Best Buy to implement mobile concessions

MINNEAPOLIS Best Buy plans to have 1,000 Best Buy Mobile stand-alone and in-store shops installed throughout its chain by the end of 2009.

The Minneapolis-based company said that the stores will feature an expanded assortment of handsets, accessories and services for multiple carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, and such mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) as Boost, Kajeet and Virgin.

The concept was launched late last year in Manhattan, and by the end of September it had expanded to 70 locations around the country.

According to Best Buy’s partner in the venture, Britain’s Carphone Warehouse, the aggressive rollout plans were encouraged by the strong performance of the New York test stores, where handset sales more than doubled from 2006.

The two companies will also expand the number of freestanding stores, and will open locations in Best Buy’s international markets, which currently include China and Canada.