Kotaku
Only 18 Best Buy stores in the country will be opening at midnight, but that doesn't mean they're going to leave you hanging out in the dark if you're at another store until the 8 a.m. (for PS3) or 9 a.m. (for Wii) opening. Here's the plan for those stores not opening at midnight.
Line Management
The mission is to create a safe environment for customers to wait when the line begins to form, as well as
a fair and orderly process for distributing tickets. Give customers waiting in line a clear set of expectations
about how many units will be available on launch day and when tickets will be handed out.
Communicate early and often
From the front of the line to the very end, all customers need to know how many units will be available on
launch day so they can decide for themselves whether or not to remain in line. As the line forms and
grows, be sure to pass along the best, most accurate information you have.
Launch Day Logistics
The mission is to create a quick and orderly process for redeeming tickets, present elements of the endto-
end solution and allow your customers to make the choices that are right for them.
Personal shopper model or assembly line model?
While both of these models were used successfully with last year's Xbox 360 launch, feedback collected
from the field recently suggests that the personal shopper approach works best when you don't have very
many units. In the assembly line model, the customer goes from station to station and interacts with
several employees, each tasked with presenting a component of the end-to-end solution.
When and how to hand out tickets?
Hand out tickets for the number of many units you have 60 minutes before you open the doors. Starting at
the front of the line, hand one ticket to each person in line. Since there are separate tickets for the two
different PS3 SKUs, ask each customer which one he or she wants.
What do we do when you run out of tickets and have more people in line?
Like in past launches, you'll run out of tickets before you run out of customers. There's a launch day offer
for customers who waited in line and didn't get a PS3 but still want a high-definition gaming solution.
Three days only - Buy an Xbox 360 Pro System and two Xbox 360 software titles ($49 or more), and
get a third Xbox 360 software title (of equal or lesser value) free.
Value Package ID 37280.
Offer valid Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19.
Best Practices
The following are some best practices from previous platform launches that help to maximize the comfort
and safety of the customers standing in line.
Connect with Property Management well in advance to allow for these considerations and actions to be
taken. Use the Ask the Facility.Bus form on Employee Toolkit. Click Forms, Inventory and then
Equipment Repairs/Maintenance.
Keep the lights on all night. Whether your store is a midnight sale location or not, there's no telling
what day and what time the line will begin forming. But surely customers will line up hours before the
doors open. Work with your store's Property Management to keep exterior lights on after regular store
hours so customers won't be sitting in total darkness.
Contact local law enforcement by Nov. 10 to inform them of the upcoming launches and the lines of
customers we anticipate will form hours, or perhaps days, prior. Inform them that the lights will be on
all night to illuminate the area where the customers will be standing and request that officers on patrol
in the area pass through the area every couple of hours that night.
Portable restrooms are a great idea for stores holding midnight opening events or stores expecting
a line of customers for 12 to 24 hours or more. Portable restrooms in the parking lot often require
landlord approval, so connect with your store's Property Management Team if you wish to provide
this for your customers.
