Fractal Design partners with Best Buy to expand retail in North America

[GFreeman]

Today, Fractal Design announced a new retailer partnership with Best Buy, one of the world's largest specialty computer and hardware retailers. Starting today, Best Buy customers will be able to find Fractal's award-winning PC cases online at BestBuy.com. This new retail expansion ensures gamers and enthusiasts have ready access to the Scandinavian design, user-centric innovation, and premium quality that Fractal infuses into each of its products.

"We're excited to expand the retail options available to customers throughout the US by making Fractal gaming products purchasable at BestBuy.com." said Keith Washo, Fractal Design Senior Director of Sales. "We believe that combining our highly acclaimed gaming hardware and equipment with Best Buy's first-rate ecommerce platform will ensure greater access to our best-selling products and a quality shopping experience for Fractal customers and new shoppers alike."



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[yfn_ratchet]

It would have been a lot more exciting to see Fractal in brick-and-mortar stores, personally. Not many have access to Micro Center unless an hour-long+ drive is tolerable, but there's a whole lot of Best Buys.

I really think Best Buy should be transitioning into general electronics with a section for PC hobbyism and maker stuff. I don't think a lot of people bother going to Best Buy for a home appliance if they can help it—Costco and Home Depot are usually the first stops. As is, they're beginning to dwindle as e-tailers offer better prices and Geek Squad's service is spotty at best.

 

[Easy Rhino]

It would have been a lot more exciting to see Fractal in brick-and-mortar stores, personally. Not many have access to Micro Center unless an hour-long+ drive is tolerable, but there's a whole lot of Best Buys.

I really think Best Buy should be transitioning into general electronics with a section for PC hobbyism and maker stuff. I don't think a lot of people bother going to Best Buy for a home appliance if they can help it—Costco and Home Depot are usually the first stops. As is, they're beginning to dwindle as e-tailers offer better prices and Geek Squad's service is spotty at best.

Agreed! Best Buy does not have good deals on appliances. And if you have dealt with their sales and customer support it isn't great. Home Depot/Lowes and the local appliance shops are all much better at the Appliance game. I would love to see Best Buy transition into more of a Micro Center. I might actually go there...

 

[bonehead123]

It would have been a lot more exciting to see Fractal in brick-and-mortar stores, personally. Not many have access to Micro Center unless an hour-long+ drive is tolerable, but there's a whole lot of Best Buys.

I really think Best Buy should be transitioning into general electronics with a section for PC hobbyism and maker stuff. I don't think a lot of people bother going to Best Buy for a home appliance if they can help it—Costco and Home Depot are usually the first stops. As is, they're beginning to dwindle as e-tailers offer better prices and Geek Squad's service is spotty at best.

OMFG, not BustyBuy, anyone but those clowns..........

But at least it will be online, so we don't have to deal with their tweenie-bot, shit-4-brains, less-than-clueless employees that couldn't find their buttholes with a 6 foot long finger !

Yea I realize that B&M computer stores are few & far between, but just sayin

But OTOH, I heard that RadioSmack is making a come back at retail, so maybe they can strike up a deal with them, as having Fractal's stuff there would certainly be a draw for more customers.....

I have no love for CotsGo or the HomeDespot either, but I would much rather go there instead of a BustBuy any which way from sunday !

 

[Easy Rhino]

But at least it will be online, so we don't have to deal with their tweenie-bot, shit-4-brains, less-than-clueless employees that couldn't find their buttholes with a 6 foot long finger !

That is definitely one way to describe them.

 

[neatfeatguy]

Best Buy opened a store in my area 16 or so years ago. It was a smaller store (when I say it was a smaller store I'd venture to say it was maybe 60% the size of a normal Best Buy store), meant to be more of a focus on home appliance and home entertainment instead of being a bigger store with a gobsmacking bit of everything.

When you first walked when the store was opened at least 1/3 of the store was dedicated to appliances. They had really nice mock kitchens setup and a large selection of products to look over, everything looked really nice. The next 1/3 of the store was dedicated towards home theater entertainment. Speakers, TVs, receivers and so on. The last 1/3 of the store had a sprinkling of the bigger selling things you'd normally get at a Best Buy, such as laptops, cell phones, tablets, consoles and such.

The whole idea was to focus more on making the experience there geared towards home appliances and home theater type experience....but when that didn't work they remodeled it about 6 years ago to bring it into line with the larger stores. The appliance department was greatly reduced and they made room for as much as they could cram into it hoping they could salvage the location, wanting to make it function like a normal Best Buy store. In the end, nearly 2 years ago now, they closed the location. It was a failed attempt to try and refocus Best Buy (at least that location) into a dominate retailer for appliances. With having a Warner Stellian just a few miles away, along with a Home Depot across the road and a Lowe's a few miles away the area already had great spots to shop for appliances. Best Buy was swinging out of their league.

