BBY-2013-10KT

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
____________________________________________________________________________
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
o
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
x
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from March 4, 2012 to February 2, 2013                          

Commission file number 1-9595
________________________________
BEST BUY CO., INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Minnesota
 
41-0907483
State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
7601 Penn Avenue South
Richfield, Minnesota
 
55423
(Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
 
Registrant's telephone number, including area code 612-291-1000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
 
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $.10 per share
 
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
____________________________________________________________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. x Yes o No
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. o Yes x No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. x Yes o No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). x Yes o No
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer x
 
Accelerated filer o
 
Non-accelerated filer o
 
Smaller reporting company o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) o Yes x No
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of August 4, 2012, was approximately $4.1 billion, computed by reference to the price of $17.64 per share, the price at which the common equity was last sold on August 4, 2012, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange-Composite Index. (For purposes of this calculation all of the registrant's directors and executive officers are deemed affiliates of the registrant.)
As of March 21, 2013, the registrant had 338,770,740 shares of its Common Stock issued and outstanding.

Table of Contents


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement dated on or about May 8, 2013 (to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the registrant's fiscal year-end of February 2, 2013), for the regular meeting of shareholders to be held on June 20, 2013 ("Proxy Statement"), are incorporated by reference into Part III.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO THE
PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act"), provide a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their companies. With the exception of historical information, the matters discussed in this Transition Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking statements and may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "foresee," "plan," "project," "outlook," and other words and terms of similar meaning. Such statements reflect our current view with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. A variety of factors could cause our future results to differ materially from the anticipated results expressed in such forward-looking statements. Readers should review Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K for a description of important factors that could cause our future results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements made in this Transition Report on Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report or as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update our forward-looking statements.


BEST BUY    FISCAL    2013    FORM    10-K    TRANSITION REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1.  Business.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the use of the terms "we," "us" and "our" in this Transition Report on Form 10-K refers to Best Buy Co., Inc. and, as applicable, its consolidated subsidiaries.

Description of Business

We are a multi-national, e-commerce and physical retailer of consumer electronics, including mobile phones, tablets and computers, large and small appliances, televisions, digital imaging, entertainment products and related accessories. We also offer technology services – including support, repair, troubleshooting and installation – under the Geek Squad brand. We operate online retail operations, retail stores and call centers and conduct operations under a variety of names such as Best Buy (BestBuy.com, BestBuy.ca), Best Buy Mobile (BestBuyMobile.com), The Carphone Warehouse (CarphoneWarehouse.com), Five Star, Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales and The Phone House (PhoneHouse.com). References to our website addresses do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the websites.

Information About Our Segments and Geographic Areas

During fiscal 2013 (11-month), we operated two reportable segments: Domestic and International. The Domestic segment is comprised of the operations in all states, districts and territories of the U.S., operating under various brand names including, but not limited to, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video and Pacific Sales.

The International segment is comprised of: (i) all Canada operations, operating under the brand names Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Cell Shop, Connect Pro, Future Shop and Geek Squad; (ii) all Europe operations, operating under the brand names The Carphone Warehouse, The Phone House and Geek Squad; (iii) all China operations, operating under the brand names Five Star and Best Buy Mobile and (iv) all Mexico operations, operating under the brand names Best Buy, Best Buy Express and Geek Squad.

Financial information about our segments and geographic areas is included in Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and Note 14, Segment and Geographic Information, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K.

Domestic Segment

We were incorporated in the state of Minnesota in 1966 as Sound of Music, Inc. Today, our U.S. Best Buy stores offer our customers a wide variety of consumer electronics, computing and mobile phone products, entertainment products, large and small appliances and related accessories and services with variations on product assortments, staffing, promotions and store design to address specific customer groups and local market needs.

In fiscal 2001, we acquired Magnolia Hi-Fi, Inc. - a Seattle-based, high-end retailer of audio and video products and services - to access an upscale customer segment. Today, we operate Magnolia Home Theater store-within-a-store experiences in certain U.S. Best Buy stores, offering customers high-end electronics with specially trained employees. In fiscal 2010, we also began operating Magnolia Design Center store-within-a-store experiences to further enhance the unique product offerings and high-touch customer service provided by the Magnolia brand in select U.S. Best Buy stores.

