Weekend for exclusive shoppers only
Best Buy is attempting to get an edge on holiday shopping by inviting its top customers to an exclusive sale this Sunday. Lisa Napoli tells us why this might help the retailer in an ultra-competitive season.
Best Buy customer shops for DVDs. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Scott Jagow: Retailers aren't usually very subtle about the holiday season. Deck the halls, pipe in the Christmas music, hit you over the head. But with the economic conditions the way they are, one retailer is looking for a little edge this weekend. Here's Lisa Napoli.
Lisa Napoli: Electronics retailer Best Buy has sent out an exclusive invitation to its top customers, inviting them to a private sale on Sunday night -- chock full of freebie gift cards and deals on flat panel TVs.
Adam Levin: What they're doing is inviting those that have spent over a certain amount. But they want people to feel like it's exclusive.
That's electronics analyst Adam Levin. He says by keeping it small, Best Buy's trying to do what high-end retailers do all the time:
Levin The key is they're trying to find a way to connect with their best-spending customers on a more regular basis.
University of Michigan marketing professor Aradhna Krishna says in this ultra-competitive holiday season, it makes sense to woo your frequent buyers:
Another bonus, Krishna says: a private sale like the one Best Buy's having is likely to get customers to buy electronics as holiday gifts.
In Los Angeles, I'm Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.
