November 26, 2025
S21E15: Why Best Buy Is Winning When Everyone Expected It to Die
Strategy SimplifiedAbout this episode
Send us a text Best Buy was supposed to be dead. Instead, it just raised its full-year sales and earnings outlook. In this episode, Jenny Rae and Namaan dig into why Best Buy is outperforming in a “K-shaped” economy, even as everyone keeps blaming the consumer and inflation. They break down: How Best Buy is still winning on laptops, gaming, and smartphones Why AI-enabled laptops and new consoles are quietly driving an upgrade cycle The role of predictable sale moments (Prime Day, back-to-school, Black Friday) What Best Buy is doing in-store vs. online that pure e-commerce players can’t match How services and better execution matter more than macro excuses They also talk about what this says about the American consumer, why sentiment and spending keep telling different stories, and what levers they’d pull if they were running Best Buy for the next five years. Partner Links: Learn more about NordStellar's Threat Exposure Management Program ; unlock 20% off with code BLACKFRIDAY20 until Dec. 10, 2025 Chapters: 02:10 Black Friday: From Chaos Day to 2-Month Season 04:45 Best Buy’s Unexpected Earnings Beat 07:20 What’s Actually Selling: Phones, Laptops, Gaming, AI Devices 10:05 Why Best Buy Wins In-Store (When It Shouldn’t) 13:00 Digital Channel Strength: Website, Pick-Up, Inventory, UX 15:40 The Consumer Is Fine (Again): Spending vs Sentiment 18:25 Best Buy’s Revenue Declines & Store Footprint Questions 21:05 Margin Breakdown & Where Best Buy Really Makes Money 24:10 The Future: Services, Smaller Stores, and Growth Levers Listen to the Market Outsiders podcast, the new daily show with the Management Consulted team Connect With Management Consulted Schedule free 15min consultation with the MC Team. Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube ! Follow us on LinkedIn , Instagram , and TikTok for the latest updates and industry insights! Join an upcoming live event - case interviews demos, expert panels, and more. Email us ( team@managementconsulted.com ) with questions or feedback.