Best buys open box items: Best Buy Expanding Outlets to Sell More Discount Open-Box Products

Best Buy Expanding Outlets to Sell More Discount Open-Box Products

Best Buy plans to open more outlet stores to appeal to “value-focused” shoppers.
The stores offer open-box appliances and electronics at a discount, as well as device repairs.
Best Buy forecasts another “down year” for the electronics industry, but expects a rebound in 2024.

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Best Buy is planning to open more outlet stores in a bid to attract “value-focused” shoppers.

The electronics retailer is moving away from “a one-size-fits-all model” for its retail footprint. Its plan includes opening 10 outlet stores in the coming year and closing 20 to 30 of its larger-format locations, Best Buy CEO Corie Sue Barry said during a call with investors Thursday. The outlet stores, which Best Buy began opening in 2021, allow customers to shop for open-box electronics and appliances.

“We will open more outlet stores that support our value-focused customers,” Barry said. “These stores are driving a higher mix of new and re-engaged customers, in addition to a better financial recovery on open-box and return product.”

The outlet stores are equipped to handle more repairs than a traditional Best Buy store as well, which means customers can bring in broken devices or appliances to be repaired by technicians.

Barry called the outlet stores a “unique and differentiated customer experience” and said they could eventually be used to help Best Buy’s vendors sell their own refurbished goods, even if they weren’t purchased at Best Buy.

Barry also said Thursday that the company plans to continue piloting small-format stores that focus on tech essentials and are more tech-enabled than the brand’s standard stores. Customers visiting the smaller stores can video chat with product support and use mobile self-checkout.

“We believe there is an opportunity for these to be growth vehicles in underserved urban neighborhoods, as well as small remote markets,” Barry said.

Still, the months ahead are forecast to be challenging for Best Buy, which expects comparable sales to fall 3% to 6% this year. Not only are customers cutting back on discretionary purchases in general, but the consumer electronics sector in particular has struggled after the pandemic-fueled demand for laptops and PCs subsided.

Insider Intelligence predicts computer and consumer electronics sales will grow just 2.5% in 2023 — in 2021, the category grew 13.8%. That boom has made it difficult for Best Buy to grow sales year-over-year, especially since most of its products are only purchased every four to 10 years, according to senior analyst Zak Stambor. (Insider Intelligence is owned by Insider’s parent company.)

Barry said Thursday that the company is “preparing for another down year for the [consumer electronics] industry,” but expects a rebound in 2024.

“Based on what we can see right now,” she said, “we believe that calendar 2023 will be the bottom for the decline in tech demand.”

Here’s why I won’t buy a Best Buy Open Box product

rants

ByTim Nelson
September 28, 2022September 28, 2022

When I was shopping for a TV recently, I explored a lot of buying options. I didn’t want to pay full price and was getting impatient waiting for sales. So I kept checking retailers, Craigslist, Marketplace, and anywhere else I might be able to get a deal. Eventually, I started reading about how Best Buy has “Open Box” deals, where they offer used products at a discount. Generally when you hear “open box,” you might think of a product that was opened and then returned. Well, in my experience this was not the case at all. Luckily an associate saved me from buying a product thats condition was misrepresented, and now I avoid open box items in almost all cases.

How does Best Buy define Open Box?

Before I get into what happened to me, here is a primer on what Best Buy says all of the conditions mean:

Excellent Certified.

Each Excellent-Certified product has passed the Geek Squad® Certified process involving a rigorous multipoint inspection designed to ensure the highest performance and quality standards. Each product is tested to verify it works like new and is restored to original factory settings. Products in this condition look brand new — with no physical flaws, scratches or scuffs — and include the original parts and accessories (or a suitable replacement), as well as the original box (or a suitable replacement).

Excellent.

Products in Excellent condition look brand new — with no physical flaws, scratches or scuffs — and include all original parts and accessories (or a suitable replacement). The product will be in its original box (or a suitable replacement).

Satisfactory (in-store or Store Pickup items).

