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It appears that one of the largest PS3 retailers are going to stop stocking the 20GB PS3, meaning customers will only have one option and will need to pay $600 for the 60GB edition.

The PS3 has appeared to still be falling behind the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii in terms of recent sales and popularity - Best Buy not stocking the 20GB model could hurt those figures even more.

According to Joystiq, they have checked with numerous Best Buy locales and have confirmed the “Discontinued” status that was recently printed out from a BB computer system, which means that the flow of 20GB units into Best Buy stores should all but stop here in the very near future.

If this is correct, I find this very disappointing on Best Buy’s half. What happened to customers being the number one priority?

Via [Joystiq]

So ye olde Aunt Edna got you the second season set of The Golden Girls and a crappy Christmas sweater - again - and you could really use a new iPod. The good news is that you may be able to return that well-intentioned junk and get something better. The bad news is that not every store has the same return policy, which can be especially frustrating if she bough the stuff more than a month ago and didn’t give you the receipt. Gizmodo has put together a nifty chart of store return policies for Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City and Amazon. Though you might be racking up the RewardZone points at Best Buy, check the chart to see if there might be a better place to go and date restrictions. Based on the chart, Wal-Mart looks to be the best all-round bet, esp. If you are receiptless, many stores do have a Holiday grace period, so check your local stores. Also, if you do go to the Customer Service counter at Wal-Mart, plan to stand in line for quite a while, listening the people around you discus the pillows they just picked up for 50 cents and their love of all things wicker. *shudder*

Read [Gizmodo] Chart [Gizmodo image] Also Read [Consumer Reports] Also Read [Mouse Print]

If you step into an Apple store in a shopping mall, chances are you’ll see an area with demos of the different iPod versions, MacBooks, as well as Macs. Then there’ll be Apple software, accessories and peripherals on the other side of the store. That’s quite typical for a PC retail store, right? But reports say that Apple stores rake in more profits per square foot compared to big retailers like Best Buy and even beat luxury retailer Tiffany & Co.

So what are the differences between an Apple store and any other retailer? Probably many, as reported in this article by Red Herring, but based on personal observation, I’d say it is about location, product specialty and product placement.

Best Buy and Tiffany & Co. are perfect retailers to compare Apple against. In Best Buy, products are somewhat cramped together and they’re not specialized. People come in to buy a variety of products at Best Buy, not just a specific brand/product. In an Apple store, products are displayed welcomingly with lots of space for people to move and play around with products.

Although products are well placed and quite specialized at Tiffany & Co., they are a high end retailer and not located in places where everybody just drops in and feels welcome. Compare that to Apple who, even though they offer considerably high end products, have locations in places that even an average Joe wouldn’t mind dropping by and can still feel welcome.

Not to say that people wouldn’t feel welcome at a Best Buy or Tiffany & Co. but someone could get overwhelmed with the amount of products at Best Buy, while others could feel unwelcome in high end luxury retailers like Tiffany & Co. Apple just does a better job of making their retail stores inviting and welcoming - IMHO.

Read [MacNN]
Read [RedHerring]

I just got back from dinner and there they were sitting on my driveway...the Black Friday ads in paper-form.  I can’t quite say why I enjoy getting them when I already know what they say - but there’s just something about the experience.  Maybe it’s the flashy colors on the paper?  Maybe it’s the exhileration associated with getting up at 3 in the morning?  Maybe it’s the humor in stuffing a crap-load of paper into a plastic sleave?  Whatever it is, it excites me.  Oh and if you were looking for some news...There’s clearly no news here, I’m just making an announcement that I received my ads.  Have a good night and a great Thanksgiving!

Read up on Black Friday deals by clicking here.

Haven’t had a chance to make it over to your local Best Buy since the big PS3/Wii weekend? Well we have (yes, I know it’s an addition—at least we admit it). What did we see you ask? How about piles and mounds and pallets of “door buster” products. The newsworthy part is the fact that the products are covered with black tarps so no one sees what is actually there (even though Best Buy released the newspaper deals and online deals).

