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Best Buy Reports Q2 FY21 Results

Enterprise Comparable Sales Increased 5.8%

Domestic Comparable Online Sales Increased 242%

GAAP Diluted EPS Increased 85% to $1.65

Non-GAAP Diluted EPS Increased 58% to $1.71

MINNEAPOLIS, August 25, 2020 — Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) today announced results for the 13-week second quarter ended August 1, 2020 (“Q2 FY21”), as compared to the 13-week second quarter ended August 3, 2019 (“Q2 FY20”).

(Click here for a PDF version. Click here to view full release and statements.)

 
Revenue ($ in millions) Q2 FY21 Q2 FY20
Enterprise$9,910$9,536
Domestic segment$9,128$8,821
International segment$782$715
Enterprise comparable sales % change15.8%1.6%
Domestic comparable sales % change15.0%1.9%
Domestic comparable online sales % change1242.2%17.3%
International comparable sales % change115.1%(1.9)%
Operating Income  
GAAP operating income as a % of revenue5.7%3.3%
Non-GAAP operating income as a % of revenue5.9%4.0%
Diluted Earnings per Share (“EPS”)  
GAAP diluted EPS$1.65$0.89
Non-GAAP diluted EPS$1.71$1.08

For GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations of the measures referred to in the above table, please refer to the attached supporting schedule.

“Today, we are reporting strong quarterly results in the midst of unprecedented times,” said Corie Barry, Best Buy CEO. “We are encouraged to see the customer demand for our products and services and are proud of the amazing execution of our teams. However, we have not lost sight of the fact that people continue to suffer, and we extend our sympathy to all those who have lost someone to this virus, are sick with COVID-19 or are facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.”

Barry continued, “Enterprise revenue growth was almost 4%, even though our stores were open by appointment only for the first six weeks of the quarter. Products that help people work, learn, connect and cook at home, like computing, appliances and tablets, were the largest drivers of our sales growth for the quarter. Trends across most categories and services improved materially throughout Q2 as we opened our stores more broadly for shopping, especially categories like large appliances and home theater that benefit from more experiential shopping. Specifically, enterprise sales growth2 was approximately 16% in the last seven weeks of Q2 after we opened our stores and the strength continued into August, with sales up approximately 20% for the first three weeks of Q3.”

Barry concluded, “Clearly, we are still operating in a dynamic environment, and much uncertainty remains. At the same time, we are encouraged by our clarity of purpose and our momentum, which have guided and will continue to guide our operating model changes and investments. Our purpose to enrich lives through technology is more relevant than it has ever been, and we are confident regarding our execution, adaptability and the opportunities ahead.”

Best Buy CFO Matt Bilunas said, “As a result of the ongoing uncertainty, we are not providing financial guidance today. However, I would note that we are planning for Q3 sales to be higher compared to last year but likely will not continue at the current quarter-to-date level of approximately 20% growth. Also, as our stores are fully reopened, we are planning for Q3 SG&A expense to be more in line with last year’s third quarter.”

Bilunas concluded, “Overall, as we plan for the back half of the year, we continue to weigh many factors including potential future government stimulus actions, the current shift in personal consumption expenditures from areas like travel and dining out, the possible depth and duration of the pandemic, the risk of higher unemployment over time, and the availability of inventory to match customer demand.”

Domestic Segment Q2 FY21 Results

Domestic Revenue

Domestic revenue of $9.13 billion increased 3.5% versus last year. The increase was primarily driven by comparable sales growth of 5.0%, which was partially offset by the loss of revenue from 25 permanent store closures in the past year.

The largest comparable sales growth drivers were computing, appliances and tablets. These growth drivers were partially offset by declines in mobile phones, digital imaging and services.

Domestic online revenue of $4.85 billion increased 242.2% on a comparable basis primarily due to higher conversion rates and increased traffic. As a percentage of total Domestic revenue, online revenue increased to approximately 53.1% versus 16.1% last year. 

Domestic Gross Profit Rate

Domestic gross profit rate was 22.8% versus 24.0% last year. The gross profit rate decrease of approximately 120 basis points was primarily driven by higher supply chain costs as a result of the increased mix of online revenue and lower profit-sharing revenue from the company’s private-label and co-branded credit card arrangement.

Domestic Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (“SG&A”)

Domestic GAAP SG&A was $1.56 billion, or 17.1% of revenue, versus $1.76 billion, or 19.9% of revenue, last year. On a non-GAAP basis, SG&A was $1.54 billion, or 16.9% of revenue, versus $1.74 billion, or 19.7% of revenue, last year. Both GAAP and non-GAAP SG&A decreased primarily due to: (1) reduced store payroll expense; (2) lower advertising expense; (3) reduced incentive compensation expense, as the company did not pay or accrue short-term incentive expense for second quarter performance; and (4) lower medical claims expense.