Products in Satisfactory condition show minor to moderate signs of use that affect cosmetic appearance, but have no impact on performance. If the product has a screen, it is intact and fully functional, with no visible blemishes in the viewing area. (A Satisfactory product does not include dents, chips, cracks or deep scratches.) In addition, original packaging is typically not present, and parts or accessories might be missing.

Fair (in-store or Store Pickup items).

Products in Fair condition operate as intended, but show more significant scratches, dents or chips — for example, an appliance returned to a Best Buy store with a dent or large scratch or a TV with a minor scuff on the screen that doesn’t affect viewing quality. Original packaging is typically not included, and accessories are commonly missing. If you can accept visible flaws, you’ll also realize substantial savings.

*Open-box condition:

Common home delivery products such as TVs and major appliances may still qualify for Excellent-Certified or Excellent condition without packaging.

Right away, I’m left wondering why both “excellent conditions” say that they include the box, and then the asterisk basically says “we don’t have to give you a box.” That’s not even my larger concern. My concern is a lack of information about how the product was used.

The TV I wanted was a TCL 65R656, which was on sale for $799 new. This meant that the open-box deals were even less than that. I found a listing for an “excellent” condition one, so I assumed it was a like new TV, or a return. Unfortunately, the only one available was a bit of a drive. My mom happened to be in town, so I enlisted her help since she had a car that would actually fit the TV. After a 45 minute ride we arrived, and I raced over to the TV section. What the very honest sales associate told me was that the TV was the Best Buy display model, and had been powered on for over a year and a half, 24 hours a day! I asked him if that was bad, and his response was a solemn “yes. ” The price was only about $120 less than a new one. LEDs last a long time, but in the end they are just tiny lightbulbs. Lightbulbs won’t last forever, so having them on constantly like that is not good for longevity. Imagine buying a car that looked really new, had no scratches or rust or anything, but had 120,000 miles on it. They sold it to you for 10% off and said it was “excellent” and sent you on your way. This is basically what they were trying to do here.

Two weeks have passed and the same TV is being sold as an “excellent” TV, now for more than I bought mine new! I checked, and they still have the same unit at the store I visited.

What was most infuriating is I thought I had figured out how the TVs were supposed to be labeled after hours of research. It didn’t say that this was a requirement anywhere, but some TVs were labeled as display models. They would have a photo of the TV in the store, and were categorized as fair or satisfactory. This TV was not labeled as a display model, and did not even have the remote or TV stand as an “excellent” TV should. When I asked for an explanation from the associate (I kept my cool, he was super chill and open about everything), he told me that all of this just depends on who inventoried the TV. He admitted that it should be a lower condition, but that it really just depends on who the associate was that day that was working that day. There is no actual requirement to label the TV as being a display model on the website, as I had assumed was the case since some of them were labeled as such.

I could easily imagine a scenario where I went to buy the TV, and perhaps it was even in a box, and I just gladly bought it because the associate didn’t tell me it was a display model. The final insult would be that I would have only saved about $120 (less now, it’s only $40 off from new)! At this point, why even call it open box? It was taken out of the box almost two years ago and used the entire time since then.

Here are my takeaways:

If you really want to buy a used TV, wait patiently for it to appear on Marketplace or Craigslist.
If for whatever reason you really want to buy a Best Buy Open Box, be careful! Ask a lot of questions, such as “who used it” and “was it a display model?” Also, check the Google and Yelp reviews for that specific store to make sure they don’t have a reputation for shady behavior.
Best Buy should have more stringent requirements, or at least accurate labels on their website. Furthermore, re-name “Open Box” to just “used.”

Open-box can be better for some other types of products, such as audio equipment and other items that age differently. Some products don’t have display models, so this wouldn’t be a concern. But for others, it’s a complete roll of the dice. I ended up buying it new from Amazon for $799, and I feel a lot more secure knowing that it’s brand new. This could be a fluke, and of course, this is anecdotal. But after my experience, I have no interest in pursuing this option again.

