Advertisement

Best Buy To Offer In-Store Consultations As First Phase Of Reopening

Best Buy will gradually reopen its stores for in-store consultations by appointment in May. The service, which will initially roll out at 200 stores, will let shoppers discuss potential purchases of kitchen appliances or other items.

Each customer will be matched with a dedicated sales associate, which will allow Best Buy to limit the number of people inside the store and ensure that proper distancing procedures are followed. The retailer also will implement a number of additional safety measures:

  • Employees must wear masks and gloves provided by Best Buy;
  • Employees must also perform a self-check at the start of every shift using a proprietary app; and
  • The visited areas and surfaces of the store will be sanitized before and after each appointment.

Shoppers can make their appointments by phone, online or through the Best Buy app. Upon arrival, an associate will guide the customer through the social distancing and safety guidelines, while signs and floor stickers will provide additional information throughout their visit. Customers can pay using credit cards on screens that will be wiped before and after each use, and will be escorted out of the store once their transaction is completed.

The consultations will complement the Best Buy contactless curbside pickup service that launched in late March. The addition of in-store consultations could help the retailer return some staff from furlough and increase sales of items that are harder to sell online.

Advertisement

“Early on, we closed the inside of our stores to shoppers and moved to a curbside pickup model for customer and employee safety,” said a company spokesperson in a blog post. “This works well when purchasing many items. But some purchases, like large appliances or networking equipment, are often made easier with an in-person store visit and a conversation with an expert to answer detailed questions.”

Featured Event

View the Retail Trendcaster Webinar Series on-demand to uncover key 2025 retail trends, from AI and personalization to social commerce. Gain expert insights, data-driven predictions, and actionable takeaways to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Retail Trendcaster Webinar Series
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Uncovering What’s Next in Retail

On-Demand Limited Video Series

Q1 is a pivotal time for retail, with experts analyzing holiday sales and forecasting trends. View the full lineup of the Retail Trendcaster video series for insights on consumer spending, AI, personalization, social commerce, and more—helping you focus on what truly matters in 2025.

Brought to you by
Retail TouchPoints
Access Now
Retail TouchPoints is a brand of Emerald X LLC. By clicking the button and submitting information, you acknowledge and agree that your information may be shared with corporate affiliates of Emerald X LLC, and other organizations such as event hosts, speakers, sponsors, and partners. Please read our Privacy Policy and our Terms Of Use for more information on our policies.

Access The Media Kit

Interests:

Access Our Editorial Calendar




If you are downloading this on behalf of a client, please provide the company name and website information below: