August 18, 2005

Shopping for business at Best Buy

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

On Saturday, membership will have its privileges, especially if you belong to the Almaden or Cambrian business associations (ABA, CBA).

For three hours, starting at 7 a.m., Best Buy, located on Almaden Expressway will close its doors to the public for a private members only event with the neighboring organizations.

Its part of an overall strategy for Best Buy to become more involved in the communities it serves. At the Aug. 4 ABA monthly meeting, Best Buy business consultant James Stout announced a unique alliance called “customer centricity,” or the tailoring of each store to coincide with the way shoppers interact with their local communities.

“One of those initiatives is the small business owner,” he says. “As a result, it made perfect sense to build alliances with small businesses in such a way that they know who we are, and they could give us better feedback on how we could serve them in the future.”

Best Buy Business consultant James Stout is looking forward working on providing a network of small business alliances with the Almaden and Cambrian business associations.

It’s a bold new step outside the technology and services box into the world of brokering information about the various resources available with small businesses in the area and the nurturing of a “community network” that recommends one business to another, and so on.

One of the more anticipated aspects of Saturday’s event is what will be missing. As the doors open to ABA and CBA members, they will be afforded the opportunity to enjoy breakfast over a home theater presentation, and then seek out both networking and bargain-hunting opportunities. All of this without having to jockey for position at the checkout counter or maneuver the aisles alongside the typically harried weekend crowd.

Stout says the interaction with customers is what was missing in his former high-tech position—an emotional gratification he found when he came to work for Best Buy.

“I love to work with people,” he said. “I love to help people take their toys home if you will. I love to see people happy when they get their home offices, and when they put in a new plasma screen TV or home entertainment system for their kids. I still get to work with a continually changing technology and it’s great to be working with all the great innovators, not just one when you work for a manufacturer.”

He says it will be a unique opportunity to see Best Buy in a totally different way.

“We’re not just about electronics. We have great appliances and a great home theater with things to see. When you come here to invest, whether its 15 minutes or two hours, you’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Through an exclusive arrangement with Magnolia Home Theater Systems, Best Buy is now the first to feature the same fully integrated home theater experience outside the high-end retail stores.

Implementing the Magnolia Total Home Theater experience is part of Best Buy’s overall strategy to become more involved in the communities it serves, according to business consultant James Stout, who is championing a collaborative effort with the Almaden and Cambrian business associations.

It will also be unveiling an expanded appliance department, with new premium brands and model kitchens, another first.

The move is a bold new step for a retailer looking to open up an entirely different world of networking possibilities by offering discounted pricing on products and services, while at the same time, marketing local businesses and providing customers with a valuable resource directory.

Stout says it’s all about making people happy—creating a win-win scenario by promoting local businesses and associations while providing the best products and services for both professional and personal lifestyles.

“It’s a great time to become a member of the chamber,” he says. “Equally important are the individual business associations within there because there’s much more exposure. We could not be happier about our participation.

We’re looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you—and your businesses. The more you get to know us, the more we can promote you.”

For more information on attending the Saturday event, Stout can be reached by phone at (408) 393-4779 or e-mail at jamespstout@hotmail.com. Those interested in joining the Almaden Business Association can log onto www.almadenbizassn.org.