How to pack a gift in gift paper? Beautifully and correctly pack gifts in wrapping paper – step by step instructions

Everyone loves to receive gifts, and many love to give them. To make a good impression, you need to do it beautifully and correctly. Gift wrapping is great for this. It is with him that in many cases difficulties arise. Not everyone knows how to pack a present in gift paper so that it is beautiful, unbanal and, preferably, not very laborious. Not only the momentary mood depends on the correct presentation. Mistakes in decorating can ruin relationships between people for a long time. The article will talk about materials for decoration, the basic principles of packing gift boxes of any size and give step-by-step instructions.

Materials

The simplest souvenir, packaged with love, will impress the person to whom it is intended. But before you start work, you need to stock up on the necessary materials and tools. Most often, gift boxes are wrapped in paper. Let’s see what types of packaging material are.

Paper types

When choosing a wrapper, you need to focus not only on its color, pattern, but also on physical characteristics. Varieties and properties:

1. Kraft paper. It has a dense structure, a high level of strength, it is especially popular for packaging in vintage style, associated with eco-themes, hand-made. The rough texture of the material is usually softened by additional decor – ribbons, applications, dried flowers, floral ornaments, etc.

2. Corrugated. Soft textured sheets are easily stretched and take the form of an object wrapped in it without creases.

3. Silence. Thin translucent material, due to its plasticity, can be used when packing objects of complex shape. It is convenient to fill the voids in the box with this paper in order to fix the item inside.

4. Glossy. It has become widespread, thanks to a huge palette of colors, a variety of prints. It does not have high strength – it breaks easily.

5. Ecolux reaped. Dense textured material, similar to taffeta – a thin glossy fabric. It differs from corrugated in a greater ability to keep its shape.

6. Metallized. Thin, but rather dense material, coated on one or both sides with a metal foil or a layer of metal powder. Easy to bend and drape.

7. Tracing paper. Paper similar to silence, but thicker. Most often, white, matte, has a different degree of transparency. When packing the box with tracing paper, it is necessary to ensure that the gift itself has a neat appearance from all sides.

Tools and materials

To implement ideas for the design of a presentation, one paper will not be enough. To pack a gift in a gift box, you will need scissors or a clerical knife, glue, adhesive tape, a glue gun, a ruler and a pencil. How to fasten the edges of the package – everyone chooses a convenient way for themselves. The most common among decorators is double-sided tape. They can seal the packaging without visible marks on the front side.

For decor, it would be appropriate to take ropes, ribbons, lace, purchased or homemade bows. Instead of ribbons, twine made of paper, hemp, linen is suitable. Flaps of fabric made from natural materials (burlap, linen), applications from dried leaves, ears of corn, dried flowers or branches look spectacular on the packaging. Vegetable elements can make even the simplest packaging look sophisticated.

Old newspapers, postcards, photographs are useful for decoration. Pompoms, beads, buttons, feathers, paper or fresh flowers – the decor is limited only by the imagination and taste of the one who prepares the gift.

Packing color

Psychologists have long established that the color of surrounding objects is of great importance in a person’s life, as it affects his emotional state. Color can evoke or express certain feelings. Color is the first thing the person receiving the gift sees. It is difficult to correct the negative impression of the holiday later if you make a mistake with the choice of the color of the gift wrapping.

It will be easier to choose the tone of wrapping paper if you follow simple unwritten rules: warm, light shades are preferable for ladies, cold and deeper, saturated tones are preferable for men.

Particular attention in the decor is given to the psychological perception of colors:

