Customers have grown so used to searching quickly and efficiently for the best price on their intended purchases that price matching is as much of a necessity in retail today as a website. However, the only surefire way for retailers to make sure they don’t bleed any sales to competitors in the first place is to start a lowball pricing war.
Enter today’s combatants: Amazon and Best Buy.
24/7 Wall St. reported that the two retailers have started an informal back-and-forth over the prices of high-end electronics. For example, the source identified a curved Samsung 65-inch 4K TV selling on Amazon for $1,497.99, down from a list price of $2,699.99. However, a virtually identical model from Samsung is selling at Best Buy for the slightly higher price of $1,499.99, though the list price sits at $2,299.99.
However, big-ticket electronics isn’t the only vertical where the two retailers are trying to slip one past each other. CNET reported that Best Buy has started selling and shipping orders for 4K Blu-ray discs — products that aren’t scheduled to go on sale at Amazon until March 1. Amazon appears to be holding fast to the original date, but it may have to reconsider if Best Buy starts to make headway with customers. It seems the electronics brand is indeed hitching its horse to beating Amazon in the electronics space, as it’s offering its early-release 4K Blu-ray discs at prices a few dollars under old 1080p ancestors.
In fact, Best Buy appears to be letting no opportunity to shine in comparison to Amazon go to waste. Attack of the Fanboy reported that shipments for the latest release of the popular “Fire Emblem” video game series were delayed from both Best Buy and Amazon over the weekend. However, while Amazon simply updated shipping estimates to the new mid-March prediction, Best Buy offered gamers a $20 credit to spend on its online store.
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