Best Buy December Sales Rise

New York City Best Buy Co. said on Friday that same-store sales rose 1.5% in December and affirmed its fiscal 2008 earnings outlook.

However, after adjusting for a shift in the calendar that removed the key shopping week after Thanksgiving from the December tally, the company said the same-store sales rise was 3%, as gift shoppers bought video games, flat-panel televisions, notebook computers and GPS devices.

Total sales rose 11% to $7.3 billion in the five weeks ended Jan. 5, the company said.