BestBuy.com Offers Online Affiliate Program; Be Free Powers Program for Best Buy's Internet Subsidiary

Business Wire, July 10, 2001

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2001

BestBuy.com, Inc., a wholly owned Internet subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), has announced the launch of an online affiliate program.

The BestBuy.com(TM) Affiliate Program offers members an opportunity to associate their Web site with the nation's number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers and entertainment software. Affiliate members have the ability to earn commissions when their affiliate site directs customers to BestBuy.com and purchases are made.

"Best Buy is one of the first consumer electronics click-and mortar-companies to offer an affiliate program," said Barry Judge, VP of Marketing for BestBuy.com. "We feel the program will benefit our customers by offering them the opportunity to gain commissions by linking their site to a recognized and trusted brand name."

Members of BestBuy.com's Affiliate Program benefit from the program because BestBuy.com offers a broad selection of products and an enhanced shopping experience by combining the convenience and fun of online shopping with the service and support of Best Buy's more than 400 retail stores. BestBuy.com integrates the products and services of the stores with extensive online product offerings that include product views, detailed content, helpful articles and recommended accessories, as well as products not offered in Best Buy stores.

Sign up for BestBuy.com's Affiliate Program is free and administered by Be Free, Inc. Through Be Free's password-protected Reporting.net site, members can create links and access reports on click-throughs, orders and commissions earned.

For more information about the BestBuy.com Affiliate Program, click on the "Join Affiliates" link at BestBuy.com.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is the nation's number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. The Company operates retail stores and commercial web sites under the names: Best Buy (BestBuy.com), Magnolia Hi-Fi (MagnoliaHiFi.com), Media Play (MediaPlay.com), On Cue (OnCue.com), Sam Goody (SamGoody.com) and Suncoast (Suncoast.com). The Company reaches consumers through more than 1,800 retail stores nationwide, in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

About Be Free, Inc. (Nasdaq:BFRE)

The Be Free(R) marketing platform allows online businesses to attract, convert and retain customers easily and cost-effectively. The company provides a uniform system for tracking, managing, measuring and analyzing all of a business's online marketing programs. These services are hosted, allowing a business to deploy its marketing programs rapidly, without placing time intensive and expensive demands on its own technical resources.

With Be Free's industry-leading BFAST(SM) services, businesses manage and track strategic partners and affiliates - compensating these selling partners based on their performance. Be Free's BSELECT(SM) service allows a business to convert visitors to loyal customers by recommending relevant products or content in real time. For more information about Be Free and its products and services, visit http://www.befree.com.

Statements made in this news release, other than those concerning historical financial information, should be considered forward looking and subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions regarding information currently available, and are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause results to vary include, among others, those identified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company has no obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements that may be in this news release.