Red is the color of passion and love. It is appropriate to use packaging in red colors for loved ones, loved ones. Causes strong emotions, attracts attention. To mute the activity of red, you can use gray additions. Traditionally red – used for New Year’s gifts, combined with green, silver, white.
Orange is a very optimistic color that evokes joyful emotions. But here the measure is important – it is better to use it as an additional one, and take the less active option as the main one.
Yellow is associated with the sun, joy. Perfect for wrapping children’s gifts, for the holidays in the spring and summer months. With what to combine, nature itself suggests – green, blue, brown, purple.
Green is universal, suitable for any occasion. Any shades – from cheerful, radiant light green to deep noble velvety dark green. Dark options are perfectly complemented by gold, orange, white tones, and brown, yellow, gray are successfully combined with lighter ones.
All shades of blue are traditionally considered “masculine”. Looks harmonious with purple, pink, red. Provided laconic discreet packaging will look restrained and noble, which is quite appropriate for a gift to a man.
White goes with any bright color. This gives scope to the imagination of decorators, although some may find white packaging boring and uninteresting. But it all depends on the details: multi-colored ropes will decorate a surprise for a child, it is appropriate to arrange a box for a woman with flowers (natural or artificial), and a present tied with a strict silver ribbon will please the representative of the stronger sex.
Pink – stereotypically perceived as purely “feminine”. Best suited for a young girl. Especially on a romantic occasion. Light pink is associated with a dream, lightness, tenderness. To enhance the romantic flair, you can add lace and floral elements to the packaging. Love pink and “little princesses”. Combined with red, purple, lilac.
Black or brown are perfect for wrapping “official” presents. Usually, gold or silver discreet prints and inscriptions look good on such dark paper. To avoid inappropriate gloominess of the color, it is worth diluting it with some light addition.
Gold, silver – very actively attract attention, which may not always correspond to the idea of the donor. In this case, it is better not to use such active colors as the main ones. As a finish, they are quite appropriate in many situations and give the whole event solemnity and significance.

For fashionistas and fashionistas, you can hint at their fascination with current trends by wrapping a gift in trendy Panton colors. The color of the next year is determined by the specialists of the Color Institute in December on the basis of serious research. For example, for 2022, Very Peri became such a color – a shade of lavender: blue, calm, but with a red-violet undertone.

If color combinations are difficult, the easiest way is to choose a combination from the color wheel.

Simple packing algorithm for a square or rectangular box

To beautifully wrap a square or rectangular box, you need to: Determine the required size of the packing list – it should be enough to cover all the edges of the box.
Lay a piece of paper face down.
Center the box.
Wrap the box on both sides so that there is a margin of about 3-4 cm on the sides. Fold it inward. Secure with tape in the center of the box.
From the ends, bend the narrow side parts, iron the edges of the ends.
Bend the sides, fasten.
Bend the resulting valves to the end, glue with adhesive tape.
Tie with tape, covering the gluing points.

The box must be wrapped, slightly stretching the material so that it fits snugly against the walls, does not form unnecessary voids and jams. Then the present will look neat.

To make the packaging more refined, at the beginning of work, you can lay a few folds in the form of an “accordion” on the front side, then wrap it. It will turn out the original pleating, which will add festivity, solemnity.

Depending on the purpose of the gift, decorate it with a bow or other decor to your liking. Boxes with an asymmetric arrangement of decorations look unusual.

Envelope

This method is no more difficult than the previous one. A sheet of paper is measured, the box on its inside is located diagonally. Further, the sides are wrapped towards the center: lower, left, right. Fixed in the center of the “envelope”. The top valve is bent last. The joint can be covered with a sticker, appliqué, bow, etc. This method is easy to wrap the box when there is not too much paper, and there is not enough paper to wrap the box with an overlap (as in the first method).

In the same way, elongated flat boxes are packed. With a little practice, this will not be difficult even for those who have never wrapped gifts.

Draped package

To give the gift elegance, you can make the packaging draped. For this:

Take two sheets of rectangular paper – corrugated and smooth packaging.
Place the corrugated sheet vertically over the wrong side of the smooth one.
Bend the bottom edge up to a width of about 2 cm.
On the same side, bend the edge up again, but already twice as wide.
Fold this strip up 4 times.
Unfold the paper and put it on the back side, i.e. packaging, top.
From one of the lower edges, cut off the triangle to the place where the fifth fold begins.
Pull the corrugated leaf out from under the smooth one by 1-1.5 cm and bend both layers together with a fan, securing it from the wrong (corrugated) side with adhesive tape so that it does not fall apart.
Lay the box on the packaging, hide the free part of the paper under the side with the “fan”. Secure with double sided tape.
Bury from the ends in the same way as in the first two packaging options.

You can tie it with ribbon if you like. This method is more laborious, but the gift will look more interesting.

