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Best Buy® Offers Advice and Options for Last-Minute Shoppers

MINNEAPOLIS – December 15, 2008 – With less than two weeks left in the holiday shopping season, the countdown is on, and shoppers are hitting both the stores and the Web to find the best deals for the perfect holiday gift. To help make last-minute shopping as enjoyable as possible, Best Buy is pleased to offer a variety of cost and time saving options from in-store pick up to an extended return policy.

“We know our customers have a lot on their minds this season” said Barry Judge, chief marketing officer for Best Buy. “Our BlueShirts are helping reduce the stress of holiday shopping by providing creative gift-giving advice and exceptional post-purchase support.”

Customer Needs are Top Priority

According to a recent nationwide survey from Best Buy, customers are looking for more than just price when purchasing consumer electronics¹. Best Buy offers a variety of services to ensure customer confidence.

• Store Price Guarantee: Best Buy will match any lower advertised price from local competitors for the same product.
• Available Financing: Throughout the holiday season, customers can receive interest free financing for 18 months for total purchases over $499.
• Post-Purchase Protection: Geek Squad Black Tie Protection service plans deliver the peace-of-mind consumers want for protecting their gear. The plans provide more coverage options supported by Geek Squad and other benefits not found in traditional retailer service plans, and are available exclusively at Best Buy.

Technology Helps Builds Traditions:
Gift ideas come to life with the latest advances in technology. Webcams, digital cameras and camcorders are just a few of the products making it easier than ever to stay connected with friends and family this season, even when miles apart.

In a continued effort to educate and inform consumers on the ways technology can help create more meaningful holiday traditions, Best Buy launched holiday microsites at www.AskABlueShirt.com and www.BestBuy.com/projectholiday. Both “Project Holiday” and AskABlueShirt.com help take the guessing out of holiday shopping by offering a fun tech twist to traditional holiday rituals.

In addition, at AskABlueShirt.com, BlueShirts and Geek Squad techs are contributing informative posts based on consumer questions they hear in stores. For those shoppers who may be deliberating over whether to buy new or use the gear they have, the “Fix or Replace Calculator” at geeksquad.com/calculator offers added guidance for making an informed decision.

Gift Cards: The Tried and True Last Minute Solution
Best Buy’s holiday gift cards remain a popular choice as more people will be asking for gift cards this season. According to a recent survey from the National Retail Federation², over half of all consumers said they would like to receive a gift card this season.

With no expiration dates or maintenance fees, Best Buy gift cards are among the most user-friendly on the market. A variety of festive holiday designs, from a gift card that can be used as a portable MP3 player speaker, to eco-friendly options can be purchased and redeemed in stores and online at www.bestbuy.com where free shipping exists for all gift card orders. If tech support is what you’re looking for, Geek Squad-branded gift cards are available in increments starting at $50.

For the 11th Hour Online Shopper:
For the truly time-starved, BestBuy.com once again leads the pack for standard shipping cut off and guaranteed delivery before Christmas Day. Shoppers who place their orders before 11:59 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 21 will be guaranteed Christmas delivery for ground shipping on all in-stock items.

Additionally, online shoppers can save on time and shipping by using Best Buy’s fast and easy in-store pickup option. Online purchases can be made as late as 3 p.m. (local time) on Christmas Eve and still be picked up in store that day.

Returns Made Easier

Best’s Buy’s extended return policy for the holiday offers customers peace of mind. For qualifying gift purchases made between November 1 and December 24, 2008, returns can be made through January 24, 2009. Returns on select products including digital cameras, camcorders and GPS devices must be made by January 8, 2009 while laptop and desktop computers must be returned within 14 days from purchase. Reward Zone Silver members qualify for an extended return policy. Visit www.bestbuy.com for more details.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $40 billion annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers, The Phone House and Speakeasy. Approximately 165,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2008, we donated a combined $31.8 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuyinc.com.

About Geek Squad
Geek Squad is the first national 24-hour technology support task force. Roughly 20,000 active Geek Squad technicians patrol Geek Squad precincts in all U.S. Best Buy stores, all Canadian Best Buy stores and at Geek Squad stand-alone store locations. For more information, please visit www.GeekSquad.com.

1. About the Best Buy Survey
The results contained in this report are based on telephone interviews conducted from November 21-23, 2008. A total of 1,004 interviews were completed with 526 female adults and 478 male adults. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3 percentage points and is higher for subgroups.

2. National Retail Federation survey- November 18, 2008
www.nrf.com/holidays

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