Best Buy API Aims To Expand Store's Reach Online

surely_you_cant_be_serious writes "Best Buy has opened up proprietary product catalog data in its online store through an open API. Through the Remix API, Best Buy can track how many people are using its information, while users can check to see where a certain product is available without visiting Best Buy's site. Web developers and bloggers can also sign up to become an official Best Buy affiliate. If approved, they can get a small percentage of a sale if someone makes a Best Buy purchase through their site."

Comments

Old news?

[Chabo]

Sounds kinda like what Amazon did several years ago, so you can link to a specific product on Amazon, and get a cut.

Re:Old news?

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope it doesn't suck like Amazon's did. Shortly after it came out you couldn't search line for products without finding hundreds of spammed sites all selling exactly the same thing at exactly the same price. For a while finding a non-Amazon affiliate was impossible. I assume it didn't pan out or Google found a way to remove that lame home made stores, but I don't want to see that again with Best Buy.

Re:Old news?

[timeOday]

I sure hope that's not all it is. If one API for product info predominated across most companies, it would be great, basically froogle.google.com without all the heuristics of trying to find and parse the price out of a web page (since that would be explicit). You would hardly need ebay anymore, since the search engine would be the marketplace.

Re:Old news?

[larry bagina]

froogle used to have a format where you could provide all that information to them. Same with google base. (I think you could either provide them with a URL that generated the data or upload the data through their website).

Re:Old news?

[Brainiac4]

It is like what Amazon did years ago. We're trying to learn from what others have done. Amazon has built a very successful web site and online business, and their web services are a big part of that. The point of Remix is not just to allow access to the catalog; it's to encourage people to innovate with it. - Kevin Matheny, E-Business Architect, BestBuy.com

My pig is growing wings.

[Irish_Samurai]

Damn, I never thought a big box retailer with brick and mortars would ever get it.

I'm torn

[Bryansix]

I really am torn about this. On the one hand it is cool technology and it prevents me from having to actually go into a Best Buy and talk to one of the khakis pants army of morons who work there. On the other hand this means more revenue for Best Buy and that means they will expand and build more stores which will then cause me to vomit upon sight of said stores... I'm torn; really I am!

Re:I'm torn

[Chabo]

Like it or not though, Best Buy is still one of the best options if you need a computer part or accessory TODAY and can't wait for Newegg to deliver.

Re:I'm torn

[CannonballHead]

If you don't live on the west coast/near Fry's :)

Re:I'm torn

[j1mmy]

It's also worth noting that Best Buy has decent prices these days. I picked up a new hard drive for the same price as newegg wanted for the same model. I would have paid shipping with newegg, but instead paid sales tax at Best Buy. The difference wouldn't have been more than a dollar or two either way.

Re:I'm torn

[Ethanol-fueled]

Fry's is also the best place to find hobbyist stuff like kits, discrete components(though very expensive compared to wholesale), hardware, wiring harnesses for car stareos, and test equipment like power supplies and O-scopes.

Plus, the psychedelic Lewis Caroll theme inside the large stores is pretty cool when you're high on dope.

Re:I'm torn

[bastion_xx]

Oh, and the salespeople at Fry's are sooooooo much better than BB, CC, or any of the other shops.

I love Fry's for variety (and that they finally take AMEX now), but the sales people are a horror to work with. One time I was buying memory and the sales guy wanted all my other purchases in my basket prior to giving me the receipt (so he could write them up for a commission too I guess)

Having said that, I'll shop at Fry's anytime over the others.,

Re:I'm torn

[Thornburg]

Sure, for an HDD of a particular model on a particular day, but if you're looking for a graphics card, a power supply, or most other PC components (that BB sells), their prices are 2-3x what Newegg is. Really, honestly, more than twice as much.

Re:I'm torn

[Korin43]

My Best Buy is horrible. Every time I want something I go there, walk around, then go home and buy what I want on Newegg because it's twice as expensive at Best Buy. I'm not sure about everything, but here's some examples:

2 Gb of memory: Best Buy - Cheapest is $39 (note "Regular price: $144), Newegg - Cheapest is $16.
Not a fair fight you say? How about if we compare to Newegg's Kingston and PNY brands (the only kind my local Best Buy carries): Cheapest Kingston is $18. The only PNY is $20.
Best Buy's prices aren't even close. If this isn't enough for you, how about how Newegg will sell you 4 Gb of "Corsair Dominator" memory for $15 less than Best Buy will sell you 2 Gb? And don't even get me started on their video cards..

