Ann Arbor area Best Buy store escapes list of store closings
The Best Buy store on Lohr Road in Pittsfield Township will not close as part of the Minnesota-based company’s restructuring plan, the retailer announced Saturday morning.
In March, the company announced plans to close 50 big-box stores and open 100 standalone mobile locations in the U.S. in fiscal 2013.
This photo shows a Best Buy Mobile store in Minnesota.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user DavidErickson
The strategy — to reduce total square footage while adding small store locations — comes after the company reported a fourth quarter loss of $1.7 billion.
The plans are expected to cut $250 million in costs in fiscal 2013 and $800 million by fiscal 2015.
The mobile store concept, launched in 2007, is much smaller than the company’s big-box stores and acts as a full-service wireless retailer, carrying the same mobile products as the larger stores. There are currently 305 mobile locations, with plans to open 600 to 800 by fiscal 2016.
Best Buy recently signed a lease to open a 1,456-square-foot mobile location in Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.
The company, which has about 1,145 U.S. stores, will not close any Michigan locations.
Among the store closures are six locations in Illinois, seven in California and six in Minnesota. Most of the stores will permanently close by May 12, according to a release.
To see the full list of store closures click here.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
russellr
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 12:45 p.m.
This Best Buy is one of the top selling stores. They were not in any danger of being shut down. This store gets great support from all the colleges around here.They have staff that are curtious and know their products.That store is the anchor of the strip mall. I would hate to see what would happen if it left.Thanks all you customers for supporting it.
Barzoom
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 12:01 p.m.
As a loyal Best Buy customer I'm glad that the Lohr Rd. Store is staying open. I just wish that they would carry more of a selection of things. Borders closing really impacted on that group of stores. Without Best Buy there would be no reason to go there.
Halter
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 11:15 a.m.
This headline, and the previous article on Best Buy make it sound like our Ann Arbor Best Buy somehow magically "got by" and was "saved".... The reality is, any review of Best Buy's annual reports would easily lead you to data that the Ann Arbor store is one of the nations top performers in sales per capita per year. They were never in any type of danger of shutting down.
aawolve
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 4:34 a.m.
This Best Buy was never close to the chopping block, despite what annarbor.com blog's coverage would have had you believe. It's one of their high-performers.
GettingBluer
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 2:08 a.m.
What amazes me is that Best Buy thinks anyone will use their mini mobile stores! So, let's see. The brilliant idea is to place them in malls beside the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint stores. And I'm supposed to want to go to a third party store...why? Even their big box stores refer you to carrier stores for transferring phone books and such. Best Buy stock, sell short.
GettingBluer
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 1:45 p.m.
Nobody ('cept you) said anything about "kiosks" (they are NOT corporate owned)...I said stores, such as those in Twelve Oaks and Briarwood. Yeah, a Best Buy Mobile would allow you to pick up the brochures all in one place (most people would compare online, though), but the corporate stores have many different offerings than third party outlets. Also, excuse me if I don't feel like Best Buy is a "trusted name in electronics retail"...that may have something to do with me being an electronics engineer (I don't know of anyone in the profession who feels the way you do, but if you're happy with them, by all means purchase from them). I'll bet they know better than to try to sell their $80 HDMI cables to the general public...must just be an "inside joke" when they offer them to me.
SMC
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 5 a.m.
They're a trusted name in electronics retail. Most consumers automatically assume they'll get the best price on anything they buy there, and not everyone who is in the market for a phone is married to their mobile carrier, so a 3rd-party store makes it easier to cross-shop. Personally, I'd rather by a phone from Best Buy than a kiosk.
Goofus
Sun, Apr 15, 2012 : 12:55 a.m.
I'm glad. I use that Best Buy store alot for the random cable, accessory, part...and it has the best selection of games around. No false shortages to encourage ripoff pre-orders on games either... (I'm looking at you, Gamestop!)
Wes
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 9:24 p.m.
Thats a good thing otherwise there goes that entire mall, and half the other businesses in the area around it.
Michigan Reader
Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 8:14 p.m.
I just knew the Lohr Rd. store would stay open. It's got a huge volume of traffic in and out of the store. Whether it was planned or not, Best Buy is the anchor store for that shopping center.