In fiscal 2003, we acquired Geek Squad Inc. to further our plans of providing technology support services to customers. Geek Squad service is available in all U.S. Best Buy branded stores.

In fiscal 2007, we acquired California-based Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers, Inc. ("Pacific Sales"). Pacific Sales specializes in the sale and installation of high-end and mass-market premium brand kitchen appliances, plumbing fixtures and home entertainment products, with a focus on builders and remodelers. In fiscal 2011, we also began integrating Pacific Sales into select U.S. Best Buy stores via our Pacific Kitchen and Home store-within-a-store experience, offering customers many of the same products and services offered in that brand's stand-alone store format.


4
Table of Contents

In fiscal 2007, we also developed the Best Buy Mobile concept through a management consulting agreement with U.K.-based Carphone Warehouse Group plc ("CPW"). Best Buy Mobile provides a comprehensive assortment of mobile phones, accessories and related services using experienced sales personnel in all U.S. Best Buy stores, as well as stand-alone stores.

In fiscal 2012, we acquired mindSHIFT Technologies, Inc ("mindSHIFT"), a managed service provider for small and mid-sized businesses, providing cloud services, data center services and professional services throughout the U.S.

International Segment

Our International segment was established in fiscal 2002 with our acquisition of Future Shop Ltd., Canada's largest consumer electronics retailer. Since that acquisition, we have operated a dual-brand strategy in Canada by introducing the Best Buy brand, which allows us to retain Future Shop's brand equity and attract more customers by offering a choice of distinct store experiences.

In fiscal 2007, we acquired a 75% interest in Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co., Ltd. ("Five Star"), one of China's largest appliance and consumer electronics retailers. In fiscal 2009, we acquired the remaining 25% interest in Five Star.

In fiscal 2009, we acquired a 50% controlling interest in Best Buy Europe Distributions Limited ("Best Buy Europe"). Best Buy Europe is a venture with CPW, consisting of CPW's former retail and distribution business with nearly 2,400 small-format The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House stores, online channels, device insurance operations, and mobile and fixed-line telecommunication services.

In fiscal 2009, we expanded our Best Buy Mobile operations to Canada by opening stand-alone stores. We now also offer the Best Buy Mobile store-within-a-store experience in all Best Buy branded stores in Canada. Also in fiscal 2009, we opened our first Best Buy branded store in Mexico, located in Mexico City.

In fiscal 2013 (11-month), we introduced the Best Buy Mobile concept in China, and we now offer the store-within-a-store experience in select Five Star stores. We also introduced a small-format store in Mexico, Best Buy Express, that focuses on high traffic, convenience purchases with a higher mix of accessory products.
In order to align our fiscal reporting periods and comply with statutory filing requirements in certain foreign jurisdictions, we consolidate the financial results of our Europe, China and Mexico operations on a one-month lag. Consistent with such consolidation, the financial and non-financial information presented in this Transition Report on Form 10-K relative to our Europe, China and Mexico operations is also presented on a one-month lag.

Operations

Domestic Segment

Our Domestic segment is managed by product and service categories and channels, with separate leadership teams for each area. These teams are responsible for determining how their products and services are marketed across our three primary channels - online, retail stores and call centers. In addition to these teams, separate teams manage support capabilities (e.g., human resources and real estate management) and channel operations. Retail store operations are divided into territories and districts based on geography and store size. District managers monitor store operations and meet regularly with store managers to discuss performance.

Corporate management generally controls advertising, merchandise purchasing and pricing, as well as inventory policies across all of our channels. Our retail stores have developed procedures for inventory management, transaction processing, customer relations, store administration, product sales and services, staff training and merchandise display that are standardized within each store brand. All stores within each store brand generally operate in the same manner under the standard procedures with a degree of flexibility for store management to address certain local market characteristics.

International Segment

Located throughout eight European countries, The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House stores are significantly smaller than our Best Buy branded stores and employ sales associates that provide independent advice on the network service plan and hardware best suited to each customer. Most phone sales require in-store registration with the network operator facilitated by our employees, allowing the customer to leave the store with a fully active phone and a service contract. Advertising,

5
Table of Contents

merchandise purchasing and pricing, and inventory policies for these stores are controlled by corporate retail management in each respective local market.