Re:I'm torn

[Bryansix]

Actually each Fry's has its own theme. One is themed Space and the next Greek Architecture and the next Lewis Carol...

Re:I'm torn

[Bryansix]

It's true I have to admit. One time I sat for an hour to talk to a supervisor about getting some "Cross-connect cable" and "Cross-connect clips" in a spool less than 100 feet in length. When the supervisor came in he had no idea what it was either. I mean it's just two pair copper cable. How hard is this to figure out. They didn't know what the clips were either.

However, if you know what you want then Fry's still has a million times better selection then Best Buy on any given day.

Re:I'm torn

[penguinchris]

It depends on where you live - when I lived in New York (Buffalo) I usually got things from them the next day, because they have warehouses in New Jersey and processing time is quick. I live in Southern California now, and also get things next day, because I believe they're based here (which means I pay tax, but the shipping is usually free and I get it next day.)

It's the same thing with Amazon - they say the free shipping will take more time, but in my experience it doesn't.

If you live in the middle of the country, away from Newegg or Amazon's distribution centers, then yeah, it's going to take longer.

Is this the data from that intranet?

[Reality Master 201]

The one they'd show customers in store when they were doing a bait and switch? The one the CT attorney general was investigating?

Just curious.

spam submision

[Anonymous Coward]

notice the referrer id in the affiliate link (using commission junction, a spammers haven) instead of a direct link,
way to go with the quality articles Slashdot

Wii Availability

[TheSpoom]

Back in early 2007 when the Wii was out of stock absolutely everywhere, I setup a cron job to repeatedly check the product pages of the Wii console on Best Buy and other sites and email me when it said they were in stock. It worked surprisingly well and I got a Wii at retail price within about a week or so (with a well timed email and quick checkout) from Best Buy.

This is a really good move on Best Buy's part as it will only increase people buying their items.

LEAKED CODE FROM BESTBUYS API !!!

[Anonymous Coward]

if request.instorepricecheck()
{
      return 2*item.price;
{
else
{
      return item.price;
}

API vs DYI

[astinus]

From TFA:

Vis-à-vis Wal-Mart, Best Buy can't really compete on price, but its value-added service offerings -- professional home installation of flat-screen TVs, for instance -- can be a significant differentiator, especially considering the coming digital TV transition.

Well OK, but will these services be available for linking/displaying/reviews through this API? Will anyone actually link directly to these services, even if they are available?

I'm sure there will be a hard upsell attempt once the customer clicks to buy the actual product, but how will they translate this services "advantage" into inducing people to link Best Buy products instead of the same product through, say, Amazon?

When I went in to Best Buy to look at plasma TV's (nothing on the web beats a real-world viewing of a potential purchase), the salespeople were pitching all kinds of installation, delivery, warranties, and even an in-room color setting tuning. Amazon, where I eventually bought the TV from, had a handful of additional services, but got the purchase because they were $400 cheaper.

How will directly linking to a virtual pitch of the same "differentiators" change decisions like mine?

Re:One way to change the character of online comme

[bugnuts]

Speaking of bestbuysucks.com/org/net/tv/co.uk/etc, has anyone heard of the disposition of those illegal detentions and arrests they made when people wouldn't show a receipt for their own purchased items?

I remember a couple posted on slashdot a few years ago, and one was particularly egregious.

Could be good

[sircastor]

The functionality of the API I think will determine it's usefulness. If all the thing does is give you a 400x400 ad for a BestBuy product, this thing will be worthless and BB will quickly learn that. If however, they offer a really flexible system which can deliver what a blogger wants, in the way that he wants, then this thing could offer a great integration point for BestBuy. Non-invasiveness is the key... as always.

Mod parent down for misleading

[michaelhood]

notice the referrer id in the affiliate link (using commission junction, a spammers haven) instead of a direct link,
way to go with the quality articles Slashdot

That's not a referrer id that will get anyone paid, except for Best Buy. The "refid" in the URL is just so that you're shown the Best Buy Program's info instead of a generic CJ one.

Of course this is fact instead of hyperbole, so, proof [that you didn't provide] provided:

https://signup.cj.com/member/brandedPublisherSignUp.do?air_refmerchantid=2045991&h=488

https://signup.cj.com/member/brandedPublisherSignUp.do?h=488

Re:In other words ...

[Brainiac4]

How do you arrive at that conclusion? It's an open API; how could we possibly be hiding prices? Did you even look at the documentation?