Best Buy Individual Case Analysis

Like any successful business, Best Buy has to be on the cutting edge to succeed in today’s market. They do this by exploring what technologies and services other companies display all around the world. Best Buy also pays attention to the changing of times, realizing what’s dated and what is on the cutting edge.

Best Buy Co., Inc. is organized as a Richfield, Minnesota, based US Corporation and operates a multi-business unit structure. Company’s Board of directors consists of nine members with a Chairman and CEO and eight directors. Best Buy Co., Inc.’s operations consists of seven departments whose heads are directly responsible to the Chairman / CEO. The current organizational chart of the Best Buy Co., Inc. is as

Amazon make sure that customer service is the best, Customers experience low prices through Amazon, the fastest delivery, having a form of reliable contact. Amazon customer service problems have allowed retailers to sell itme on the website, to make broaden the worlds selections of products. Amazon has a rival EBAY, which also allows merchant to sell and buy through its site, but with eBay there has been complaints with poor service and fraud (Cohen, 2009).

Best Buy is one of the best electronic retailers in the North America and the leading name in the electronics industry. Best Buy has more than 4000 stores within U.S., Mexico, Canada, Turkey and China (Hoffman, 2010). Best Buy practices differentiation strategy by using customer centricity model that provides end-to-end service. Best Buy was first established in 1966. They changed their name from “Sound of Music” to the “Best Buy” in 1983. Globally, Best Buy has made great business by increased market share and acquisitions of companies. They acquired companies like Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales and most recently The Future shop.

Best Buy is a multinational retailer of consumer electronics, computing and mobile phone products, entertainment products, appliances, and related services. The company operates retail stores and call centers and conducts online retail operations under a variety of brand names such as Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, The Carphone Warehouse, Five Star, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and The Phone House (Bestbuy.com, 4). The domestic segment consists of all operations within the United States, while the international segment includes all operations in Canada, Europe, Mexico, and China. The Best Buy 's success is contingent on the market 's demand for electronics. The company 's strategy is to provide good customer service combined with lower prices (news.cnet.com). Best Buy 's success is directly related to economic conditions, the cost of goods, and other things like fuel prices. The company 's strategy depends upon the ability to offer customers a broad selection of name-brand products; therefore, leading its success to depend upon satisfactory supplier relationships (Bestbuy.com, 8). Best Buy, as it is included in the retail segment, is a seasonal store. Their stronger quarter is the fourth quarter, which they can contribute to the holiday season for their success.

Unlike Target, who’s profits allow them to self fund the company, by back debts, and pay higher dividends, the gross profit margin for Best is rather low; currently it is at 24.5%. Also, financial analysis and quick ratios show that Target is in a superior position, whereas Best Buy is very weak and demonstrates a lack of ability to pay short-term obligations (Standard).

This report analyzes the concerns that Best Buy will face, and addresses them from a behavioural and legal perspective. In order to maximize the benefits and limit the risk, our analysis indicates that Best Buy should wind down Future Shop operations and maintain it as an inactive company.

- 60% of Best Buy customer begin their research and shopping on the Best Buy website.

Best Buy’s mission statement is “our formula is simple: we’re a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers – and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles” (bestbuy.com). The company has an objective to to provide the best technological products and service solutions to customers throughout its markets. Best also has as an objective to provide expert services to customers at prices that are described as unbeatable. The objectives also include the company having sustainable growth and earnings. The company marketing the products that is based on an operating model that is considered as customer centricity achieves the sustained growth and earnings. Best Buy uses a strategy that focuses on helping customers to be able to realize what they needed to stay connected with technology and the products that are desired. The company also spends time monitoring the needs of its customers, which

In the international segment each of the nine European countries run their operations at a smaller level than the Best Buy branded stores but the rest of the branded stores in those territories run an operating model similar to that used in the U.S. stores. The only differences would be in Canada and China where Best Buy runs and supports two principal brand companies. In Canada the Future Shop stores “Have commissioned sales associates who take a proactive role in assisting customers and driving

In 2000, the company decided to launch a website, BestBuy.com. There, customers could shop from the privacy of their homes without ever dealing with sales representatives. The site was a

When it comes to the impact of the Five Forces of Competition and its effect on the performance of Staples and Office Depot, there does not appear to be a strong threat of new entrants in the big-box retail office supply segment of the industry. It seems unlikely that anyone will want to open a new office supply store. While there is a level of service differentiation between the two companies, there is little product differentiation between the two. Likewise, there would be little product differentiation from a new competitor. The threat of substitutes comes into play between Staples and Office Depot in that both companies offer basically the same products. If the customer can’t get what he wants at one store, he can go to the other. Likewise, if the customer becomes disenfranchised with one company for whatever reason, he can easily go to the other company. There doesn’t seem to be much bargaining power of customers or suppliers. There does seems to be a strong industry rivalry which, as with most industries, is the major determinant of the competitiveness of the industry.

In my opinion, the best online retailer is Amazon. They easily have the best customer service and product fulfillment when compared to other online retailers. The inventory in the USA is over 200 million products, making such a feat impossible for a physical retail store to compete (Export, 2013). The following essay will discuss Amazon’s pricing and retail strategy. Both are key factors of their marketing that allow Amazon to sustain their market dominance and retain their loyal customers.

In 1966, Richard Shulze opened a small business in St. Paul, Minnesota called Sound of Music. In the next 17 years Shulze's small store rapidly grew into a multi-million dollar outfit. In 1983, Sound of Music changed its name to Best Buy Co., Inc and the first superstore was opened in Burnsville, Minnesota. With the new name the store also began carrying more name brands, appliances, VCRs and offering central service and warehouse distribution. Throughout the nineties Best Buy became pioneers in offering the newest technology such as DVDs and high definition TVs. In 1999, Best Buy and Microsoft combined to cross promote each other and also offered a two for one stock split. Now in 2005, almost 40 years after the first store

Furthermore, they offer to the customer the experience to buy in a physical store, compared with Amazon that is one of the strongest competitor, there’s no doubt that the internet, and the mobile web in particular, have changed the way people shop, but there is strong evidence that consumers continue to value the experience of