Canada store operations are organized to support two principal store brands. Future Shop stores have predominantly commissioned sales associates, whereas employees in Best Buy branded stores in Canada, like employees in U.S. Best Buy stores, are noncommissioned. Each store brand has national management that monitors store operations. All Canada stores use a standardized operating system that includes procedures for inventory management, transaction processing, customer relations, store administration, staff training and merchandise display. Advertising, merchandise purchasing and pricing, and inventory policies are centrally controlled. Our Best Buy Mobile stores in Canada employ an operating model similar to that used in our U.S. Best Buy Mobile stores.

Our Five Star stores primarily utilize vendor employees and full-time sales associates to sell our products. Corporate retail management generally controls advertising, merchandise purchasing and pricing, and inventory policies, although management for individual regions within our Five Star brand may vary these operations to adapt to local customer needs.

Our stores in Mexico employ an operating model similar to that used in our U.S. Best Buy stores.

Merchandise and Services

Domestic Segment

Our online channel and U.S. Best Buy stores have offerings in six revenue categories: Consumer Electronics, Computing and Mobile Phones, Entertainment, Appliances, Services and Other. Consumer Electronics consists primarily of video and audio products. Video products include televisions, e-Readers, navigation products, digital cameras and accessories, digital camcorders and accessories and DVD and Blu-ray players. Audio products include MP3 players and accessories, home theater audio systems and components, musical instruments and mobile electronics such as car stereo and satellite radio products. The Computing and Mobile Phones revenue category includes notebook and desktop computers, tablets, monitors, mobile phones and related subscription service commissions, hard drives and other storage devices, networking equipment, office supplies and other related accessories such as printers. The Entertainment revenue category includes video gaming hardware and software, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, digital downloads and computer software. The Appliances revenue category includes both major and small appliances. The Services revenue category consists primarily of service contracts, extended warranties, computer-related services, product repair, and delivery and installation for home theater, mobile audio and appliances. The Other revenue category includes non-core offerings such as snacks and beverages.

U.S. Best Buy Mobile offerings are included in our Computing and Mobile Phones and Services revenue categories. Revenue from U.S. Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores is primarily derived from mobile phone hardware, subscription service commissions from mobile phone network operators and associated mobile phone accessories.

Magnolia Audio Video stores have offerings in two revenue categories: Consumer Electronics and Services. Consumer Electronics consists of video and audio products. Video products include televisions, DVD and Blu-ray players and accessories. Audio products include home theater audio systems and components, mobile electronics and accessories. The Services revenue category consists primarily of home theater system installation, as well as extended warranties.

Pacific Sales stores have offerings in three revenue categories: Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Services. Appliances consists of major appliances, evenly split between high-end and mass-market premium brands, and plumbing, which consists of kitchen and bath fixtures including faucets, sinks, toilets and bath tubs. Consumer Electronics consists of video and audio products, including televisions and home theater systems. The Services revenue category consists primarily of extended warranties, installation and repair services.

The offerings from our managed service provider for small and mid-sized businesses, mindSHIFT, are included in our Services revenue category and consist primarily of information technology-related service contracts.

International Segment

The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House stores in Europe have offerings in two revenue categories: Computing and Mobile Phones and Services. Computing and Mobile Phones consists primarily of mobile phone hardware, subscription service commissions from mobile phone network operators, associated mobile phone accessories and tablets. Services consists of insurance operations, providing protection primarily for the replacement of lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones and tablets, as well as mobile and fixed-line telecommunication services, billing management services and Geek Squad repair services.

6
Table of Contents

In Canada, the Future Shop and Best Buy branded stores have offerings in Consumer Electronics, Computing and Mobile Phones, Entertainment, Services and Other, and at Future Shop only, Appliances. Although Future Shop and Best Buy branded stores in Canada offer similar products, there are differences in brands and depth of selection. Further, Geek Squad services are only available in the Best Buy branded stores, with Future Shop's service offerings branded as Connect Pro. Best Buy Mobile offerings in Canada are similar to those offered in our U.S. Best Buy Mobile stores.

