Best Buy Bets Big on AI, Training 30,000 Employees for Microsoft Laptops Launch

Best Buy trains 30,000 employees to sell and support Microsoft’s new AI-powered laptops, marking the retailer’s most significant product launch training effort in a decade as it seeks to reverse declining sales trends.

Preparing for the AI revolution: Best Buy is investing heavily in employee training to capitalize on the growing demand for AI-enabled devices:

• The retailer has trained over 30,000 employees so far to sell and repair Microsoft’s new Copilot+ AI laptops, which went on sale Tuesday.
• Best Buy has exclusive sales rights to more than 40% of the Copilot+ PC models, including the OLED Surface Pro, highlighting the importance of this partnership.
• Geek Squad tech support agents will conduct demonstrations and answer customer questions about the new AI features in hundreds of stores.

Betting big on AI to drive growth: Best Buy sees AI as a key opportunity to boost sales after facing ten consecutive quarters of declining same-store sales:

• The company expects new AI products, along with emerging categories like e-bikes, to be significant growth drivers.
• Best Buy previously experienced sales boosts following the introduction of innovative products like Amazon’s Echo smart speakers in 2014, suggesting that AI laptops could have a similar impact.
• Despite a recent slowdown in consumer electronics spending due to inflation and high interest rates, Best Buy executives anticipate a return to growth, particularly in the computing segment.

Adapting to a new technology landscape: The extensive AI training program reflects Best Buy’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve as technology evolves:

• AI represents a new frontier for many consumers, requiring more comprehensive employee training compared to other product launches.
• Best Buy’s training materials cover AI-specific concepts like “trillions of operations per second” (TOPS) to help employees effectively communicate the benefits of these devices to customers.
• The retailer’s proactive approach to AI training positions it to meet the expected increase in customer demand for setup assistance and support, similar to the surge experienced with smart speakers in the past.

Broader implications:
Best Buy’s substantial investment in AI training underscores the growing importance of artificial intelligence in the consumer electronics industry. As more companies integrate AI capabilities into their products, retailers will need to adapt their strategies to effectively market and support these devices. Best Buy’s partnership with Microsoft and Qualcomm also highlights the increasing collaboration between retailers, software developers, and hardware manufacturers to bring cutting-edge AI technology to consumers. However, the success of these AI laptops will ultimately depend on whether they offer compelling use cases and tangible benefits that justify their price premium over traditional computers.