Best Buy, the nation’s largest electronics chain, is changing plans and closing all stores beginning Sunday and will only offer curbside pickup or delivery from online orders.
After announcing a few days ago it would allow 10-15 customers at a time inside stores starting on Monday, government ordered closures in numerous states have altered the company’s plans.
Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said, “The situation we’re facing as a company and as individuals is unprecedented and changing at a pace all of us are working to keep up with. We are making the best decisions we can with two goals in mind: protecting employees, customers and their respective families, while trying our best to serve the millions of Americans who rely on us for increasingly vital technology.”
“We are seeing a surge in demand across the country for products that people need to work or learn from home, as well as those products that allow people to refrigerate or freeze food,” continued Barry. “As we meet the demand for these necessities, we are adjusting how we operate in many ways to improve safety.”
Except where otherwise directed by state and local authorities, starting Sunday, March 22, the company is shifting to enhanced curbside service only for all of its stores on an interim basis. This will allow the company to continue to serve customers who have purchased on BestBuy.com or the Best Buy app and have requested pickup at their local store. In addition, if a customer was unable to place an online order and the product is in stock in the store, employees can go into the store to claim the item for the customer and sell it to them curbside.
Customers can also still order online or on the app and have their products shipped directly to their homes. Large products such as appliances will be delivered where permitted and under strict safety guidelines with everything being left by the customer’s door. All in-home installation and repair has been temporarily suspended and will be rescheduled with our customers, and all in-home consultations are being conducted virtually.
All Best Buy employees have been told they do not have to work if they do not feel comfortable. They have also been told to stay home if they are feeling sick, knowing they will be paid. All field employees whose hours have been eliminated will be paid for two weeks at their normal wage rate based on their average hours worked over the last 10 weeks.
Best Buy has 977 stores in the U.S.