In China, our Five Star stores have offerings in four revenue categories: Appliances, Consumer Electronics, Computing and Mobile Phones and Services. The products and services in these revenue categories are similar to those of our U.S. Best Buy stores.

Our stores in Mexico have offerings in six revenue categories: Consumer Electronics, Computing and Mobile Phones, Entertainment, Appliances, Services and Other, with products and services similar to those of our U.S. Best Buy stores.

Distribution

Domestic Segment

U.S. Best Buy online merchandise sales generally are either picked up at U.S. Best Buy stores or fulfilled directly to customers from our distribution centers. Most merchandise for our U.S. Best Buy, U.S. Best Buy Mobile, Magnolia Audio Video and Pacific Sales stores is shipped directly from manufacturers to our distribution centers or warehouses located throughout the U.S. In order to meet release dates for certain products, merchandise is shipped directly to our stores from suppliers. Contract carriers transport merchandise from distribution centers and warehouses to stores, though for some Appliances products merchandise is transported directly to customers.

International Segment

The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House stores' merchandise is shipped directly from our suppliers to distribution centers across Europe. Contract carriers ship merchandise from distribution centers to stores.

Our Canada stores' merchandise is shipped directly from our suppliers to our distribution centers. In order to meet release dates for selected products, certain merchandise is shipped directly to our stores from suppliers. Contract carriers ship merchandise from distribution centers to stores.

We receive our Five Star stores' merchandise at nearly 40 distribution centers and warehouses located throughout the Five Star retail chain, the largest of which is located in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Our Five Star stores are dependent upon the distribution centers for inventory storage and the shipment of most merchandise to our stores or customers. Large merchandise, such as major appliances, is generally fulfilled directly to customers through our distribution centers and warehouses.

Our stores in Mexico have distribution methods similar to that of our U.S. Best Buy stores.

Suppliers and Inventory

Our business is to distribute a broad selection of products, predominantly from third-party suppliers. We work with a variety of suppliers and in fiscal 2013 (11-month), our 20 largest suppliers accounted for just under 70% of the merchandise we purchased, with 5 suppliers – Apple, Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, and LG Electronics – representing approximately 45% of total merchandise purchased. We generally do not have long-term written contracts with our major suppliers.

We carefully monitor and manage our inventory levels to match quantities on hand with consumer demand as closely as possible. Key elements to our inventory management process include the following: continuous monitoring of historical and projected consumer demand; continuous monitoring and adjustment of inventory receipt levels; agreements with vendors relating to reimbursement for the cost of markdowns or sales incentives; and agreements with vendors relating to return privileges for certain products.

We also have a global sourcing operation to design, develop, test and contract manufacture our own line of exclusive brand products.


7
Table of Contents

Store Development

Domestic Segment

During fiscal 2013 (11-month), we closed 47 U.S. Best Buy stores, 1 U.S. Best Buy Mobile stand-alone store and 1 Magnolia store while opening 105 U.S. Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores. We continue to offer Geek Squad support services, as well as the Best Buy Mobile store-within-a-store experience, in all U.S. Best Buy stores. In fiscal 2014, we currently expect to close an additional five to ten U.S. Best Buy stores and open a small number of U.S. Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores.

International Segment

Best Buy Europe opened 122 new stores and closed 126 stores in fiscal 2013 (11-month). Our small-format stores in Europe tend to have a greater number of store openings and closings compared to our other store formats, as we continually reposition and resize stores in certain markets and locations in order to optimize overall performance. In the remainder of our International segment, we opened 40 new stores and closed 21 stores. Store closures were primarily driven by Future Shop and Best Buy branded stores in Canada. Store openings were primarily driven by Best Buy Mobile Canada and Five Star. We offer Geek Squad support services in all Best Buy branded stores and within select The Carphone Warehouse and The Phone House stores in the U.K and Spain, as well as similar Connect Pro branded services in Future Shop stores. We offer the Best Buy Mobile store-within-a-store experience in all Best Buy branded stores in Canada, with a similar Cell Shop branded concept in the majority of Future Shop stores. The Best Buy Mobile store-within-a-store experience is also offered in select Five Star stores in China. In fiscal 2014, we currently expect to open a limited number of small-format stores in Europe, while continuing to review our portfolio of Best Buy stores across all geographies.

