Best Buy increases MI offering in US
Further musical merchandise departments added following successful trial
US-based MMR magazine has reported that, having experimented with a test market of six MI ‘stores within a store’, Best Buy has incorporated musical merchandise departments into two more stores within Chicago area, with more reportedly on the way. 'We are trying some new things in different product categories that we've only dabbled in before,' Best Buy's Jennifer Rudin said in 2005. 'You'll see guitars and amps aren't new; we've had those products for years. But now we're offering more brand names that our customers will more likely recognize, and at higher price points.'
High-end products from Fender, Gibson, Roland, Korg, Yamaha, Line 6, Drum Workshop, Shure, and Zildjian will be featured. One thing that has changed from the tests is that both of these new Chicago operations will be offering lessons and doing in-store repairs. So serious is Best Buy about its expansion into MI that, in future, all new Best Buys will be configured around and emphasise the store-within-a-store format.mmrmagazine.com