Stopped by Brookstone Today

[Boom Boom Man]

I never go to a shopping mall - except at this time of year. So far I visited two local DC area malls - in the Suburbs, Montgomery Mall in Maryland and Tyson Corner Centere in Virginia.

Monkey Mall (as it is affectionaletly known around here) has a Brookstone - but no Segway - only a picture. Tysons has not only a Segway but a small tv and video and someone to demo it to you - if they are in the store.

Tysons, where one was displayed,with a great plexiglass sign on the unit saying "will not work without key, ask associate for demonstration" had people coming in to look at it and the little TV showing it in use - in a video that looks like it was shot in New York City, with clips from a Brookstone Store of a guy getting a demo. I was hoping for some SegwayfesT video from Chicago, myself! An associate said they get lots of questions, but have had only a few sales.

The Mall without the HT had no one looking at the poster.

I was wondering what you all have seen elsewhere in the country at your local Mall & Brookstone Store.

[Sal]

In Albany (Crossgates) They neither have a poster nor a live Segway. And definitely won't have a live Segway. I was told live Segways were only going to be at a handful of stores around the country.

-Sal


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[dhugger]

I'm surprised the Brookstone at the mall in Manchester, NH doesn't have a demo HT... considering the machines are made within 10 miles of the mall.

-Derek Hugger-

[jrmiller]

HEy out there in Segland, I have visited my local mall
(Westfield of Clearwater FL) in Clearwater and the Brookstone store there has a small tv set up just inside the doorway playing a tape explaining the HT. The Mngr told me that they have sold about half a dozen in her dist . She was a bit disbelieving that I actually owned one. Why I wasn't riding "IT"......Broken left collar bone ...kind of hard to steer without the use of the left hand. anyway SEG-RIGHT SEG - ON JR :>)

[Sal]

Although I had never really thought about it when the threads suggesting the idea came up... But jrmiller could have used a steering grip switch, that is, an interchangable L---> R steering grip.

-Sal

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[segwaynewton]

do the associates know about the segway and can they answer questions? do they know how to demo them? do they know how to advertise the segway?

Segway, it's the ride of the future!

[Neelix]

Haven't checked out the Brookstone near me yet. I'll have to get the parentals to DRIVE me the three miles over there (Yes, I know, blasphemy. So stone me. =)) sometime soon.

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[Sleepy]

According to a local manager in San Jose, their store hasn't sold one yet. However, one was sold in San Mateo-- just south of San Francisco.
I can't imagine them keeping the big Segway posters up for very long if they're not selling too many.
But it sounds like they're selling a lot of those $38 Mogu pillows!

-Alex

[segwayowner]

I LOVE THE MOGU PILLOWS!!! I bought one and loved it so bought 2 more.... anyway back the segwaychat, i think they werent expecting to sell many....

DES: Segway owner....
it has a nice ring to it

[Cruzan Glider]

Cleveland Ohio location in the downtown mall has a poster in the store and what appeared to be an HT in a street level display window. But an inquiry within the store determined no Segway was available for demos.

Columbus Ohio location in a suburban mall had nothing. I inquired and all I got was a funny look from the sales clerk. (I assume part-time x-mas help)

I cannot imagine selling many of these thru Brookstone without having a Segway in the store for people to try. Would you buy a car from a dealership that didn't have a car for you to test drive?

Mike

[8] Bringing the future of transportation to central Ohio

[Dwarf84396]

I went to the one in Lenox Mall in downtown Atlanta.

They have a unit for demoing, but I wasn't able to get a ride. Have any of you tried? The manager at that store said that you had to be over 18 even though I'm 16, licenced, (edit) already experienced in riding one, (/edit) and I had my parents there. Argh.

Well, for anyone else in Atlanta, go there. It's nice.

Ben

[segwayowner]

i feel like the store mangers dont know anything about the segway and i am not sure that they know how to demo them....

DES: Segway owner....
it has a nice ring to it

[gotseg]

I stop by a Brookstone at FairOaks Mall every once in a while. You have to be over 18 to glide + sign your life away when doing so, but a little factoid overload and I was up glidin :)

gotseg?

[segwayowner]

got seg, what do you have to sign, pay to demo a seg at brookstone?

DES: Segway owner....
it has a nice ring to it

[wwhopper]

There is a helmet to wear and a waiver to sign at the Tysons store, but no one there to demo it that I could find.

Will W Hopper,IFDA
Washington, DC, USA

[Jon]

The Brookstone in South Portland, Maine, also has the poster, with the videotape playing continuously. The store manager is very enthusiastic and fairly well-informed about the Segway, but seems to be the only local employee with any experience on the machine. As her sales force is well-meaning but naive regarding the Segway, I've offered a private demo for her team. She has yet to take me up on the offer, though she's both receptive and interested. She's considering asking her management and/or Segway LLC for support for an official demo in the mall. After all, we're less than two hours away from the "mother ship" by car. I guess that projected volume of sales is driving the location of demo units.

