Best Buy Canada is making online shopping easier for customers by providing package arrival information, increasing available inventory and by establishing a 'Marketplace' for Canadian retailers

All 192 Best Buy stores locations now open across Canada with Total Retail experience

BURNABY, BC, May 6, 2015 /CNW/ - Canadians will soon find online and mobile shopping even easier with Best Buy Canada through better availability of the latest and greatest products, the peace of mind that comes with knowing when a package is going to arrive and the access to an even larger product assortment on BestBuy.ca through a new 'Marketplace' for other Canadian retailers.

Through our 'Delivery Promise' initiative, our ability to turn each of our 192 stores into online warehouses and the addition of a 'Marketplace,' it will be easier than ever for customers to search for, find and receive the products they want.

"We are investing millions of dollars in our stores and online in order to enhance the customer experience and this is an important step," said Thierry Hay-Sabourin, Vice President of eCommerce, Best Buy Canada. "We have built a Total Retail shopping experience that allows customers to shop however they want, in our stores, on the device of their choice and always at the best price through Best Buy and BestBuy.ca."

'Delivery Promise' takes the guess work out of shipping times
Introduced in March of this year, Delivery Promise is a new web tool that presents customers with an expected arrival date for their item as they browse product pages on BestBuy.ca, before their order is placed. Delivery Promise tracks an individual order to provide an accurate timeline on a product's delivery, and is designed to respond uniquely to each customer. By displaying the delivery options are available for each item; Delivery Promise will notify of a faster delivery option if one exists. This helps take the guesswork out of buying online and eliminates having to wonder when a product might arrive or whether the package will truly be delivered before the customer needs it.

'Ship-from-store' launches this spring
Launching this month, Ship-from-store will unlock inventory previously confined to Best Buy stores, allowing customers shopping online greater access to a selection of items. This innovation limits the 'Out of Stock' screens sometimes seen on BestBuy.ca, will transform the company's 192 stores into distribution centres, and will further streamline the omni-channel operating model nationwide.

Coming soon: Best Buy Canada's new omni-channel marketplace
Launching in the coming months, Marketplace will allow customers to shop for more products in more categories on BestBuy.ca. Canadian retailers will be able to use Best Buy Canada's award-winning omni-channel infrastructure to enable return in store and reserve and pick-up capabilities. As Canada's most-visited omni-channel retailer with hundreds of millions of annual visits to our website and our stores, Best Buy is set to partner with retailers in allowing them to maintain their own distinct voice, their own brand identity and a customized, transactional storefront on BestBuy.ca.

"While we're excited to partner with other Canadian retailers on Marketplace, we're even more excited to continue innovating in the online space to provide our customers with an unparalleled experience," said Hay-Sabourin. "We want to continue to bring the greatest assortment of products to our customers, and help retailers succeed, which is why are inviting other Canadian retailers to join us on our online Marketplace and enjoy our world-class eCommerce capabilities."

These initiatives are part of a previously announced ongoing two-year investment of up to $200 million in Best Buy stores and BestBuy.ca. Additional focus areas of the multi-faceted investment strategy includes launching major appliances in all stores, working with vendor partners to bring their products to life in a more compelling way and increasing staffing levels at stores to better serve customers. These initiatives contribute to an award-winning Total Retail experience that's bolstered by the success of Best Buy Canada's Reserve and Pick-Up and omni-channel fulfilment programs.

Best Buy Canada's endeavours in-store and online represent the company's highest customer satisfaction scores and have garnered industry recognition for 'Best Omni-Channel Integration' at the 2014 Canada Post E-Commerce Innovation Awards.

For more information, visit www.BestBuy.ca/Marketplace.

About Best Buy Canada, Ltd.
Best Buy Canada Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY).  Best Buy is Canada's largest specialty retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics, personal computers and entertainment software and also operates the Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca), a computer and tech support task force. With nearly 200 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores across Canada, our store employees and Geek Squad Agents are committed to delivering product solutions that enable easy access to people, knowledge, ideas and fun.

SOURCE Best Buy Canada

Eastern Canada: Elliott Chun, E: [email protected], P: 905-494-7114; Western Canada: Danielle Jang, E: [email protected], P: 604-412-1880