Bose Chucks Mac

I saw an article on that as well.  Seems that they sent a "secret buyer" to a bunch of Magnolia centers and the service, etc. was very bad.  They probably took it up with corporate Best Buy and did not like what they heard. If that is so, then I can't blame them for pulling out.  Guess we will see what Bose decides to do next.  Who knows, maybe they will open their own brick & mortar locations around the country.

Best Buy really hasn’t respected the Magnolia brand that had quite the following and customer base in Seattle metro - it’s too bad.

If what @jeffbij is true, then I would commend Bose for pulling out. Bose gets bashed quite a bit, but one thing they know how to do is market the hell out of a product, which includes knowing which variables could be damaging (in this case Best Buy).

Here is the link to the article I saw.  How true it is, no clue...  

https://futureaudiophile.com/bose-yanks-mcintosh-line-from-magnolia-stores-nationwide/

I think Bose is taking these measures to bolster the image of the McIntosh brand and return them to specialty audio dealers. I am sure they felt the image and legacy of the McIntosh product was not best served by being under the same roof as Maytag. I would also suspect that MusicDirect may be in their crosshairs as well and any other internet sales outlet. 
all my humble opinion of course

It was a good move.  McIntosh wasn't getting the representation it deserves in those stores.  The people going to BestBuy are looking to buy those dopey color changing light bulbs or some Ring cameras, not $10k pieces of audio gear.

McIntosh has at least 3 tiers of dealers. The Magnolia stores, Crutchfield, and Music Direct are the lower tier, with a small assortment available. The top tier get everything including the reference products, and the middle ground, most dealers, get all but the top reference items. If the new owners want expert customer service they may be willing to abandon the bottom tier.

The problem with Best Buy is that, when they reconfigured all their stores, they really downgraded what the Magnolia HiFi section of the store was all about. Magnolia HiFi used to be treated as a actual specialty high end audio store in Best Buy. But now, Magnolia it less substantial and less significant. Best Buy reduced the number of customer service personnel at Magnolia, which is why their customer service is so pathetic. How Magnolia HiFi is being treated now by Best Buy is simply a reflection of the overall decline of the high end audio industry in general.

@kennymacc  agree. The kids that work at Best Buy here do well to find the on off switch

Yaaay! McIntosh should’nt be in the Magnolia Audio stores at select Best Buys, because Best Buy is Mid fi audio gear Not High end MC275 tube amps being sold at best buy from some teenage sales person thats clueless! dont get me started. Not to mention what kids today are going to allocate a whole room in there house for a 2 channel, and spend $16,000 on a  (yes i know they sold all kinds of mac stuff) tube amp and speakers? None that's who! 

My father when in  his 70's purchased an expensive audio cabinet (Salamander designs) from Magnolia in Baton Rouge and the itiots they sent to deliver and put it together horribly, Just horrible skills. Drawers with ball bearings that were not level and not sliding, all drawers were not square and did not function. 

I'm sure Fine Sounds Inc wont miss Best Buy!

Matt M

I've only had a few opportunities to visit a Mag @ BB location, and never was all that impressed.  Early on, the sales staff seemed to have a grip on what they were trying to move into a sale.  This eroded into a staffer that could 'talk the talk' without having any interest other than making some sort of sale.

Magnolia appeared to be a 'gesture' to the upper market, but lost the drive to really promote it any better than the current sale on washer/dryer combos.

Sad....will M/L be promoted in M/BB locations?

Holding one's breath not advised....😣

I bought both a Mac amp (C 53) and pre-amp (MC 312) at Magnolia in the last couple of years because it was both easy and the store was conveniently located. I knew exacty what I wanted and just needed someone to write up the order, take my credit card and deliver the equipement. IMHO making it harder to buy Mac equipment is not going to enhance its brand. High end audio dealers are becoming harder to find. I think Bose is cutting off its nose to spite its face unless it finds a replacement.

Best Buy is pretty much hit or miss when it comes to anything and I guess it starts at the top.🙁

it was reported that BB paid $87m for the 13 magnolia stores, which at the time seemed like a huge overpay even if they hadn't  immediately mangled the brand. i do give BB credit for coming back from the brink, but it seems like other than cell phones and (very low margin) tvs noone actually goes there to buy products anymore--they seem to survive on revenue from services and financing.

I think everyone was wondering what would happen to Mc with the purchase by Bose.  This is the 1st thing I’ve heard.  I buy at Best Buy and with their store closures and changes the closest Magnolia location is now in another state so it impacted my ability to see and buy Mc equipment.  I’m hoping this leads to positive changes with other retailers including brick and mortar stores and online.  

There’s a certain satisfaction, one gets when they realize that they have graduated from Best Buy.  

Mcintosh has always been a luxury brand. And to some degree so has Bose.

