In the case of Best Buy, surging e-commerce trends (along with the related lack of motivation to shop in-store) meant the massive retailer had to act quickly and develop new ways to deliver advice and support alongside its online catalog of products. By focusing on embedding the in-store experience within its digital platform, Best Buy responded to the pandemic with a handful of new features that will carry it forward as an e-commerce leader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur primary customer experience goal is to let people shop how and when they want,\u201d says Thierry Hay-Sabourin, SVP of e-commerce, marketplace and technology at Best Buy Canada. \u201cThis year, we developed a very solid omnichannel shopping experience that doesn\u2019t force people to choose one form of shopping over another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Need to Know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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- Early on in the pandemic, Best Buy launched Blue Shirt Chat, a tool that connects online shoppers directly to in-store associates for free. Customers can then ask questions about products, request advice on how different devices work together, and more. <\/li>
- A recent update to Blue Shirt Chat involves customers beginning their mobile device activation process online, then coming into a physical store to pick up the ready-to-go phone, saving 10-15 minutes of in-store waiting. <\/li>
- The new Best Buy Check-In tool lets shoppers check-in as they arrive at the store and skip the line to drop off an item to be repaired, pick up an online order, or finish activating a phone. <\/li>
- Best Buy also redesigned stores to focus on digital order fulfillment, building dedicated pick-up counters, and expanding warehouse space to enable ship-from-store. In 2019, Best Buy shipped 35% of Canadian online orders from brick-and-mortar stores, with plans to grow that number substantially. <\/li>
- Best Buy’s digital sales grew 174% last quarter. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Best Buy’s interactive digital retail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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In order to bring the in-store experience online, Best Buy launched Blue Shirt Chat early on in the pandemic. Named after the retailer\u2019s easy-to-find employees that typically walk around the sales floor, Blue Shirt Chat is a live chat tool accessible from nearly any product page on Best Buy\u2019s website. If a customer wants to know how a TV will fit in with their gaming setup, or what kind of sound system might work for their living room, Blue Shirt Chat will connect them with an in-store employee to answer any questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re known for technology and enriching customers’ lives through tech,\u201d says Hay-Sabourin. \u201cWhat we do better than everyone else is bringing a strong tech selection and knowledge to the customer. But what makes us unique is that mixture of in-person advice and expertise through Blue Shirts and Geek Squad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Blue Shirt Chat in action. Check out the live chat window recommending a TV to buy. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The need for a tool like Blue Shirt chat became apparent very early on in the pandemic according to Hay-Sabourin, as both customers and Best Buy employees looked for more ways to connect to the products they were buying and selling, respectively. Employees, who are specially trained to understand which electronics pair well with one another and how to best determine product fit, were unable to share that expertise with customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blue Shirt Chat also allowed Best Buy to keep more employees engaged and working, as many agents are actual in-store employees whose previous duties involved roaming the floor and chatting with customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What makes us unique is that mixture of in-person advice and expertise through Blue Shirts and Geek Squad.\u201d<\/p>Thierry Hay-Sabourin, SVP of e-commerce, marketplace and technology, Best Buy Canada<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
One of the biggest differentiators of Blue Shirt Chat is that it is free to everyone. Hay-Sabourin describes the three levels of chat interactions Best Buy has: general support, which can include facilitating price adjustments and returns; Geek Squad, which is a paid service for trouble-shooting and smart home setup; then Blue Shirt Chat, which exists solely to answer questions and offer advice without pushing sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Buy has heavily relied on and invested in Geek Squad to drive sales over the last decade, so the introduction of Blue Shirt Chat was an interesting but welcome development only brought on by the pandemic. By having an almost \u201centry-level\u201d version of live support and advice, it creates an accessible channel for employees to both connect with shoppers and continue constructing the image of Best Buy as an expert source for electronics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBest Buy invested a lot in the knowledge that our Blue Shirts have,\u201d says Hay-Sabourin. \u201cWhen the stores were not accessible, we wanted to immediately continue to offer that high level of personalized advice.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, the value of Blue Shirt chat has been immense. It has allowed Best Buy to keep itself grounded within the experiential method of shopping it has specialized in for decades, offering timely advice and suggestions for people who are making substantial purchases. And according to Hay-Sabourin, the need for something like Blue Shirt Chat will just keep growing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe number of connected devices is exploding. Technology is becoming more complex, and there are more options and more ecosystems to play with,\u201d he says. \u201cCustomers need help choosing a solution that’s best for them more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Expediting smartphone activation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Blue Shirt Chat\u2019s popularity has also let Best Buy experiment with new ways of handling typical pre-pandemic shopping transactions. By moving routine questions and advice into the digital realm, Best Buy found it was also able to move some of the routine set up processes involved with its products online as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Normally, buying a phone through a carrier takes a little while to set up. It involves registering a phone number, installing a SIM, porting over files, and other menial (at least for the consumer) administrative tasks. With Blue Shirt Chat, shoppers can find a phone they like online, then start the activation on their computer. Then all they have to do is show up with ID and complete the final steps of the activation in-store, saving at least 10-15 minutes of waiting around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen stores were not accessible, we wanted to immediately continue offering that high level of personalized advice.\u201d <\/p>Thierry Hay-Sabourin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know phone activation takes time, and right now, people want to spend less time in-store,\u201d says Hay-Sabourin. \u201cSo we developed this ability for customers to start their activation process online. It\u2019s just another example where we bring the Blue Shirt into the digital space to help with the customer\u2019s research and purchase process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This fairly simple idea\u2014taking an in-store process and making it digital\u2014is a key factor driving Best Buy\u2019s digital transformation during the pandemic, and is likely going to stick around once stores re-open to full capacity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about tapping into the training and expertise of employees and making it available to the greater number,\u201d says Hay-Sabourin. \u201cStitched together, the guiding principle is that we want to provide customers with options on their terms. We bring all of Best Buy and its products, advice, and support right to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Reevaluating the brick-and-mortar<\/strong> experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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