Although Best Buy ran sales for HD DVD, at one point 30
percent off on all stock, it appears that the format’s run at the big box
retailer is officially at an end.
Completely bypassing any last-ditch firesale action, Best
Buy has instructed its retail locations to remove all HD DVD product from store
shelves. As posted on AVS Forum,
an official memorandum sent to stores read, “Mosaic [field marketing company]
will be in all stores before open on March 26 to pull and send back all HD-DVD
titles. The representative will fill out the sendback paperwork and create a
manifest for each individual tote. They'll also flex all Blu-ray inventory
across the space where HD-DVD was featured.”
The memo also describes the removal of signage that still
mentions HD DVD: “Mosaic will remove any header signs that list both Blu-ray
and HD-DVD, as they are no longer valid signs in the store. Stores will be
responsible to order additional Blu-ray sign rails to fill in the space left by
the removed HD-DVD signs.”
While some HD DVD diehards were still waiting for further
sales from brick and mortar stores, it won’t be happening at Best Buy. Select Circuit
City locations are reported to also be sending HD DVD stock back for refund
rather than for sale purposes. The stores that still carry the format are
clearing product at 50 percent off.
With Best Buy and Circuit City soon washing its hands of HD
DVD software, the retailers only dealings with the format may be through consolation
promotions such as a
free $50 gift card or trade-in
program.