Best Buy to Hire Hundreds of Traveling Salespeople to Visit Customer Homes

Best Buy’s service sends in-home experts out to residences so they can help customers select the right product for their environment.

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) is laying the groundwork to hire hundreds of salespeople to visit customers in their homes and make electronics recommendations, according to a news report. The Big Box and online retailer is hoping the free service will fuel higher sales of smart home products, televisions and other consumer goods.

The new program “allows us to unlock latent demand,” says Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly. “What we’re finding is people in the home tend to spend more because we address a bigger need for them compared to what they spend in the store.”

Best Buy has tested the service in several cities and plans to roll it out across the United States this fall, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is also gunning to drum up business for its Geek Squad, which provides tech repairs and in-home installations for a fee.

Best Buy reported its biggest comparable sales increase in nearly seven years on Tuesday (Aug. 29), showing the electronics retailer’s efforts to reinvent its stores to showcase specific brands are helping it protect its turf from the likes of Amazon.com.

The company said its comparable sales rose 5.4% in its second fiscal quarter, which eclipsed the 2.2% expected by Wall Street according to Consensus Metrix. The company attributes the increase to demand for wearable devices, appliances and smart home systems.

Meanwhile, in July Amazon announced it was expanding an in-home consultation program of its own that lets shoppers test voice-controlled devices and offers installation services.

The “Amazon Smart Home Services Store” on its website allows customers to book appointments for installations or free consultations. Company representatives will answer questions and set up connected devices such as smart lights, thermostats and of course, Amazon’s own line of smart devices.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Security Is Our Business, Too

For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.

A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.

Subscribe Today!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Our Newsletters