Owning products from both companies (1962 Mac MR65B tube FM tuner and a 1998 Bose Wave Radio) I can say that when well maintained these products are built to last. However, I’ve always wondered about the concept of attempting to sell high end audio products through big box stores like BestBuy, which don’t offer the typical high end sales experience that most dedicated specialty stores do.

When a consumer is spending a considerable amount of their hard earned money on an upscale product, they want to be treated accordingly.

Does Bose own McIntosh?

Oh look, I found a filet mignon plate on my Dennys menu.  Wrong product, wrong place, wrong demographic, what could go wrong?  Shocking.

It's truly amazing how mis-directed marketing can get involving supposedly smart people driving the bus and braking too late for the BRIDGE OUT! sign.  This was mostly DOA from the onset.  We can be reasonably assured Mac was promised, told or it was inferred that it would be different.  In the end Best Buy is successful on a particular level, not selling Mac.

I was in Best Buy last week looking for an AudioQuest cable in the Magnolia section, but they didn’t have what I wanted. A nice young man came up and asked if I needed anything. I said no, but thanks for asking. Without prompting he said, "Those cable prices are crazy, aren’t they?" I said yes and went my way. If that’s their approach, no wonder Bose is looking to get out. ;-)

My experience with the Silver dealer out here at the north Houston (Woodlands) Best Buy was unimpressive to say the least although the sales guy was great. Not high end by any means. I ditched my order after a four month delay (with zero Mac feedback and went with Pass. Mac needs more and better dealers and hopefully Bose has figured that out.

@larry5729 good to see you around. Link to your question here.

Thank you Toro3!

Our local Best Buy isn't what it used to be.  Hardly ever busy and the last time I was in there I didn't see McIntosh or really any decent component setups. Matter of fact don't think I've ever seen Mac at this location.  Its gone downhill to say the least.  

I purchased an Oppo 105 from a Best Buy Magnolia store and back then the Magnolia store looked like it would be good thing. The sales people were pretty knowledgeable and they even had home theater and room treatment. However, it seemed to decline after that.

No loss. I remember when McIntosh dealers seemed to have guaranteed regions. For instance, the only dealer in Dayton, OH was Custom Electronics. Cincinnati had one dealer; Columbus had one dealer; one in Cleveland and one in Toledo. No mail order; no multiple dealers. It meant that McIntosh could completely control the selling price of their gear and each customer was assured their salesperson was an expert. Each dealer had one or two salespeople dedicated to the brand - they could tell you the most minute details about the gear. And each had a service person who had been through courses in Binghamton so they knew each model intimately. I don't think it would be bad for McIntosh to return to that model. It fed that conviction that McIntosh equipment was truly special and worth the money.

Best Buy makes most of its profit on cables, accessories, etc. Recent visits show that they are merely staffing to work with gamers, laptops and accessories. In my small town (Traverse City MI) we have a spectacular McIntosh dealer. BB would never be able to advise on or support true HiFI products. Best they leave that to the big boys/girls. 

Best Buy in Albuquerque is terrible IMHO.  Poorly staffed, poor listening room and the selection is geared more towards the home theater folks rather than higher end audio.  They are better suited for TV’s and computers unfortunately.  

I am surprised it took this long.  If McIntosh is going to retain their "elite" marketing structure and performance (which I believe they should) then they are certainly justified in pulling out. I have been into numerous BB locations in several states/markets in the post-Covid months with Magnolia square footage and found them consistently unstaffed, disorganized and when there is a staff member that manages to stroll through, they have no professional reference.  BB locations are all being re-tooled to prevent, or mitigate theft/loss prevention as a top priority.  Magnolia seems to be there only as a conduit to their Geek / Installation arm.  They are rapidly becoming major appliance/ cellphone, iPad & Video dealers.  It is really a shame to see, as they were our last hope for a brick & mortar storefront for mid-range Hifi / audio. It would be unfair to those existing specialty locations to allow Mc to be represented by the current BB "self-serve" configurations.  I am glad to see them (Mc) standing tall, especially since the Bose factor came into play.  Just my own personal observations.

Which is better, a world with MORE or LESS Blue Boxes?

I would buy a cable or connector from Best Buy and maybe a printer. We have a Magnolia room in a store but I have not been in there in many, many years. I don’t think the young people who work there know much about high fidelity. In the other home theater store we have, it’s a mess and again not geared toward high fidelity even though they sell some nice brands???

Now would be a good time to go shopping if you were interested in any McIntosh gear!  I picked up my Vienna Acoustic speakers when BB was moving away from them for a very good price.  One thing BB does is reduce gear they no longer sell/want at pretty good prices.  Time to make some lemonade!

And what are thoughts on Mark Levinson replacing McIntosh at BB, as the article is suggesting?  

Guess Ill have to trade in my Toyota for a Jeep.

🤣🤣🤣