The hero's end: Sony laptops sold at 50% discount by dealers

"Sony laptops are giving back as a token of gratitude, Sony laptops are on sale at a discount of 50% to 80% off". Last weekend, Mr. Xu in Hangzhou found such a banner hanging in front of a Sony store while shopping in the digital city. When he walked into the store, he found that the prominent counter position was occupied by cameras, and the laptops were placed in the innermost corner, which was a very shabby "situation".

The reporter learned that since Sony's notebook computer business and the "VAIO" brand were transferred and sold in February this year, Sony stores in Hangzhou have started to clear out their notebook computers, and the clearance sale is now in the final stage. "The clearance sale will be completely completed by the end of September at the latest, and Sony's "VAIO" notebooks will no longer be available on the market," said a well-informed source.

Sony laptop counters gradually withdraw from the market, dealers sell off stocks at 50% discount

"The store started selling off prototypes in early August, and now there are only about 20 left. If you want to buy one, you'd better hurry up." On the first floor of Yigo Flagship Plaza, the reporter found this digital store that was "selling off" Sony notebook prototypes. A striking Sony logo was hung above the store entrance. Wang Yueya, a clerk, said that they are a dealer of Sony digital products and have been selling them for many years. In February, they started to clear out the inventory of Sony notebooks, and almost all of them have been sold, with only a few prototypes left. "After the prototypes are cleared out, we plan to renovate the store into a Sony digital camera store," said Wang Yueya.

The reporter saw that there were only five laptops on the counter, and they looked gray and a bit old. He picked up a 13-inch pink laptop and took a closer look, and found many scratches. The owner admitted that these were prototypes that had been placed on the counter for customers to experience. "Although they look a bit old, it does not affect the performance. After a little tidying up, they are like new machines. With the invoice, you can enjoy a two-year warranty."

Although the prototype looks a bit old, the price is very attractive, with the lowest discount being 20% ​​and the highest even being 50%. "This Sony D13, made of carbon fiber and manufactured in a Japanese factory, originally cost more than 10,000 yuan, but now only costs 6,000 yuan." Wang Yueya pointed to a notebook that was being installed with a system and told reporters, "It was just bought by a colleague." He said that in early August, there were a total of 67 prototypes in the warehouse for sale, and 8 were bought by a customer on the first day of the sale. "Many were bought by other dealers in Digital City, who thought it was a good deal."

The reporter found out that there are only a few Sony laptops in stock on the market. Among the five Sony laptop dealers interviewed by the reporter, only the Sony counter of Meicheng Group in Bainaohui Digital City admitted that there were still stocks. "There used to be more than a dozen official Sony laptop stores in Hangzhou, but now there are only four left." Liu Zhiqiang, a sales consultant at the counter, revealed that there are less than 700 units in stock in Hangzhou, and there are nearly 200 units in their warehouse. Although the laptops in the store will not be sold off like other stores, the promotion is still quite strong. A 13-inch Sony laptop originally priced at 4,899 yuan is now only priced at 4,300 yuan.

Consumers worried about after-sales service Sony brand is declining

"You're still buying Sony laptops? They've sold all the brands, and you won't even be able to get warranty in the future!" In a former Sony laptop flagship store in Bainaohui, the reporter saw Asus products in the store. When the salesperson heard that the reporter wanted to buy a Sony, he kindly reminded him.

Since the birth of Sony's first "VAIO" laptop in 1996, it has become a favorite of young people with its brilliant colors and gorgeous appearance. However, due to poor management, Sony, which was mired in losses, announced in February this year that it would sell its laptop business to a Japanese industrial investment fund and split its perennially loss-making TV business into an independent subsidiary. At the same time, it also laid off 5,000 employees worldwide.

Despite this, Sony still cannot reverse its decline. In early August, Sony announced that it would apply to delist from the London Stock Exchange, where it had been listed for 44 years. If all goes well, Sony's career on the London Stock Exchange will officially come to an end before August 29.

Will Sony's laptops be withdrawn from the market? Will after-sales service be affected? Liu Zhiqiang told reporters that Sony will still provide after-sales repair services after the withdrawal of Sony laptops from the shelves. "Consumers can go to the store to repair or upgrade their computer systems with the receipt, invoice and warranty card when they purchased the machine."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.