[ElectraGlide]

Today I took my Segway to the local mall here in Boca Raton. It was busy with the holiday so near,the parking lot was full, and the Segway came in handy gliding from the car to the mall entrance. I needed to pick up a couple gift cards at the front reception desk and while I was waiting in line I asked a mall security guard if I could ride my "p" to the Brookstone store which is well into the mall. She asked her supervisor by radio, and he wasnt sure WHAT she was describing, so he said to wait and he would be over to check it out. Well, once he saw it he knew what a seg is and said driving it in the mall to the Brookstone store today was no problem. And so I did....very slowly to blend in best I could with the shoppers walking. Well I got a lot of crazy stares, and ofcourse the kids all knew what it was and they all Ooo'ed and Ahh'ed. When I entered the Brookstone the employees were thrilled. I demo'd the "p" for several minutes to the employees and customers. When I was finished the manager thanked me for bringing it in for all of them to finally see in person. I did notice that today their sign and video player was not displayed. There was no evidence that they even sell them there. I asked one of the salespeople how many they have sold and she replied "none" , but several were sold at the other south Florida Brookstones. Well folks, I think thats pretty poor sales........an upscale area like this, good weather year round, a top notch mall at Christmas, and not one sale ?? There must not be much profit in this machine for Brookstone otherwise I would expect the management to push to sell them a little harder. I guess the sidewalks around here will still be clear and safe from Segs after this holiday. BTW, I dont expect to ride in the mall again.....it didnt feel comfortable and the looks from everyone made me feel like I just landed from Mars.

Steve

[wayne]

I would say the reason for poor sales is not the profit margin.
If RAVE can sell the P for 3450.00 and make a profit then the ones that are getting 3950.00 are doing ok.
I just don't think the Seg is catching on like Dean figured it would.
Who (but us) would want to spend 4 to 5 thousand on the Seg and not be allowed to use it on the street or sidewalks.
And from the way it looks the Seg is not going to be welcome in a lot of places.
I think some purchased the Seg with the idea of saving money from not using the car. If you can't use it on the street then you just blew $4 thousand or more for a yard toy.
I have just been reading the thread about New York and people getting a ticket for riding the Seg. That sucks.
Until LLC helps get the laws changed (pay off the politicians or whatever it takes) and until LLC get a sales team that really goes all out with a good sales program the Seg sales will suffer.
If Bookstone is going to try to sell the Seg then every store should have at least three on display with one just for demos.
Money talks and until LLC start putting money in the right places don't look for the Seg to change the world.

My view only so don't get upset if you don't agree.

I think the Seg should be allowed on streets where speed limits are 35 MPH or less. But I think you should be 18 or older and wear some type of bright color clothing when you are riding a Seg on a street.

Hope next spring brings more sales for LLC and that will be good for all of us.

Seg-On
Wayne

[SegwayUtah]

Hey Wayne,

quote:Who (but us) would want to spend 4 to 5 thousand on the Seg and not be allowed to use it on the street or sidewalks.

I'm curious: are PMMDs/EPAMDs not allowed on the streets and sidewalks in Louisiana? From what I've seen, even bicycles are not allowed in at least ten times more places than Segway HTs.

Around here, we can ride on sidewalks, bike paths, and roads of 35MPH or less. It really works out great. And the police are pretty happy to see Segway riders--I get "hi!" waves from them from time to time.

Considering the adoption timeline and scale of the last major horseless vehicle (the horseless carriage then, the horseless chariot now), I think that things are going pretty well. I'm not sure if having more HTs on the street quicker would be a good thing or not. It might be good. It might be bad. Luckily, we don't have to make that choice ourselves and we get to go along for the ride.

Or is that the glide? Anyway . . .

Chris

Chris

[wayne]

I don't have a problem around here but I was speaking of other places around the states like New York, San Francisco and some of the other places I've heard where you can't ride a Seg.

The word is that the Louisiana State Police have just made it a law that NO motorized scooters of any type would be allowed on the streets or sidewalks. I haven't seen anything in writing but have talk to someone that when they purchased a mini-bike that the store gave them some paperwork stating this.
With cities and etc. not letting you ride your Seg is not going to help the sales of the segway. I'm sure in New York that as soon as the word got around that you would get a ticket for riding your Seg that put a halt of some folks that had wanted to purchase a seg.
Why spend $4000.00 if you can't use it for what it was intended for, going to work, school, store and etc.
If a bicycle is legal on a street a Seg should be legal.

I'm sure there will be cities that will let you ride a Seg but the way the laws are now day and time you may purchase a Seg today just to find out tomorrow that you can't ride it. Some folks can't afford to blow $4000.00 in hopes that you can ride it.

I say ride as long as you can get away with it.

Seg-On
Wayne

[Dwarf84396]

quote:Originally posted by wayne

I say ride as long as you can get away with it.



I say three cheers to that.

Ben

[gotseg]

quote:Originally posted by segwayowner

got seg, what do you have to sign, pay to demo a seg at brookstone?


They basicaly had you sign something saying you cant/wont hold Brookstone or the Mall accountable for any injury or death. You had to wear a helmet and stay within a fairly constricted area (only on brookstone store floor). But they are working with the mall to hopefully mark off an area right outside their store so they can give nice big demos. Oh, and they are free.

gotseg?