called today at BB said that they usually get drop shipments every 2 weeks. And they didn't come in last week. Is that to say that they aren't getting the iPads every week? Or do you think the truth is being with-held?

I'd love to land a 16gig iPad tomorrow, Sunday. Think it's possible? Should I call all of the BB's in driving distance when they open at 11a?

Also, any ideas on when the BB weekly ad updates for next week?

I'm in Michigan.

Thanks!

 

[emaja]

All my info is based on stores that are local to me, so it might not apply everywhere.

The iPads were featured on the front page of the ads here the week of April 4. My local store had set aside 12 of each I believe. I haven't seen them in the ads at all since, but I have seen them in stores almost every time I have been in BB. Not sure what capacities, but I am pretty sure that they were 64GB. The 16's and 32's are more popular around here.

Front line employees don't have the info on shipments that supervisors or managers do, so what someone from the floor tells you about shipments might not be right. Not to say that it isn't, but management knows a lot more than they tell the sales help.

The ads come out on Sunday, so get up and check your local ad at bestbuy.com. They still haven't been available for online purchase where I am at, but you can at least see if they are featured in the ad. If they are, then you can be sure that they will have them in stock. The trick is to get there before everyone else does - LOL!

I would just order one online and know that it was coming, but sometimes the pursuit is part of the fun.

Happy hunting!

 

[iPadpam]

When I called best buy they were currently sold out, but told me to call every 1-2 days and check to see if they got a shipment. So taking that advice I called back the next morning (Friday morning) and was told they just got a shipment 10 mins ago. I went right down and got myself a 32g.

So couldn't hurt to check every day