Best Buy is facing ten quarters of declining comparable sales and looking to a partnership with Microsoft for a boost from AI-powered PCs.
Best Buy
The last few years haven't been kind to Best Buy.
With 10 consecutive quarters of declining comparable sales in the rearview, the electronics retailer is hoping a partnership with Microsoft will help end the slump.
On Tuesday, Best Buy began selling the tech company's AI-enabled Copilot+ PCs in stores and online. The computers are touted as the "fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever."
In February, CEO Corrie Barrie blamed companies like Apple and Microsoft for Best Buy's sales struggles.
"Right now there isn't any massive current innovation that would spur you to go buy a new laptop," she said before hinting that next-gen offerings (like the one launching this week) were in the works.
Now, to help move product, Best Buy says it has up-skilled more than 30,000 employees to demonstrate the capabilities of these new AI-enabled Copilot+ PCs.
"When tech this groundbreaking is introduced, it's our job to bring it to life for you," the company said in a press release.
Among the 30,000-and-counting experts are a cohort of over 1,000 Geek Squad agents, for whom the company created a new "AI skillset."
As the business unit is retooled from support to sales, these agents will handle training sessions and showcases in hundreds of stores across the US.
Best Buy has laid off large numbers of Geek Squad workers in recent months, primarily in the unit's in-home tech installation and support division, as the company emphasizes enhancing the in-store customer experience.
