Retail

Best Buy Tries the Black Friday in July Promotion

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: July 24, 2016 9:30 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 5:23 am

Among the marketing ploys retailers use, none is better than pretending a day during which huge numbers of shoppers hit the stores to a completely different date when very few people shop. Father’s Day in October. Back to School Day in May. Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) employed what may be the most outrageous of all: Black Friday in July.

The promotion reads:

It’s hard to believe that the excitement of the Black Friday 2015 sale has already come and gone. Don’t worry, we are already counting down the days until the after-Thanksgiving sale next year, when the lowest prices roll out on the technology you’ve had your eye on all year. Save the date and get your wish list started for the Black Friday 2016 sale on November 25th.

It does not promise any of these prices might drop by the real Black Friday. For the customer, take your chances.

The promotion covers nearly every product and service category Best Buy has. And, with some special conditions, it offers free shipping on items “$35 and up.”

The promotions also include a “Deal of the Day.” The most recent one was:

Beats by Dr. Dre – Geek Squad Certified Refurbished Powerbeats2 Wireless Earbud Headphones – Black

The retail price of the headphones was $199.99. Best Buy has dropped that to $79.99. Refurbished indeed.

Most of the items offered for Black Friday in July have only modest discounts. However, the notion of a sale during the summer may be compelling. It is an old marketing trick from Business 101. Who knows? It might work

Also see a seven-step plan to save Best Buy.