Newegg’s First Pop-Up Store: This Week in Thousand Oaks, CA
by Jarred Walton on August 14, 2013 4:31 PM EST- Posted in
- Newegg
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Ask any [Ed from Ian: US-based] computer/technology enthusiast about the best place to buy hardware online and it’s almost inevitable that you’ll hear the name “Newegg”. They have been around just about as long as I can remember in the computer world – founded in 2001, a couple years before I actually started writing for AnandTech. The reasons for their success are too much to get into right now, but having good prices and good customer service with a large selection of products is at least a big part of the story.
The Internet boom over the years has also caught many retail outlets with their proverbial pants down – we’ve seen companies like CompUSA, Incredible Universe, and various other companies expand and contract over the years as more and more people began shopping online. Newegg has largely avoided all that, starting with an online presence and generally avoiding rapid expansion, but they’re always looking for new ways to grow their business. They started out as a company primarily focused on selling computer components and software, but we’ve seen them expand into other electronics items, books, clothing, outdoor accessories, and numerous other products. This week, they’re going to try another new idea: a pop-up store.
The ideas pretty straightforward: erect a temporary structure, stock it with popular devices, staff it for a few days or a few weeks, and when you’re done you take it all down and store it again… or take it somewhere else and erect another pop-up store there. Newegg will be doing exactly this from August 16-18 at the Oaks Shopping Center in Thousand Oaks, California. Obviously that limits who will be able to attend in person, but Newegg promises to stock a variety of laptops and Ultrabooks, tablets, digital cameras, hard drives and solid-state drives, and various other devices that any back-to-school shopper might find useful. The available inventory will definitely be more limited than what you find at Newegg.com, however, as the announcement says they will have “over 70 products from Intel, Samsung, Sony, WD and more.” As an added bonus, the first 100 shoppers to come by the store each day will receive a free gift – we don’t know what that the gift will be, unfortunately, so we can’t say whether it will actually be worth the trouble of waiting in line. There will also be "discounts and giveaways" at the event.
Going back to what we were saying earlier about large retail outlets that have come and go over the years, the pop-up store gives companies a way to offer a short-term presence in an area without the long-term investment. While this initial trial by Newegg will be primarily for residents of Southern California, if it’s a success we expect to see future pop-up stores, and not just from Newegg. If you happen to stop by, let us know what you think of the idea and how well Newegg executes.
Source: Newegg.com
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Stuka87 - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
I wonder if they will offer free shipping for in store pickup.Paulman - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
I don't think so; they'll only be there for one weekend, and I don't think they intend to have a longer or more established presence anywhere (for now).Stuka87 - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
Oh yeah, missed the part that its only there for a few days.gamoniac - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
Actually, I just ordered something there and noticed something new in their check-out process. When picking shipment method, they also offered in-store pick-up for three of their warehouse locations. Unfortunately, I am nowhere close to them... Hopefully they will offer more pick-up locations soon.Theremings759 - Thursday, August 29, 2013 - link
like Marvin said I am amazed that any body can profit $5197 in 4 weeks on the internet. go now http://jobs63.comchizow - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
Pretty interesting concept, more like promotional event though I think and a way to connect with customers.I'll say one big reason I've grown to love and rely on Newegg is their fast shipping turnaround and fast FREE shipping. I remember back in the day with their FedEx Saver, I used to basically get product overnighted to me from Calif to DC because I was so close to Dulles Airport.
Nowadays, Newegg is still top-notch when it comes to fast, free shipping, often with no minimums unlike Amazon. Also, Amazon takes forever to just FILL orders before even factoring in shipping times unless you are a Prime member. I personally hate it because I feel it artificially pushes people toward Prime membership, but Newegg is just fast, consistent and excellent in this regard, setting the standard for the rest of the e-commerce tech/PC industry.
Guspaz - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
Unfortunately, Newegg Canada almost never offers free shipping. In fact, their shipping has gotten much worse. Until very recently, you could pick which shipping company and speed was used. (normally the choices were UPS or Purolator with some speed choices). For me, UPS is way more convenient, because there's a UPS store near where I work, and UPS automatically redirects packages to the closest UPS store after the first delivery attempt in my city, so I always would choose UPS.Recently, Newegg changed the shipping options to essentially "fast" and "slow". No more choice of shipping company, they make no guarantees who they'll ship with. What's the problem with that? Well, if they ship via Purolator, it adds a minimum of two business days to the shipment (one day for the item to make it back to the warehouse, one item to redirect it to the store), and about $5 in public transit fare to get to the Purolator store.
So now shopping at NewEgg is randomly an enormous inconvenience... so I don't shop there anymore. Shame, I loved shopping there, but it's a really dumb move on their part.
Flunk - Thursday, August 15, 2013 - link
If you want free shipping you're better off buying from one of Newegg's Canadian competitors that offers in store pickup such as NCIX, Memory Express or Canada Computers (depending on where you happen to live).surfnaround - Friday, August 16, 2013 - link
correct, (although NCIX tends to wait until friday it give the pick notice)... canadacomputers i would not pick up from... the whole deposit thing means they may cancel the order up until you show up to pickup the item...). NCIX won't do that because they will tell you at the order Verification stage if you will be able to order it ... the canadacomputers "deposit thing" reminds me of "logic computers" scam that they would take a deposit on a item at a low price, then when you pick it up, they refund your deposit...having said that i have had NO problems with NCIX, or newegg. also if you can "will call" an item at newegg.ca it is worth the experience, just to see the inside of newegg.ca warehouse/pick up area!...
chambo622 - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - link
Newegg also offers will-call at their City of Industry warehouse. Which, for me, is incredibly convenient - a 20 minute drive and I can have my order the same day, with no shipping charge. So far I've only run across one or two items that were shipping from their New Jersey facility and therefore weren't available for Will Call in COI.