Best Buy Enriches Customer Experience in Stores Across the U.S.; New Resources Appeal to Busy Moms, Avid Gamers, Home Theater Enthusiasts and Small Businesses

Business Wire, August 25, 2005

MINNEAPOLIS -- Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), the nation's largest electronics retailer, is expanding its national rollout of customer-focused in-store experiences for moms, gamers, home theater enthusiasts and small business owners. The new experiences will launch at select Best Buy stores in markets across the U.S. beginning Aug. 29.

Stores in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, New York and West Palm Beach will now offer Personal Shopping Assistants, specially trained consultants who make shopping easier and more fun for mom. Test Drive -- the ultimate hands-on, in-store interaction for people who enjoy gaming -- will be unveiled at Best Buy stores in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Denver.

In addition, Best Buy continues the expansion of Magnolia Home Theater and Best Buy For Business centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Hartford, Miami, Philadelphia, Providence and Tucson. These "store-within-a-store" offerings address the interests of home theater enthusiasts and small business customers with distinctive in-store service areas, broader product assortment and other specialized support.

"Customers are at the heart of everything we do. Whether we're personalizing service or expanding product selection, we're constantly refining customer experiences to make shopping at Best Buy more fun and easy," said Mike Linton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Best Buy.

Created with busy moms in mind, Best Buy's Personal Shopping Assistants offer one-on-one service and guidance, making the shopping experience more practical, efficient and fun. Assistants accompany customers through the store, listening to their needs, reviewing products together and helping them make sensible purchase decisions. Stores with Personal Shopping Assistants also provide a broader selection of products and services in the areas of digital imaging, kitchen, laundry, gaming, home theater and mobile video.

Test Drive enables gaming enthusiasts to experiment with new hardware and software through expanded interactive gaming areas right in the store. Best Buy experts encourage customers to sample from a library of personal computer or video games and an assortment of components, while offering advice and tips about how to sharpen their skills and get to the next level of gaming. Test Drive stores are equipped with gaming areas, including interactive displays that showcase online gaming, surround sound, wireless technology, personal computer upgrades and high-definition screens.

Magnolia Home Theater is a specialty store-within-a-store that provides enthusiasts of state-of-the-art home theater with a portfolio of brands previously only available at high-end audio video stores. Comfortable demonstration rooms encourage personal interaction with premium home theater brands such as Pioneer Elite, Sony, Fujitsu, MartinLogan and Stewart Filmscreen. This superior product offering is combined with expert service from home theater consultants, in-home system designers and custom installers.

Catering to small-business owners and entrepreneurs, Best Buy For Business stores feature Business Pros, specialists trained in business solutions and services, and offer a broader selection of business technology. Best Buy also encourages networking among local small-business professionals through alliances with the Small Business Administration and other community-based partners.

A total of 57 Best Buy stores ranging in size from 20,000 to 45,000 square feet will open their doors to these new customer experiences on Aug. 29. The converted stores join 35 existing Best Buy stores that introduced new customer experiences in June. In addition, since May 2005, the company has opened 21 new retail locations in the U.S. that feature one or more of the new customer experiences, including five stores opening tomorrow, Aug. 26.

The enhancements reflect Best Buy's customer centricity operating model, which refines the store experience to meet the unique needs and expectations of customers in individual markets. The model encourages Best Buy's "Blue Shirts" to get to know customers at a deeper level and provide service in a more personalized way. These latest additions bring the total number of converted existing and new Best Buy stores to 198 in a national rollout that will reach 235 to 285 stores by fiscal year end.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is an innovative Fortune 100 growth company that continually strives to create superior customer experiences. Through more than 840 retail stores across the United States and in Canada, our employees connect customers with technology and entertainment products and services that make life easier and more fun. We sell consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services. A Minneapolis-based company, our operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com and BestBuyCanada.ca), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com) and Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com). We support our communities through employee volunteerism and grants from The Best Buy Children's Foundation.