Refer to Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for tables reconciling our Domestic and International segment stores open at the end of each of the last three fiscal years.

Intellectual Property

We own or have the right to use valuable intellectual property such as trademarks, service marks and tradenames, including, but not limited to, "Best Buy," "Best Buy Mobile," "The Carphone Warehouse," "Dynex," "Five Star," "Future Shop," "Geek Squad," "Init," "Insignia," "Magnolia," "mindSHIFT," "Pacific Sales," "The Phone House," "Rocketfish," and our "Yellow Tag" logo.

We have secured domestic and international trademark and service mark registrations for many of our brands. We have also secured patents for many of our inventions. We believe our intellectual property has significant value and is an important factor in the marketing of our company, our stores, our products and our websites.

Seasonality

Our business, like that of many retailers, is seasonal. Historically, we have realized more of our revenue and a large portion of our earnings in the fiscal fourth quarter, which includes the majority of the holiday shopping season in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Mexico, than in any other fiscal quarter.

Working Capital

We fund our business operations through a combination of available cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and cash flows generated from operations. In addition, our revolving credit facilities are available for additional working capital needs, for general corporate purposes and investment opportunities. Our working capital needs are typically greatest in the months leading up to the holiday shopping season as we purchase inventory in advance of expected sales.

Competition

Our primary competitors are consumer electronics retailers, including vendors who offer their products direct to the consumer, internet-based businesses, wholesale clubs, discount chains and home-improvement superstores.

Some of our competitors have low cost operating structures and seek to compete for sales primarily on price. In addition, in the U.S., online-only operators are exempt from collecting sales taxes in certain states. We believe this advantage will continue to be eroded as sales tax rules are re-evaluated at both the state and federal level. We carefully monitor pricing offered by other retailers and continuously adjust our pricing and promotions to maintain our competitiveness. Beginning in March 2013, we

8
Table of Contents

implemented an enhanced price-matching policy in the U.S. to allow customers to request that we match a price offered by certain retail store and online operators, following a successful pilot over the fiscal 2013 (11-month) holiday season. In order to allow this, we are focused on maintaining efficient operations and leveraging the economies of scale available to us and our global vendor partnerships.

In addition to price, we believe our ability to deliver a high quality customer experience offers us a key competitive advantage. We believe our dedicated and knowledgeable people, integrated online and store channels, broad product assortment, range of focused service and support offerings, distinct store formats and brand marketing strategies are important ways in which we maintain this advantage.

Environmental Matters

While seeking and discovering new and innovative ways to engage our customers, we also strive to lessen our impact on the environment. Our energy efficiency strategy is focused on reducing energy use in our operations and on offering energy efficient products and services to our customers. For our exclusive brand products, we continue to make efforts to provide products that use less energy, are made with a reduction of toxic materials and are packaged in more responsible ways. Continued efforts to be more environmentally conscious in our exclusive brands packaging focuses on the use of recycled materials, non-solvent coatings and organic inks where possible.

Our energy efficient practices include a centralized automated energy management system for our U.S. Best Buy stores and retail energy reports by store. We continue to evolve our High Performance Building Program as we remodel and update locations. For example, where economically viable, during remodels we install skylights and dimmable lighting to reduce our energy consumption. These energy efficiency improvements, as well as process enhancements, have helped us reduce our carbon footprint. In calendar 2010, we set a long-term goal of reducing our carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by calendar 2020 (over a 2009 baseline). During calendar 2012, our retail stores, distribution centers and corporate offices reduced over 58,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, an “absolute” decrease of 8.4 % from the previous calendar year.

Our U.S. Best Buy customers purchased over 21.2 million ENERGY STAR® certified products in calendar 2012. Through our ENERGY STAR program, we helped our customers realize utility bill savings of over $51 million in calendar 2012. This energy saving equates to just over 689 million pounds of CO2 avoidance, or the equivalent of removing 61,000 cars from U.S. roads. We are also investing in partnerships that increase our product and service offerings to our customers that will allow for more affordable energy efficient products.