Animal

If the gift is intended for a child, he will be interested in receiving it in the form of an animal. To make such a package, you need to take thick craft paper and measure the right amount. It is defined as follows: putting the box in the center, measure half the length of the gift from above and below, and half the width to the right and left. At the top and bottom parts, you need to cut out two “ears” with which the entire structure will be fixed. At the side rectangles, round the corners and make cuts into which to insert the “ears”. Draw the muzzle of the animal on the package or make it using the appliqué technique.

Round or oval box

A round or oval box is easiest to pack using soft, well-draped paper. The box should be placed sideways on the packing material. At the same time, it should be enough to close the side parts and ends. Above and below the stock of paper should be no less than the radius of the box. Further:

Secure the side with tape.
Lay the folds from the free edge of the paper, directing them to the center of the bottom. Fix with tape.
Repeat the operation on the other side.
Decorate the top of the package with a bow, ribbons, etc.

If the gift does not have a factory box

Often, for various reasons, people give each other gifts that do not have a box, or they have a complex shape, under which the box cannot be matched. This is no reason to leave them unpackaged. In this case, you can take a sheet of paper, put an object on it and carefully gather the sides of the paper up, evenly distributing the folds. The paper may or may not be transparent. Under the bottom it is better to put a piece of thick cardboard, commensurate with the object. This will give the package stability and a finished look.

If you do not like this method, you can take a gift bag. Not always in stores there is a suitable size. In this case, you need to do it yourself. Old newspapers, posters, everything that is enough for imagination can be used. The thicker the paper, the more durable the packaging. To make a bag handle, you will need a piece of string or ribbon and a hole punch. Follow the step by step instructions:

Measure the rectangle so that it is enough to wrap the object with a margin.
Fold the edges to the center, glue them together in the form of a sleeve.
Bend one of the open sections up 5 cm, iron the fold with your hand, unfold. This is the future bottom of the package.
Lay the bottom as shown in the picture.
Lay the side folds of such a depth that the volume of the resulting package is sufficient.
Optionally, reinforce the upper open cuts with a strip of cardboard, make holes with a hole punch and insert a rope.

Fasten the ends of the rope with knots from the inside. The gift package is ready. You can decorate it using various decor: inscriptions, applications, ribbons, postcards, etc. It is recommended that you first practice on waste paper in order to understand the principle of folding the bag.

Packaging decor for various occasions

Probably, you should not say that you need to make out a gift taking into account gender, age, status, preferences of the person to whom it is intended. The occasion for the gift also matters. Taking into account these circumstances, you can decorate the packaging, emphasizing the importance of the event, its significance, attitude towards the recipient of the gift.

New Year’s Eve

Traditional Christmas colors are red, white, green. You can use both monochrome and their combination. Look great under the Christmas tree gifts wrapped in multi-colored foil, checkered paper, with prints in the form of balls, stars, snowflakes, New Year’s toys. This color is suitable for men and women, young and old. The package is complemented by live spruce twigs, cones, twine, ribbons, bows, harmonizing in color. Boxes decorated with appliqués on New Year’s theme look original.

For a child, you can wrap a surprise in the form of a large candy, giving the object a cylindrical shape and tying the ends of the gift wrapper.

March 8

A gift for March 8 can be decorated with various elements. The floral decor looks great: live or painted twigs, leaves, dried flowers will create a spring mood, and fabric or paper flowers will emphasize the attitude towards the gifted person. A young girl or an older lady will definitely be surprised by the design of a gift box with live plants that can be fixed on a floral sponge. This way they stay fresh for a long time. Floral or floral prints on paper will be appropriate in the spring. The effect of festivity will be added by satin ribbons of bright contrasting or, conversely, pastel colors.

Valentine’s Day

For this holiday, it is customary to decorate gifts not only with hearts. For packaging, bright colorful paper, complemented by pleasant inscriptions, wishes, photographs, is suitable. Boxes wrapped in paper with the image of birds, animals, balls look cute – everything that is associated with a loved one.

Wedding

Classic “wedding” colors for gift wrapping – white, sand, soft pink, lilac. How decorations use bows, lace, ribbons. A gift in white and gold colors with additions in the form of beads, rhinestones, feathers, twine will look original.

