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From Yahoo Finance:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronic chain, will drop all restrictions for free shipping for the holiday season, underscoring big changes in what customers have come to expect when they shop.

The Minneapolis company typically requires customers to spend at least $35 in order to receive free shipping. Starting Sunday, however, that restriction has been removed as Best Buy aims to compete aggressively with online leader Amazon.com as well as other players like Wal-Mart and Target.

About 47 percent of consumers polled said that free shipping or shipping promotions are important factors in their decision on where they shop, according to a survey of 7,276 consumers conducted earlier this month for the National Retail Federation.

Amazon set the standard with its two-day delivery for members of its Prime loyal program, who pay $99 a year.

Best Buy's free-shipping program runs through Jan. 2.

The last time Best Buy dropped the shipping fee for all customers was 2012.

The retailer is also offering a special holiday sales event at 400 of its stores on Nov. 7 that will feature "Black Friday-like deals." Last year's event was limited to Best Buy's Elite and Elite Plus loyalty customers.

Best Buy has momentum heading into the holiday season as a turnaround spearheaded by CEO Hubert Joly has gains traction. The company is also benefiting from a shift in consumer spending toward big ticket items for the home as home prices rise. An explosion of new gadgets like Apple watch, which is being sold in all Best Buy stores, has also helped.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/compet...8xBHNlYwNzYw--

TheBang

That's a pretty aggressive move.

zyzzle

Well, it is a SMART move, considering that it makes all DVDs and Blurays essentially $4 cheaper, since that is the outrageous sum that Amazon charges for shipping Blurays and DVDs.

Red Hood

Best Buy simply needs to copy Amazon business model completely. I never understood why they haven't done it since they have the market, capacity and money. It's ridiculous that they are still so far behind in this. The stores should simply be sampling and warehouses. It is ridiculous that in 2015, their website and apps don't work as they are supposed to, considering that they are a technology distribution company.

dex14

It's a good idea especially for the holiday season.

MLBFan24

I don't view Best Buy as a loss leader, while Amazon and Wal-Mart are loss leaders.

Usually when I go into a Best Buy (which is rarely), I know what I specifically want. I'm not browsing. Get in, get out.

At Amazon and Wal-Mart, I may stumble upon (and purchase) items I didn't intend to buy.

stingermck

Too little too late. Best Buy (at least the one in my area) is a joke, and I hardly buy anything from the website anymore.

Easy

Slow as shit shipping. I purchased items from Amazon and Best Buy on the same day using the "no rush" option from Amazon and "free" shipping from Best Buy. The Amazon items arrived yesterday. The Best Buy items are still awaiting UPS pickup. I'm not impressed.

PhantomStranger

It's my understanding that Best Buy views customers still purchasing physical media as older than their new target demographic. This is a bone thrown to older consumers still hooked on physical media. If you were born before 1990, you aren't their target customer anymore.

stingermck

No shit. When I walk in the store and all I see is Ipads and Cell Phones

kahuna

Just the opposite for me. I get stuff from BB way way faster than I do from Amazon.com & I'm a Prime Member.