Our nationwide consumer electronics recycling program allows customers to bring many consumer electronics products to our U.S. stores for free recycling, regardless of whether they were purchased from Best Buy. This recycling program is available in all U.S. Best Buy stores. We also collect old, inefficient appliances for recycling through a haul-away program. Best Buy has publicly committed to recycle 1 billion pounds of consumer goods by the end of calendar 2014. From June 2008 through December 2012, we have diverted 680 million pounds from the waste stream. We project attaining our goal in 2014.

We are not aware of any federal, state or local provisions which have been enacted or adopted regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, that have materially affected, or are reasonably expected to materially affect, our net earnings or competitive position, or have resulted or are reasonably expected to result in material capital expenditures. See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for additional discussion.

We believe we can continue to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in cost effective ways that deliver value to our shareholders, customers, employees and the communities we serve, whether in our own internal operations or through our work to connect customers with more energy efficient solutions.

Number of Employees

At the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month), we employed approximately 165,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees worldwide. We consider our employee relations to be good. We offer our employees a wide array of company-paid benefits that vary within our company due to customary local practices and statutory requirements, which we believe are competitive in the aggregate relative to others in our industry.


9
Table of Contents

Available Information

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and its rules and regulations. The Exchange Act requires us to file reports, proxy statements and other information with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Copies of these reports, proxy statements and other information can be read and copied at:

SEC Public Reference Room
100 F Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20549

Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

We make available, free of charge on our website, our Transition Report and Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these documents with, or furnish them to, the SEC. These documents are posted on our website at www.investors.bestbuy.com - select the "Financial Performance" link and then the "SEC Filings" link.

We also make available, free of charge on our website, the Corporate Governance Principles of our Board of Directors ("Board") and our Code of Business Ethics (including any amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our Code of Business Ethics) adopted by our Board, as well as the charters of all of our Board's committees: Audit Committee, Compensation and Human Resources Committee, Finance and Investment Policy Committee and Nominating, Corporate Governance and Public Policy Committee. These documents are posted on our website at www.investors.bestbuy.com - select the "Corporate Governance" link.

Copies of any of the above-referenced documents will also be made available, free of charge, upon written request to:

Best Buy Co., Inc.
Investor Relations Department
7601 Penn Avenue South
Richfield, MN 55423-3645

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Described below are certain risk factors that we believe apply to our business and the industry in which we operate. You should carefully consider each of the following risk factors in conjunction with other information provided in this Transition Report on Form 10-K and in our other public disclosures. The risk factors described below highlight potential events, trends or other circumstances that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity or access to sources of financing, and consequently, the market value of our common stock and debt instruments. The risk factors could cause our future results to differ materially from historical results and from guidance we may provide regarding our expectations of future financial performance. The risk factors described below should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all the risks we face. There may be others that we have not identified or that we have deemed to be immaterial. All forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf are qualified by the risks described below.

Failure to anticipate and respond to changing consumer preferences in a timely manner could result in a decline in our sales.

Our success depends on our vendors' and our ability to successfully introduce new products, services and technologies to consumers. The level of success we achieve is dependent on, among other factors, the frequency of product and service innovations, how accurately we predict consumer preferences, the level of consumer demand, availability of merchandise, the related impact on the demand for existing products and the competitive environment. Consumers continue to have a wide variety of choices in terms of how and where they purchase the products and services we sell. Failure to accurately predict and adapt to constantly changing technology and consumer preferences, spending patterns and other lifestyle decisions, could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and results of operations.


10
Table of Contents

Sustained or worsening economic pressures in the U.S. and key international markets could adversely affect consumer spending and adversely effect our revenues.

For the past several years, we have experienced the impact of difficult and uncertain macroeconomic conditions in the geographic markets in which we operate. Certain of our products and services are viewed by some consumers to be discretionary items rather than necessities. As a result, our results of operations are sensitive to changes in macroeconomic conditions that impact consumer spending. Factors such as consumer confidence, employment levels, interest rates, tax rates, availability of consumer financing, housing market conditions, and costs for items such as fuel, energy and food, can adversely affect consumers' demand for the products and services that we offer. Our future results could be significantly adversely impacted by these factors.

Political factors could adversely affect consumer confidence and certain aspects of our operations.

