Sees 10x Increase in Multimedia Phone Purchases as Customers Connect
Their Phone to Other Devices in Store
Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) has completed the nationwide rollout of
Best Buy Mobile three months ahead of schedule, bringing all of its U.S.
customers a better way to buy a mobile phone. The conversion of Best Buy’s
965 U.S. stores to Best Buy Mobile gives customers unprecedented choice
of mobile phones, plans and accessories.
Customers have responded positively to the new mobile phone experience,
as stores converted to Best Buy Mobile have seen a 10x year-over-year
increase in higher-end, multimedia phone purchases, such as the Samsung
Instinct from Sprint – offered exclusively at
retail from Best Buy.
“Customers let us know quickly that they
dreaded shopping for a mobile phone anywhere in the United States,
whether with us or anyone else. Wireless customers are asking for more
choice and more attention to their individual needs, and our new concept
provides that,” said Shawn Score, president,
Best Buy Mobile. “Where the new experience has
been available, our customer satisfaction scores are through the roof –
a direct result of the dedication and cooperation of thousands of
employees in our stores and our corporate office to develop this unique
and exciting set of customer choices and experiences.”
Best Buy Mobile was created as a joint venture with leading U.K. mobile
retailer CarPhone Warehouse (CPW); the chain-wide conversion began in
October 2006 and was completed this week, including more than 250,000
hours of intensive employee training, based largely on CPW’s
industry-leading training programs in the U.K.
In May 2008, Best Buy and CPW agreed to form a new venture to expand the
CPW and Best Buy brands throughout Europe, with Best Buy acquiring a 50
percent stake in CPW’s European retail
operations.
Best Buy Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers,
handsets and accessories available anywhere, as well as a highly-trained
staff to help customers make the most of their mobile phones. Best Buy
Mobile locations feature more than 90 different handsets from nine
carriers, and one of the widest assortments of accessories in retail.
Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as
continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends.
“As the networks and the handsets become more
capable of doing many different things, mobile customers want more help
in making them work, and they are becoming more discriminating about the
way the handsets look and how they function,”
Score said. “They want to know that as change
continues, they can go back to the store and get help and advice. That
is part of our promise to them.”
A part of customers’ purchases is the Best
Buy Mobile unique Walk Out Working™ program.
Walk Out Working provides multimedia and smart phone set up and
personalization – such as e-mail and data
transfer – ensuring that the technology will
be ready to use immediately.
At the core of the Best Buy Mobile model is intense staff development.
Best Buy Mobile staff is hired exclusively for the wireless unit,
meaning they serve customers only in Best Buy Mobile. Then, every
employee – fulltime and part-time –
undergoes dozens of hours of offsite and in-store training. They learn
every handset Best Buy Mobile sells and the plans from multiple
carriers. Training includes role play, testing and updates to keep up
with trends and product launches. So far, the company has invested $10
million and completed more than a quarter million hours of training.
In addition, the company has opened more than 15 stand-alone Best Buy
Mobile stores in shopping areas that currently do not have a Best Buy
presence, such as mall locations.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe and China, Best Buy
Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is a multinational retailer of technology and
entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and
innovation. The Best Buy Co., Inc. family of brands and partnerships
collectively generates more than $40 billion annual revenue and includes
brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future
Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales
Kitchen and Bath Centers, and Speakeasy. Approximately 150,000 employees
apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life
for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and web
sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and in our communities.
Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy.
In fiscal 2008, we donated a combined $31.8 million to improve the
vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and
work. For more information about Best Buy Co., Inc., visit www.bestbuyinc.com.
Best Buy
Jeff Dudash, 612-292-6397
jeff.dudash@bestbuy.com
or
Porter
Novelli
Kara McClain, 404-995-4531
kara.mclain@porternovelli.com