For the birth of a child

The birth of a child is a joyful event for a family. Therefore, a gift for this occasion is made out not only in traditional blue and pink colors, but also using kraft paper of a “natural” look. In this case, the reason for the gift is emphasized by funny applications on the packaging.

Birthday

To create a festive atmosphere, to please the birthday boy, bright combinations are used. For women – in light colors, for men – in more strict colors. Pay attention also to the preferences of the recipient of the gift. Do not lose sight of its status. So, for a loved one, the decor can be more free, playful, and for a colleague or boss, a more formal design is better. Even kraft paper will look different if you complement it with a simple decoration.

For a child, a gift is always a joy, a surprise. There is room for fantasy here. The boxes are wrapped in a bright wrapper, decorated with applications in the form of animals, heroes of your favorite cartoons. For a child, small souvenirs, stickers, balls will be appropriate.

For a corporate holiday or on behalf of the company

If the company has its own corporate colors, it would be logical to pack gifts in this color scheme. Presentations for business partners are made in strict accordance with the corporate culture, supplementing the packaging with logo stickers and catchy inscriptions. In this case, gift wrapping acts as an advertisement for the company, making the present bright and memorable.

Conclusion

Choosing a gift is always troublesome. I want to present something unusual, useful, interesting. And the packaging process will help you tune in to the festive wave without fuss. If you show imagination, it will turn into an exciting activity: the choice of materials, decor will show the taste and creativity of a person. It is worth taking a little time to design a presentation, and it will help create a pleasant atmosphere and a joyful mood for both the one who gives and the one who receives the gift. Someone considers the ability to present gifts a science, someone – an art. In any case, the knowledge of how to pack a gift in gift paper and the skill of original design will be useful to everyone.

Christmas boxes in World of Tanks 2023: chances, % and statistics + Terminal with gifts

+ Terminal with gifts

Our traditional calculations for New Year’s boxes + comparison with last year’s data.

Statistics are based exclusively on boxes opened in the RUBY region (property and chances are the same everywhere), each opening has a screen and is written down in text on a tablet. An equal number of each of the 4 types of boxes is opened.

The most “profitable” large boxes for us this year were the Christmas ones (last year it was the same). Most often from high-level premiums fell: BZ-176, and if you look only at new products: also BZ-176.

Stats

Approximate drop % of any tank lvl 8-9: 3.70% (last year: 3.70%)

[NEW] BZ-176 = 1.00%
[NEW] M47 Improv. = 0.90%
[NEW] Char Mle. 75 = 0.40%
Vipera = 0.50%
AMBT = 0.90%

Approximate % drop of any tank 5 lvl. and below: 11.70% (10.30%)
Approximate % drop of any tank in general: 15.40% (14.00%)
Approximate drop % of any 3D style: 6.45% (2.67%)
The ability to get a 3D style out of the box is calculated separately from everything else. Styles cannot be repeated. All new 5 styles were obtained after opening 93 boxes (225 – 6 styles)

Most profitable* boxes of 2023

Where did the most gold drop from: Christmas [646. 6 gold per box, including absolutely all compensation]. (700)
Where did the most premium tanks lvl 8-9 fall from: Christmas. (Christmas)
Where did the most premium tanks lvl 2-5 fall from: Magic NG. (Magic NG)

* small sample, actual odds should be equal, in theory of course.

Average amount of game currency from: 4 boxes (set)

Gold:

excluding compensation for duplicates: 1 307
assuming player didn’t have any premium: 2,979.6
assuming the player has all previously available premiums: 3,058.8
assuming all premiums are duplicates (even 6 new ones): 3,188.8

Credits: 240,000
PA Days: 3

Gift terminal: chances

This year there is also a gift terminal where, among other things, you can get a brand new tank 9level Object 283 for rent for 5 battles or forever.

It fell out on 9 HH tokens for us, so the selection has become irrelevant, but if you calculate in general, then the APPROXIMATE percentage of the drop will be like this (there is no good selection!): forever (from terminal): 1.