No one could have imagined that webcams would be among the hottest tech products of 2020, but that’s exactly what happened in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — and Best Buy had to act quickly to serve consumers’ shifting needs.
“Our hypothesis around enriching lives through technology became instantly the reality for every single person,” CEO Corie Barry said. “All of a sudden, we were stuck at home. Kids were learning from home, and employees were working from home.
With a playful nod to children’s letters to Santa, Best Buy’s holiday ads are bringing some holiday cheer while also reflecting the unique aspects of life in 2020.
The “Dear Best Buy” campaign was created using stop-motion animation, with sets and characters rendered in miniature by top animators from the feature film world. We worked closely with our inclusion and diversity team to make sure the characters authentically represent the communities we serve, and we hired voiceover talent that aligned with characters.
Best Buy has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2021, and we’re proud to be the top retailer on the list.
We jumped to No. 22 in the ranking, up from No. 53 last year. We earned a score of 87.3 out of 100, just a few points back from the top score of 93.2.
Being included on the list demonstrates our commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability. The pandemic has underscored the need to focus on the issues most important to our stakeholders while keeping our customers, employees and customers safe.
Diwali is the biggest, most important Indian holiday of the year. But like many things, it’s going to look a bit different amid the pandemic this year.
Also known as Deepavali, Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It’s a five-day celebration and similar to how Thanksgiving is celebrated in the U.S.
“During Diwali, people decorate their homes, gather for feasts and exchange gifts,” said Srividya Vaidyanathan, a member of Best Buy’s Asian Employee Resource Group (ERG). “With Diwali falling between Halloween and Thanksgiving, one way to participate is to put up your holiday decorations a few weeks early, like many Asian Indians do.”
October 12 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday that celebrates Indigenous peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. In honor of that, we are highlighting one employee’s story.
Saraphina Scott is going places at Best Buy. And the 23-year-old is proudly sharing her Diné (Navajo) culture each step of the way.
She started at Best Buy in a seasonal role five years ago and most recently was promoted to a supervisor position at the store in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she is the only Diné employee.
Oct. 11 is the 32nd anniversary of National Coming Out Day, celebrating when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQIA+) people acknowledge their identity to friends, family, coworkers and others in their life.
Coming out is different for everyone. It can bring relief and liberation, but it’s important to recognize that, for many LGBTQIA+ people, it isn’t easy. And some might not be able to come out because their safety, relationships and more are at risk.
At Best Buy, we are proud to stand up for equality for our LGBTQIA+ employees, customers and communities.
Best Buy is proud to be among 98 companies named to the 2020 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index.
We’re one of just two retailers on the index, which helps us understand trends and gaps in demographic representation within our organization.
“I believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to achieve their dreams and be provided with access to resources and the support to do so,” said Amelia Hardy, vice president of inclusion and diversity. “Best Buy is committed to becoming one of the best places to work by creating space and experiences to allow employees, customers and communities to succeed.”
Brandy Cardozo, the general manager at our Best Buy store in Melbourne Beach, Florida, remembers the exact moment a fire was lit in her to become a strong female leader.
She was working for a different retailer at the time, when her boss came up to her and said, “I don’t know why you’re working so hard. Your kind never gets promoted.” He was talking about women.
She eventually did get promoted, but one day she looked around and realized how discouraged she was by being the only woman in the room of male leaders.
July 26 marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that makes sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
Rosa Companioni started experiencing an array of health issues just as she was starting to take her Best Buy career to the next level.
Best Buy is proud to announce that we have signed on as a founding member of the Parity.org ParityPledge in Support of People of Color.
It’s a public commitment to interview at least one qualified person of color for every open leadership role that is at the vice president level or higher, including the C-suite and board of directors. There are no quotas or deadlines.
This latest pledge is in addition to the ParityPledge in Support of Women, which we previously signed to increase the representation of women in leadership.
Best Buy has once again earned a perfect score of 100% on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), ranking among the leading companies on the list of Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.
The DEI is a prominent benchmarking tool for Fortune 1000 companies and leading law firms to gauge their level of disability workplace inclusion against competitors. The criteria include culture and leadership, enterprisewide access, community engagement, supplier diversity and employment practices, such as benefits, recruitment and retention.
At Best Buy, we believe that an accessible and inclusive workplace is vital to attracting and retaining the best talent and to delivering a great employee experience.
June 20 is World Refugee Day, a day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness of the plight of refugees around the world and the efforts to protect their human rights. This year’s theme, Every Action Counts, highlights the importance of creating a more just, inclusive and equal world.
Every minute, 20 people around the world leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror, according to the U.N. Hashim Ali is one of them — but, as he’ll tell you, his identity is so much more.