Best Buy opens smaller doors

The Future. Best Buy is testing a new “digital-first, small format” store that seems like the company’s answer to the Apple store, featuring a limited inventory, techy tie-ins, and online assistance. The move follows the trend of other retailers trying to see what customers respond to best post-pandemic — an experiment that may prove that less is more.

Small is the new big
According to The Verge, Best Buy is releasing a small brick-and-mortar update.

• The new store will only feature a “curated selection” of products — popular items such as large TVs, computers, and wearables.
• The store, which opened yesterday in Monroe, North Carolina, is a “tiny” 5,000 square feet, which is about 15% of the size of a typical Best Buy and even smaller than a typical Apple store.
• It has lockers for online order pickups, Best Buy app tie-ins that work via QR codes, mobile self-checkout, and the ability to have a personalized shopping experience via voice call, video call, or online chat while you browse.
• But don’t worry — the Geek Squad will still be in the wings if you have a complicated question.

This isn’t the first time Best Buy has disrupted its own physical stores, trying out concepts such as an outlet-style and a full aesthetic remodel. Interestingly, all of these stores have been beta-ed in the Charlotte area. The company must really respect the opinions of its North Carolinian customers.