If you’re going to be involved in a massive, nationwide retail theft scheme, you might as well have a good nickname — like “Baby Arm Johnson” or the “Field Marshall” — for when you get caught. [More]
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Best Buy Pulls Controversial Kaspersky Security Products
By 9.11.17
In the modern era, it’s always worthwhile to consider how to protect your systems from unwanted, malicious actors. Kaspersky Labs’ software has been a popular option for doing just that for close to two decades now — but after increasing scrutiny of their founder’s potential ties to the Kremlin, one major retailer has decided to stop selling their security suite. [More]
Best Buy Expanding Same-Day Delivery To More Cities, Cutting Price
By 8.31.17
If you need a gadget or cord on short notice and don’t have time to go to the store, same-day delivery from Amazon is probably the first option that you think of. Best Buy wants to change that, and is slashing the price for its own same-day delivery service while expanding the list of cities where it’s available. [More]
Best Buy Claims $43 Cases Of Water Were Mistake, Not Post-Hurricane Price-Gouging
By 8.30.17
Most of us can walk into any big box or warehouse store and buy a case of bottled water for less than $10. But one Best Buy store in hurricane-devastated Texas was caught charging between $30 to $43 just for cases of water, leading to claims of price-gouging. Amid the blowback for its egregiously overpriced water, Best Buy is apologizing and claims it was all a mistake. [More]
Best Buy Is Finally Selling More Stuff, But CEO Says Don’t Get Used To It
By 8.29.17
For the better part of 2017, Best Buy has attempted to dig itself out of a long running sales slump by appealing to customers through revamped, high-tech store displays, and pilot programs, such as try-before-you-buy. These strategies just might be working as the electronics retailer reported higher than expected sales for the second quarter of the year. But will that last? [More]
No, You Don’t Need To Buy A $20K 88-Inch TV
By 8.3.17
Here’s the thing: If you have $20,000 to spare, you could buy Samsung’s new 88-inch, 4K Ultra HD TV. But you really don’t have to. [More]
Best Buy, Amazon Fighting To Get Into Your Home To Install Smart Devices
By 7.11.17
For years, Best Buy’s Geek Squad has offered to enter customers’ homes to install, troubleshoot, or teach people about their new electronic devices. With the rising popularity of the connected home, such a service seems all the more useful. Not one to be left on the sidelines, Amazon is getting into the installation and education business when it comes to their own connected home devices, setting up a house-call showdown of sorts between the e-commerce giant and the brick-and-mortar electronics retailer. [More]
Best Buy Is Now A Showroom For Amazon, Google Home Products
By 6.28.17
How quickly tides turn. Not that long ago, Best Buy looked upon Amazon and Google with disdain, angry that “showrooming” customers were coming into Best Buy stores just to look at products that they would then — sometimes while in the store — purchase online for less. Now Amazon and Google have turned to Best Buy to showroom their growing array of devices.
[More]
Best Buy To Offer Try-Before-You-Buy Program For Some Products
By 6.12.17
Customers who purchase expensive electronics only to return them days later has long been a bane of Best Buy and other retailers. But now the store is embracing this try-before-you-buy approach for certain products. [More]
Apple Putting Screen-Replacing Robots In Some Best Buy Stores
By 6.7.17
Smartphones are great, sure. But the problem with your modern smartphone is that the outside is made of glass — and humans are, well, kind of klutzes, by and large. So cracked screens happen. A lot. Now, Apple is making it easier for iPhone owners to get their screens properly repaired — but it’s also a tactic to help the company avoid laws requiring them to let you fix your own phone. [More]
Digital Rights Advocates Sue Justice Dept. To Learn More About FBI Paying Off Best Buy Informants
By 6.1.17
A child pornography case in California has grown into a strange thing over the years, as lawyers for the defendant argued — and later proved — that the FBI had been paying Best Buy employees after they found illegal content on customers’ devices. Now the EFF is suing the Justice Department to find out just how the feds found, recruited, and trained these informants, and just how widespread the practice is. [More]
Scammers Buy Stuff With Your Card, Then Trick You Into ‘Returning’ Items To Them
By 4.24.17 — Updated: 4.26.17
Because there is apparently no limit to the amount of effort someone will put in to being dishonest, scammers are constantly evolving their tricks. For example, it’s no longer enough for someone to just steal your credit card number to go on a shopping spree. Now they have to involve you, by tricking you into actually shipping the fraudulent purchase on to them. [More]
Demise Of hhgregg Means You’ll Buy Your Next Fridge From Best Buy
By 4.11.17
The bankruptcy and liquidation of hhgregg is terrible for the retailer’s employees and retail landlords, but someone may benefit from the retailer’s downfall. Best Buy has a national presence and a large overlap with what hhgregg sells, and is in a position to pick up some of the retailer’s former customers the next time that they need a fridge or a computer. [More]
12 Indicted In Massive Organized Retail Theft Ring That Spanned 28 States, 20 Years
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When someone mentions the takedown of an organized crime ring, the first thing to come to mind is probably something along the lines of The Sopranos. But in New York today, the Attorney General’s office announced the indictment of 12 organized crime members accused of stealing over $12 million in high-end electronics and ink cartridges from national retailers in 28 states. [More]
Best Buy Swaps Intel Mini Stores For Alienware Displays
By 3.7.17
Best Buy offers customers a range of “experiences” through an array of mini-stores, including those from AT&T, Verizon, Oculus, Samsung, and Intel. Now, the company is revamping one of those concepts, swapping out dozens of Intel store-within-a-store showcases to feature products from Alienware instead. [More]
Best Buy Sales Fall Slightly, But It’s The Electronics Industry’s Fault
By 3.1.17
After years of what seemed like certain retail doom at the hands of Amazon, Best Buy has recently managed to mount an impressive recovery, thanks to things like adding mini-stores for brands, embracing its role as an electronics showroom, and price-matching competitors. However, the chain’s latest sales results show that some things are far beyond the company’s control. Like self-immolating smartphones. [More]
Oculus Closing 200 Best Buy Demo Stations Over Slower Traffic
By 2.9.17
Facebook’s Oculus had been hoping to win wary customers over to the idea of virtual reality by setting up hundreds of pop-up demo stations inside Best Buy stores around the country. Turns out, folks may not be all that interested, so Oculus is shutting down about 40% of these in-store test drive locations. [More]
Auto Industry: Possible Border Tax Would Raise Prices, Even On American-Made Cars
By 1.31.17
Facing a possible new tax on imported goods, some of the biggest names in auto manufacturing and retail are calling on lawmakers to rethink the tax, claiming it will hurt their businesses and lead to higher prices. [More]
