Best Buy Archive

Based on a number of conversations on the deal boards and confirmed by PreCentral, it appears that beginning tomorrow you will be able to purchase a HP Touchpad for $99 for the 16GB model and $149 for the 32GB model.

I have read a good number of blog posts about HP’s decision to discontinue their newly launched TouchPad and so far I haven’t found any posts that discuss what HP will offer to early adopters who ran out and bought the device during its short retail run. In fact, it’s not just early adopters — I watched several presentations on QVC pumping the HP TouchPad as a much better device than those “pad devices” because you could run multiple apps, etc.

Several years ago Apple offered a store credit for the early adopters who paid a higher price for their iPhones – and those devices weren’t canceled! HP really needs to do something here for those customers who ran out and purchased their “better tablet” — and they probably should have announced an offering before deciding to liquidate all HP Touchpad inventory.

I am not a mobile OS expert by any means but I wonder if there is a way to get Android to run on the HP Touchpad. The device apparently has the needed hardware and chipset to run Android. Frankly HP should hire a team to quickly make a utility to do the conversion. I asked on Twitter if it was possible to convert the software but didn’t receive any responses.

Maybe there is a golden quick flip business opportunity here for a mobile hacker – offer a conversion utility to make Android run on the HP Touchpad and charge $50 for it – so for $150 you get a great hardware offering running a mobile OS that isn’t going to discontinue operations tomorrow.

Something tells me that if you want one of these HP Touchpad devices for $100 – you better be quick because many will hedge their bets that eventually Android will run on the device and it will be a big win over spending an average of $400 for a current top-tier Android device.

This afternoon Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang posted a link to a new job opening at electronics retailer Best Buy. The job title is, “Sr. Manager – Emerging Media Marketing”.  The job seems very similar to a former position I held at a Fortune 100 company.

Here’s the general overview of the position (click the link to read the full job description):

“The Emerging Media Marketing Manager is the primary lead for the Best Buy’s mobile, social, and video marketing & media efforts to drive in-store and online sales, create sustainable word of mouth evangelists, and brand loyalists. This leader will create both bolt-on social and mobile marketing initiatives and other new initiatives and identify business opportunities that can be solved wholly or in part by applying or developing social technology, digital and software strategies and technologies .”

If you are interested in a position in Minnesota, this is actually a pretty damn hot job. To be honest if this is the kind of position you would consider, but don’t care much for Minnesota, I’d still recommend considering it. Most large companies only have one of these positions and Best Buy appears to be doing some things right when it comes to online marketing.  Best Buy wants a lot of experience which is required for a position of this level.

Here’s where the job goes south for me…it’s in the “preferred qualifications” section which has two bullet points and they are:
Continue reading “Got 250 Followers on Twitter? Best Buy Wants You!” »

Best Buy has announced plans to acquire Napster today for $121 million in cash. From the release, the proposed acquisition includes Napster’s approximately 700,000 digital entertainment subscribers, its Web-based customer service platform, and innovative mobile capabilities. In conjunction with the definitive merger agreement, Napster CEO Chris Gorog and key members of senior management of Napster have entered into employment agreements, effective at closing, pursuant to which they have agreed to continue as the Napster leadership post-acquisition.

Napster, which recently launched one of the world’s largest MP3 stores, had fiscal 2008 revenue of $127.5 million, an increase of 15 percent over the prior fiscal year; a loss of $16.5 million, an improvement compared with a loss of $36.8 million the prior fiscal year; and positive cash flow for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

Best Buy has announced this morning that they are installing more vending machines in airports across the U.S. The pilot program is branded Best Buy Express and will initially launch in in the following cities: Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Minneapolis (MSP) and San Francisco (SFO).

Today’s announcement follows the initial launch of the Best Buy vending machine at the Dallas airport. The machines sell all sorts of electronic items from iPod media players to headphones to digital cameras.

As I’ve noted before, these machines would sell at an even better percentage if they provided devices that were already charged. And the ability to buy media from the machine (i.e. iTunes) and have it loaded on the device also could be hot. At a minimum these machines should offer charging stations – buy the product, open it and you are given a lockbox to plug in the device and lock it for a period while you wait for your flight.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Best Buy has entered the vending machine game by powering a machine at the Dallas airport. The machines sell all sorts of electronic items from iPod media players to headphones to digital cameras. The only airport I’ve seen these vending machines in so far is Atlanta. But I am sure they will be in all airports soon – the profit margins are just too high not to be everywhere.

My belief is that these machines would sell at an even better percentage if they provided devices that were already charged. And the ability to buy media from the machine (i.e. iTunes) and have it loaded on the device also could be hot. At a minimum these machines should offer charging stations – buy the product, open it and you are given a lockbox to plug in the device and lock it for a period while you wait for your flight.

Back in May we reported on the launch of electronics vending machines at Macy’s stores on the east coast.

In a $2.1 billion deal announced this morning, Best Buy and The Carphone Warhouse will partner together to create a new company to provide Best Buy stores in Europe. This is a pretty complicated transaction — check the press release for all of the details.

Carphone Warehouse will contribute it’s 2,400 European retail stores to the new company. Best Buy will acquire a 50% stake in the new company for a cash consideration of £1.1 billion, or $2.1 billion.

The Carphone Warehouse continues to own 100% of its fixed line telecoms business in the U.K., comprising TalkTalk, AOL Broadband and Opal; and its share of the Virgin Mobile France joint venture. Best Buy continues to hold its 2.9% stake in The Carphone Warehouse.

This deal demonstrates just how powerful the mobile connection is and will be in the near-term future.

The new company’s goals include growing Carphone Warehouse’s retail business, build consumer electronics market share by opening Best Buy stores in Europe beginning next year and to leverage Best Buy’s U.S. expertise in acquiring deals and products. Carphone Warehouse personnel will assume the initial management of the new company.

When the transaction completes, both Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse will own 50% of the newly-formed company.