Full FeedBest Buy doesn’t like anime anymore (updated March 4, 2009)
If you’re an anime fan, you’ve probably bought a few flicks at Best Buy. After all, the stores are everywhere and the prices are pretty good.
Well, you may want to stop by your local Best Buy and pick up some imported, translated and localized goodness before March 21, 2009. Best Buy is going to drastically cut its anime offerings in 460 stores.
ICv2 is reporting the Best Buy anime breakdown is going to basically end up like this:
- 200 stores which move a lot of anime won’t have any inventory changes.
- 500 stores will have 100 anime stock-keeping units (SKUs - a single item such as a DVD, box set, bundle or even product line.).
- The 460 stores that are cutting back will only have 20 anime SKUs.
The stores which will be cutting back are going to have a sale running from today (March 1, 2009) until March 21, 2009. All anime DVDs at these stores will be 50% off. Go make some lists and head to your local store after school/work.
After those stores clear out their inventories, your options are limited but there will still be a few retail stores where you can pick up some anime.
- Suncoast always had a large selection, but good luck finding an actual store location. They’re pretty scarce throughout the Midwest.
- Circuit City’s gone - but they never had a “huge” inventory to begin with.
- WalMart occasionally has anime, but it’s either A) Naruto or B) an immediate release.
- Your best major retailer bets are going to be Borders and Barnes and Noble. Both stores have DVD sections but they often sell for full retail price. (What, you never noticed? Oh, you only went there for books. I see.)
Let’s be real, you’re going to have to resort to internet shopping.
- Borders’ online store has more than 2,500 anime DVDs if you check its section.
- Barnes & Noble carries more than 2,000 anime DVDs online.
- Amazon is also a natural option, just remember to check and see if you’re buying from Amazon directly or another buyer.
- Suncoast is also an awesome presence online. Its website does a nice job of breaking the anime DVDs up into categories. So if you visit the section to browse and want to see Special Offers, Upcoming Releases or Fantasy series, you instantly can.
- Or, you can go straight to the source and visit Right Stuf. If you visit Right Stuf and can’t find the DVD set you’re looking for, it doesn’t exist.
- There’s one other site that may help, and it’s one you may never expect - WalMart. WalMart stores may have an incredibly limited anime section, but the online store offers much more. For example, a year or so ago, I was looking for the Princess Tutu boxed set. Surprisingly, WalMart’s web site had it and had it for the best price, at the time. Sadly, the price has since gone up.
Edited March 4, 2009: Tom has tipped us off to a new post on ICv2 that lists the Best Buy stores with anime sales. So now you can check a handy list to know right away if a store near you will have anime 50% off. Thanks Tom!
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I got to MY local Best-Buys-that-are-closing-out when they opened on the 1st and when the day was over I spent just over $200 on a large pile of cartoons.
on March 2, 2009 at 11:52 AM - LINKWow. What’d you get? Did you find any phenomenal deals?
on March 2, 2009 at 01:21 PM - LINKI bought a ton of stuff - some of which I’ll end up returning because I tend to go overboard.
ShinChan Season 1 pt2 and Season 2 pt1
several Fullmetal Alchemist volumes
Area 88 original OVA and OVA series
One Piece Season 1 pt2
Outlaw Star Collection
Death Note live action movie
Death Note vol 5 (I think)
DragonBall Z box sets 1-6 (and I’ll be going back for whatever remaining pre-“GT” box sets there are)
I also bought - but will be returning…
on March 4, 2009 at 10:12 AM - LINKCode Geass vol 1-4
Naruto 3rd movie (which I got solely because I liked the shiny holofoil box. I saw the movie on CN and was unimpressed.)
Wow, nice collection!
The Death Note live action movie is included in that deal? I had no idea! I may have to drop by the Best Buy near my day job and see if they’re participating in the sale.
on March 4, 2009 at 01:36 PM - LINKRemove the uncertainty: check out this handydandy list before you go, ALSO from ICV2. There were THREE locations within 20 miles of my place…
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/14360.html
on March 4, 2009 at 01:45 PM - LINKAdditional: the guy said that while the Death Note movie #1 was 50% off, the Death Note #2 movie WASN’T. (Don’t ask. Half the staff of the stores I went to were clueless about the closeout sale, even WITH the little signs posted in the Anime section, AND the titles originally rang up full price before I protested.) I suppose if I bitched a little more I could have snagged DN2 for cheap too.
on March 4, 2009 at 01:51 PM - LINKOh wow! Thanks for that - I’ll update the post with that information ASAP (and credit you of course).
How odd about 2 not being 1/2 off… it’s kind of a shame because that’s the one I haven’t seen. Oh well, finding 1 cheap would be good enough on its own!
on March 4, 2009 at 01:58 PM - LINKNot at all. Maybe DN1 was listed as “file under Anime” while DN2 was listed as Horror. Or maybe the clerk was clueless. No idea; I’m just glad I got my “ShinChans”. I found the list about 2 weeks before March 1 and made a point of getting to my not-as-local Best Buys the minute they opened, guaranteeing maximum stock to pillage from.
The “good” news: if Anime has indeed been relegated to Junk Bond status in the retail (and animation) world, maybe the REST of the Best Buys will bail on the genre as well - and do so at 50% off. Stay tuned.
on March 4, 2009 at 03:22 PM - LINKIf it does get that status, then I hope I can find and pick up the Aria anime at a good price!
on March 4, 2009 at 03:25 PM - LINKYou might be able to get it NOW, depending on how many Best Buys you or your friends are within driving distance of. Better hurry. Good hunting.
Never heard of “Aria”; depending on when it was released it might not even be in stock at the NON-closeout locations. I was hoping to find a “S-CRY-ed” box set at one of these places. No such luck; only at the full-price one by me.
on March 4, 2009 at 03:40 PM - LINKAria’s fairly recent, so I’m not sure they’d have it even at the non-closeout places like you mention. I’ve been a fan of the manga since ADV started translating it in 2004. They stopped at volume 3, but now Tokyopop’s picked up the manga rights. I’ve heard the anime adaptation was good as well.
I’ll see what I can see after work. :D
on March 4, 2009 at 03:43 PM - LINKSo! Buy anything?
on March 9, 2009 at 05:14 PM - LINKI checked my local Best Buy and didn’t see anything I was crazy over. So, I decided to catch up on and pick up 3 volumes of manga I collect.
on March 9, 2009 at 05:21 PM - LINKThinks,this artical is helpful
on April 12, 2009 at 11:06 PM - LINK