Retail store tackles redevelopment

Best Buy is exploring two ways in which to increase sales and distinguish themselves from other stores in the retail consumer electronics and office supply categories.

By turning to a niche marketing strategy in some of its stores and expanding is computer repair services to include not only private consumers but some small businesses as well, it hopes to increase its sales.

The company has already remodeled 67 stores so that each one appeals to one or two specific types of shopper, and plans to have remodeled 250 to 300 stores to this new configuration by the end of next year.

Best Buy has been encouraged in this move by a reported 8.4 percent increase in sales in the new stores as opposed to an increase of 2.3 percent in its traditional stores.

The company also plans to add 5,000 new employees to its current 7,000 repair service employees, known as the “Geek Squad”.

This will enable Best Buy to offer computer repair services to small businesses in some markets in addition to repairing the computers of private consumers.