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Best Buy's quarterly performance falls short despite positive Wall Street reaction

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2023-08-30

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Best Buy's latest quarterly performance was touted as exceeding Wall Street's expectations, yet closer examination reveals a considerable weakness in both headline figures and same-store sales. The consumer electronics giant experienced a decline in both sales and profits during the three months leading up to June 29, indicating a continued consumer pullback in spending on discretionary items.

Although the sales dip was smaller than what analysts had predicted, and profits managed to surpass expectations, this relatively positive outcome led to a 3.8% increase in the company's shares on Tuesday's closing.

Comparing this performance with Walmart's, which reported a "modest" increase in sales of consumer discretionary products, highlights the contrasting fortunes of these retail giants. While Walmart managed to recover from weaker sales in previous periods, Best Buy struggled to maintain its sales trajectory.

In response to these challenges, Best Buy adjusted its full-year revenue outlook. The upper end of its initial guidance was revised downward to align with the midpoint, whereas the lower end remained unchanged. The company also narrowed its profitability ranges.

As it stands, Best Buy's projection for full-year revenue now falls within the range of $US43.8 billion to $US44.5 billion, indicating a stark 14% decrease from the record $US51.7 billion achieved in 2022. Notably, if the estimated 2023 sales figure materializes, it would mark the lowest point in a decade, dipping below even the figures from 2011 and 2012.

The decline in comparable sales, encompassing both physical stores open for at least a year and digital channels, was notable at 6.3%. This drop was primarily driven by decreases in computing and appliance sales. Appliance sales saw a substantial decline of 16.1%, while computer and phone device sales slid by 6.4%, contributing to the broader 5.7% decrease in computer electronics sales.

On a more positive note, the company highlighted a 9.1% increase in the entertainment category, particularly in gaming sales, offering a glimmer of optimism amidst the otherwise lackluster results.

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