Shop Talk
Retailers, consumers and prices
from MediaFile:
Best Buy CEO: Don’t forget the gift card
Hey Brian Dunn, CEO of gadget lover's cathedral top electronics retailer Best Buy, what's on your short list of five great bang-for-your-buck devices for this holiday season?
(Thanks to the CNN Money reporter for asking this question at a press conference today)
DUNN: My short list?
* (First), on my personal short list -- a netbook is definitely on my short list - and by the way it's a companion device. It's lightweight, it's small, it's great to take on a quick trip.
* (Second) I think the HD Instinct is a very interesting smartphone. [Mediafile: That's Samsung's Instinct HD]
* (Third) I love my Flip HD camcorder. That's a great piece.
* Four, I really love the Ultra Thin OLED TVs are cool. [Mediafile: Um, cool yes. Bang for Buck? At about $2,000 for an 11-inch screen, let's just leave it at cool and move on. mkay?]
* The fifth one, of course, is a gift card , that I can give to the people I love, so they can get whatever it is they want.
Well played, Brian. Well Played.
Cross-Atlantic connectivity works, just don’t tell mom
Brian Dunn, who is set to become Best Buy‘s CEO next week, has his own example of what it means to be connected in today’s digital age.
When he was visiting London a few weeks ago, Dunn watched the L.A. Lakers take on the Utah Jazz in the NBA playoffs on his notebook computer. His three sons, who are also big basketball fans, were watching the game on TV at home, Dunn said. They kept in touch using Skype to have a video chat.
Check Out Line: Best time to leave Best Buy?
Check out who’s checking out at Best Buy.
Brad Anderson is retiring as CEO of the electronics retailer in June and will be succeeded by COO Brian Dunn.
“I’ve always wanted to leave the organization at the right interlude: when I saw a new leader ready to take the organization to a new level, higher than I could take it myself,” Anderson said in statement.
But he is also leaving during the worst retail environment in decades, one that is seeing competitor Circuit City go out of business.
Best Buy same-store sales fell 6.5 percent in December, though that made it one of the best performing retailers during that key holiday month.
“I don’t think the Street will have an issue” with Best Buy naming Dunn, Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman said. “I think the question would be about timing.”
Given the retail environment, Dunn might also want to question the timing.
Also in the basket:
Coach posts lower profit, cuts expansion plans
Sainsbury seen cutting 200 central support jobs
(Reuters photo of Anderson at 2004 Reuters Consumer Summit)
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