Now, if Best Buy can find a way to focus a little more on PC hardware - more than it does now - I bet it could do wonders for them for foot traffic. Micro Center near me is always busy and I mean always. The problem with Best Buy's current offering for PC hardware is the limited options and the higher cost some of the stuff tends to be. But let's not forget how ineffective most of the Geek Squad people can be. Maybe this is a direction Best Buy is looking to go, guess we see how things turn out for them.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I dont go into BB these days but when I did they had a PC "area" that had some of this, some of that kind of stuff. It mostly focused on complete systems and laptops, nothing extensive. And, omg, the name brands, hardly no major name brands, its like Aliexpress on downers.

 

[freeagent]

Works ok for me.

If I want a Fractal case, I have to travel about an hour to get one, then come back.

There is a BB 5 minutes from me

 

[Ruru]

Sucks that Fractal isn't the best bang for buck manufacturer like they were back in the day. At least Define R4 was 100EUR at maximum when I bought mine in 2012 or 2013.

 

[mechtech]

Hopefully Canada as well. Be nice to walk into a store and buy a case, and not pay $35 shipping to get a dented up box.

Works ok for me.

If I want a Fractal case, I have to travel about an hour to get one, then come back.

There is a BB 5 minutes from me

I have to drive about 9 hours lol
But BB is about 20 minutes away.

 

[freeagent]

Sucks that Fractal isn't the best bang for buck manufacturer like they were back in the day. At least Define R4 was 100EUR at maximum when I bought mine in 2012 or 2013.

I bought my R4 in 2012 for 120 CAD plus 13%.

I think I paid 220 for my Torrent Compact.. plus tax lol.

Best deal was 60 bucks for my Meshify C on kijiji, a used site here.

 

[Cheeseball]

Best Buy opened a store in my area 16 or so years ago. It was a smaller store (when I say it was a smaller store I'd venture to say it was maybe 60% the size of a normal Best Buy store), meant to be more of a focus on home appliance and home entertainment instead of being a bigger store with a gobsmacking bit of everything.

When you first walked when the store was opened at least 1/3 of the store was dedicated to appliances. They had really nice mock kitchens setup and a large selection of products to look over, everything looked really nice. The next 1/3 of the store was dedicated towards home theater entertainment. Speakers, TVs, receivers and so on. The last 1/3 of the store had a sprinkling of the bigger selling things you'd normally get at a Best Buy, such as laptops, cell phones, tablets, consoles and such.

The whole idea was to focus more on making the experience there geared towards home appliances and home theater type experience....but when that didn't work they remodeled it about 6 years ago to bring it into line with the larger stores. The appliance department was greatly reduced and they made room for as much as they could cram into it hoping they could salvage the location, wanting to make it function like a normal Best Buy store. In the end, nearly 2 years ago now, they closed the location. It was a failed attempt to try and refocus Best Buy (at least that location) into a dominate retailer for appliances. With having a Warner Stellian just a few miles away, along with a Home Depot across the road and a Lowe's a few miles away the area already had great spots to shop for appliances. Best Buy was swinging out of their league.

Now, if Best Buy can find a way to focus a little more on PC hardware - more than it does now - I bet it could do wonders for them for foot traffic. Micro Center near me is always busy and I mean always. The problem with Best Buy's current offering for PC hardware is the limited options and the higher cost some of the stuff tends to be. But let's not forget how ineffective most of the Geek Squad people can be. Maybe this is a direction Best Buy is looking to go, guess we see how things turn out for them.

I'm not sure about the other Best Buys around the US, but here in Pittsburgh the few stores around me have been providing great service, or at least what I consider competent customer service. 60 day return policy and no-questions-asked returns are all I ask for, really. I don't need any Geek Squad troubleshooting or whatever.

They replaced my ROG Ally when I reported the microSD card reader being fried earlier this year. I also had my LG C1 replaced twice (cracked screen) when it was under warranty. On the 2nd replacement (early 2023) they gave me a LG C2 since they didn't have the C1 in stock anymore. That was when I opted for the 42" version and a $100 Best Buy gift card lol

 

[Ruru]

I bought my R4 in 2012 for 120 CAD plus 13%.

I think I paid 220 for my Torrent Compact.. plus tax lol.

Best deal was 60 bucks for my Meshify C on kijiji, a used site here.

I always forgot that you guys (and in USA) the prices don't include VAT.

 

[mechtech]

I always forgot that you guys (and in USA) the prices don't include VAT.

Ya, it really hits home when you need to buy a vehicle, and you realize that the $60k vehicle is not the final cost, and then you have to pay $7,800 tax on top of that. :|

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

I'm no fan of bestbuy, but they do have good deals on stuff ocasionally (and can get some crazy deals on the returned/open box merchandise sometimes). Sometimes I go in there just for the power trip of watching the geek squad flee from me like Godzilla just walked in.