Gizmodo received a tip yesterday from a reader that got some information about Best Buy’s Black Friday plans, which go along with tips we’ve heard as well.

...they were stocking up for the BF sale already. Counted about 52 of the Westinghouse 32” LCD HDTVs ($479.99, W3213) and 30 of the 42” HDTVs ($999.99, W4207). Also recognized the Advent 15” LCD TV ($129.99), estimated about 30 of them, along with a bunch of other stuff. Funny thing is, they were all labeled “Product not for sale. Hold for customer [Redacted].”

The other day, a Best Buy employee told our Jacob about a shipment of 50 42-inch Westinghouse LCD TVs that were sitting in the back of the store already.  It looks like the days have passed when retailers have only left-over units for Black Friday.  If you are interested in these displays, you should still line up at 5:00AM outside your local store, because lets face it, they’re still going to sell out.

Read [Gizmodo]

I just got back from my local Best Buy to scope out the scene...and to see if they’d let me cut in line.  Unfortunately the first group in line had a propane heater that they would’ve burnt me with if I tried anything funny.  So what did I see up there?  Well there was a lot of bitching - for lack of a better word.  People were complaining like little girls about how people were cutting them in line.  I mean, when you’re over number 50 in line, I don’t think you’ve got much to worry about...and I think it’s time you go home.  The first group of guys in line were acting as the leaders of the group and decided it would be smart to start a written list instead of going by the honor system.  When I left, there was no verdict yet whether or not Best Buy would actually use the list or if it was made for nothing.  There was about 150 people on the list at that time.  And if I remember correctly, that same Best Buy had only 30 or so Xbox 360s when it launched last year.  Sorry to burst your bubble guys (and girl).

In related news, while I was standing there, #3 in line’s girlfriend called and informed him that there was just a drive-by-shooting at a nearby Best Buy...and if you can believe it, I don’t even live in the ghetto.  Videos to come later, including an interview with #4 in line.

When holiday time comes, consumers get giddy like little school girls.  To fuel the fire, BlackFriday.info has Black Friday ads from all of your favorite retail chains, most recently Best Buy.  Whether it’s a 50-inch Toshiba Plasma for $1,699 or an E-Machines PC with 15-inch LCD for $189, they’ve got all of the deals exposed to help you prepare for raiding your local best buy come the day after Thanksgiving.

For the full list of Best Buy deals, click on over to BlackFriday.info.

Update: Check out our Wal-Mart, Apple, and Circuit CityBlack Friday picks.

Update 2 - 11/9/2007 - Check out our 2007 Black Friday deals as well as our 2007 Gift Guide picks.

Read [BlackFriday] Via [Gizmodo]

Who doesn’t love a rumor?  The latest is one from a Best Buy ad found on GameSpot that sports a black Xbox 360.  There’s much speculation about what this means, if anything.  I’m going to rule out a coloring-mishap since that’s a near impossible mistake to make.  So the finger points back to Microsoft and their plans for this holiday season.  Will they be launching a refreshed black Xbox to get the holiday shoppers going crazy again?  I have to say… it would look rather sexy in black.

Read [GameSpot] Via [Xboxic]

According to National Retail Federation, parents and teens getting ready for school are expected to spend $10.46 billion on consumer electronics.  That’s why Best Buy has started up the Ask A Best Buy Blue Shirt Online to help the store connect with customers while they’re still at home.  Starting tonight, you can log on to AskABlueShirt.com and join a live chat with the company’s employees.  Ask any of your questions relating to “popular gadgets, helpful shopping tips, gift ideas, technology trends, and more.” If you trust the Blue Shirts, then why not ask them your questions?  Here’s the schedule:

August 27 at 8 p.m. EST

August 29 at 9 p.m. EST

August 31 at 1 p.m. EST

If you’re not available during any of these times, you can still submit your questions via the website and they’ll post the answers in the transcript.  Enjoy!

Read [AskABlueShirt]