Visiting J&R Music and Computer World, the Store
Written: Aug 15 '02 (Updated Feb 20 '03)
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New York used to be the last frontier for any retailer to reach. It has always been a tough town to sell in with so many competitors, and tougher to sell to New Yorkers who are only interested in a good deal.
But if you can offer the customers no nonsense deals, and competitive prices without resorting to trickery, and also offer acceptable customer service, then customers will remember you as a reputable place to buy from.
J&R is one such retailer. Homegrown, and family operated for the past three decades. They have become internationally recognized. JandR is where the smart tourist comes to buy electronics. The dumb tourist buys from an electronics place in Times Square, either unintentionally because they just didn’t know better, or sometimes just so they can experience what it is like getting ripped off in New York City.
I wish I could tell you more about shopping online at J and R, but there are already many reviews available to tell you that; check them out (some are positive, some negative). I live in New York, why should I shop online when I can just walk downtown and get what I need. I have shopped at J R for years.
Really, the only reason to shop J R online, or by telephone is 1) you cannot get to the store, and 2) saving on taxes if you do not live in NY State -- it’s really a legal loophole in most states, and one I hope Congress does nothing about :). Reading through some of the reviews here, I would agree that shopping by using their toll-free telephone number is far better than using their online shopping cart.
Epinions needs more reviews on brick and mortars component of stores because a lot of people genuinely do want to know. Many live near a brick and mortar store, or perhaps planning to visit one and want more info. And, last I heard, brick and mortar stores are essential for many businesses to survive. Unfortunately, the people who are in charge of the Online Shopping category here on Epinions are all want me to tell you only about online shopping. I won’t do that, a pox on them (well, some of them, not all :)
Anyway, JandR has one brick store located downtown across the street from City Hall, and a few blocks away from the World Trade Center site (once a upon a time a neighborhood called Radio Row.) When I say one store, it is really a string of stores located next to each other. J&R started from a small store, but over the years, simply expanded. The stores are a mix of musty 80’s décor, and 2000 retail modernity. They have a store for computers, an audio-video office electronics store, a home appliances store, a jazz/music/movie video store, and the classical music department. I guess it is convenient for them to continue with this arraignment, the alternative is to create a gigantic retail space much like Circuit City, or Best Buy, but that would cost them $$$$.
When you visit the store, the first thing you will notice is how crowded and hectic it is. J & R gets a lot of visitors. There are long lines at the checkout line, and an even longer line as you wait to pick up your merchandise from the pickup desk. There are usually several salespersons working behind the counters where you examine the products, sometimes you get quick service, but sometimes you have to wait. The products are all there for you to examine. Everything except for music and video cds/dvds which you cannot sample. The computer store has laptops, monitors and printers out in the open for you to play with, the audio video store has all the PDAs, cameras, and more to look at. What you see is what you get.
The prices at J R are competitive, but not cut-rate -- don’t expect ultra low Internet pricing because J R is a really a retail store, but with an online and telephone shopping arm in order to extend sales. In the stores, prices written out next to each product so you know what the price is. There is no negotiation, no deals unless it’s a price match guarantee -- more on that later. J&R’s prices (online and off) are in sync with their catalog, and whatever sale advertisements they have running in the Sunday New York Times that week. Their ads are also listed on their website. If the prices are not in sync, they will honor the price difference if you show them the ad, and by law, they have to anyway. If they don’t, ask to speak with their manager.
Besides competitive prices, J&R’s core strength (offline) also comes from having a knowledgeable sales staff. Salesmen at J and R do work on commission, however, but most of them seem to be fair when it comes to giving advice, and not just trying to sell you a product you may not need. I have even heard a few salesmen warn others away from certain products they have in stock. Of course, always be a smart consumer, always price compare before you shop.
As is the policy of Jand R, they do not make deals or negotiate. But they do have a price match guarantee. See it anywhere for less, and they will match it as long as its the same product, and the competitor is an authorized dealer, and not some guy selling you some stereo "that fell off the back of some truck". It’s not a generous policy, but one that is pretty much standard in the industry. Basically what they are saying is, "Instead of giving the other guy your money, give them to us, we got the same product at the same price!" The real consumer benefit of this policy is that if the other guy has the deal but doesn’t have the product, you can go to JandR to see if they have the product in stock before showing them the deal. Forget about those places that have policies that state if you see it for less, get 110% of the price difference; some of these places sometimes don’t even honor their own policies, i.e., Circuit City (you know it’s happening circuit city hq, train your managers better).
One of the downsides of J&R is their spotty and often cold customer service. If you need to return something to the store, there is usually one person handling it. Sometimes s/he may be on the phone, and you will have to wait a bit before it is your turn. The plus side is their (industry) standard 30-day return policy. Returns from online and telephone sales can be made to the retail store.
Another downside is that sale items quickly lead to depleted stocks, so come early in the week if you see something you want. Rainchecks are NOT honored at J and R (by law they do not have to issue one). Nobody except small local groceries hand out rainchecks anymore, but that’s another gripe I’ll save for another day.
Address: Park Row (across from City Hall).
Directions: the A, C, (E), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, J, M subway all stop nearby on Fulton, the N, and R stops at City Hall. The M15, M103, M9, M buses… well, you get the picture; it’s busy down here. There is free 2 hour parking at a nearby garage for JR customers with a $100 purchase amount. See the website for their map, directions, and more.]
Website: http://www.jandr.com
Check out my review on B&H Photo Video (a reputable source for photo and video equipment, and also located in New York)
Recommended:
Yes
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