International Segment Q2 FY21 Results

International Revenue

International revenue of $782 million increased 9.4% versus last year. This increase was primarily driven by comparable sales growth of 15.1%, which was partially offset by the impact of approximately 490 basis points of negative foreign currency exchange rates. 

International Gross Profit Rate

International gross profit rate of 23.8% was flat to last year.

International SG&A

International SG&A was $142 million, or 18.2% of revenue, versus $166 million, or 23.2% of revenue, last year. SG&A decreased primarily due to lower payroll and benefit expense, primarily in Canada, and the favorable impact of foreign exchange rates.

Dividends and Share Repurchases

In Q2 FY21, the company returned a total of $143 million to shareholders through dividends. On a year-to-date basis, the company has returned a total of $346 million to shareholders through dividends of $284 million and share repurchases of $62 million.

Today, the company announced its board of directors has authorized the payment of a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.55 per common share. The quarterly dividend is payable on October 6, 2020, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 15, 2020.

Conference Call

Best Buy is scheduled to conduct an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (7:00 a.m. Central Time) on August 25, 2020. A webcast of the call is expected to be available at www.investors.bestbuy.comboth live and after the call.

Notes:

(1) Comparable sales include revenue from all stores that were temporarily closed or operating an enhanced curbside-only operating model in Q2 FY21 as a result of COVID-19. The method of calculating comparable sales varies across the retail industry, including the treatment of store closures as a result of COVID-19. As a result, our method of calculating comparable sales may not be the same as other retailers’ methods. For additional information on comparable sales, please see our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and available at www.investors.bestbuy.com.

(2) The approximately 16% and 20% enterprise sales growth references are based on the company’s interim period data, which the company uses to monitor revenue performance on a daily or weekly interval. The weekly sales growth estimates represent the year-over-year change compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year. Weekly sales growth is based on absolute sales dollar changes and is not presented in accordance with the company’s comparable sales definition. The company’s interim sales data is unaudited and excludes quarter-end revenue accounting adjustments. Other companies may track interim period sales data using different methods and systems, and therefore, the estimated data presented here may not be comparable to any data released by other companies.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements:

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that reflect management’s current views and estimates regarding future market conditions, company performance and financial results, operational investments, business prospects, new strategies, the competitive environment and other events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “assume,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “foresee,” “project,” “guidance,” “plan,” “outlook,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the potential results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements are the following: the duration and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on demand for our products and services, levels of consumer confidence and our supply chain; the effects and duration of steps we take in response to the pandemic, including the implementation of our interim and evolving operating model; actions governments, businesses and individuals take in response to the pandemic and their impact on economic activity and consumer spending; the pace of recovery when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; competition (including from multi-channel retailers, e-commerce business, technology service providers, traditional store-based retailers, vendors and mobile network carriers), our expansion strategies, our focus on services as a strategic priority, our reliance on key vendors and mobile network carriers, our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, changes in market compensation rates, risks arising from statutory, regulatory and legal developments, macroeconomic pressures in the markets in which we operate, failure to effectively manage our costs, our reliance on our information technology systems, our ability to prevent or effectively respond to a privacy or security breach, our ability to effectively manage strategic ventures, alliances or acquisitions, our dependence on cash flows and net earnings generated during the fourth fiscal quarter, susceptibility of our products to technological advancements, product life cycle preferences and changes in consumer preferences, economic or regulatory developments that might affect our ability to provide attractive promotional financing, interruptions and other supply chain issues, catastrophic events, health crises, pandemics, our ability to maintain positive brand perception and recognition, product safety and quality concerns, changes to labor or employment laws or regulations, our ability to effectively manage our real estate portfolio, constraints in the capital markets or our vendor credit terms, changes in our credit ratings, any material disruption in our relationship with or the services of third-party vendors, risks related to our exclusive brand products and risks associated with vendors that source products outside of the U.S., including trade restrictions or changes in the costs of imports (including existing or new tariffs or duties and changes in the amount of any such tariffs or duties) and risks arising from our international activities.

A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the company’s annual report and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, Best Buy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 23, 2020. Best Buy cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete, and any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Best Buy assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement that it may make.

  
  
Investor Contact:  Media Contact:
Mollie O’Brien  Carly Charlson
mollie.obrien@bestbuy.com  carly.charlson@bestbuy.com