Political factors can affect consumer confidence in all of the markets in which we operate. Uncertainty regarding social or fiscal policy, the threat or outbreak of terrorism, civil unrest or other hostilities or conflicts could lead to a decrease in consumer confidence. Similarly, an overly anti-business climate or sentiment could lead to adverse changes in our operations or cost structure. Other factors that may impact our operations include disruptions to the availability of content such as sporting events or other broadcast programming. Such disruptions may influence the demand for hardware that our customers purchase to access such content, as well as the commissions we receive from service providers. Accordingly, such disruptions could cause a material adverse effect on our revenues and results of operations.

If we fail to attract, develop and retain qualified employees, including employees in key positions, our business and operating results may be harmed.

Our performance is highly dependent on attracting and retaining qualified employees, including our senior management team and other key employees. Our strategy of offering high quality services and assistance for our customers requires a highly trained and engaged workforce. The turnover rate in the retail industry is relatively high, and there is an ongoing need to recruit and train new store employees. Factors that affect our ability to maintain sufficient numbers of qualified employees include employee morale, our reputation, unemployment rates, competition from other employers and our ability to offer appropriate compensation packages. Our inability to recruit a sufficient number of qualified individuals or failure to retain key employees in the future may impair our efficiency and effectiveness and our ability to pursue growth opportunities. In addition, we have experienced a significant amount of turnover of senior management employees with specific knowledge relating to us, our operations and our industry which knowledge could be difficult to replace. These management changes may negatively impact the operation of our business.

We face strong competition from traditional store-based retailers, internet-based businesses, our vendors and other forms of retail commerce, which directly affects our sales and margins.

The retail business is highly competitive. Price is of primary importance to customers and price transparency and comparability continue to increase, particularly as a result of digital tools. We compete with many other local, regional, national and international retailers, as well as certain of our vendors who offer their products directly to consumers. Some of our competitors have greater market presence and financial resources than we do. Some internet-only businesses do not collect and remit sales taxes in all U.S. states. In addition, because our business strategy is based on offering superior levels of customer service utilizing a multi-channel platform, our cost structure is higher than some of our competitors. Changes in the levels of these various competitive factors may have a significant impact on consumer demand for our products and services and the margins we can generate from them.

Consumer demand for our products and services could decline if we fail to maintain positive brand perception and recognition.

We operate a global portfolio of brands with a commitment to customer service and innovation. We believe that recognition and the reputation of our brands are key to our success. The proliferation of web-based social media means that consumer feedback and other information about our company are shared with a broad audience in a manner that is easily accessible and rapidly disseminated. Damage to the perception or reputation of our brands could result in declines in customer loyalty, lower employee retention and productivity, vendor relationship issues, and other factors, all of which could materially affect our profitability.


11
Table of Contents

Our success is dependent on the design and execution of appropriate business strategies.

Our success is dependent on our ability to identify, develop and execute appropriate strategies. Our current strategy includes transformational change to many areas of our business, including online and in-store customer experience, employee training and engagement, partnership with our vendors, retail execution and cost control. Achieving the targets we have set in a timely manner will be challenging, and it is possible that our strategies prove ineffective and that we need to make substantial changes to them in future periods. It is also possible that we are unsuccessful in executing our strategies. If we fail to design and execute appropriate strategies, our results could be materially adversely affected. If investors are uncertain about the appropriateness of our strategies or our ability to execute them, the market value of our common stock and debt instruments could be materially adversely affected.

Refer to Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for further information regarding our strategies.

Failure to effectively manage our property portfolio may negatively impact our operating results.

As a multi-national retailer, effective management of our large property portfolio is critical to our success. We primarily secure properties through operating leases with third-party landlords. If we fail to negotiate appropriate terms for new leases we enter into, we may incur lease costs that are excessive and cause operating margins to be below acceptable levels. We may also make term commitments that are too long or too short, without the option to extend. The availability of suitable new property locations may also hinder our ability to maintain or grow our operations. Factors such as the condition of local property markets, availability of lease finance, taxes, zoning and environmental issues and competitive actions may impact the availability for suitable property.

We have closed stores, and we may close additional stores or other facilities in the future. For leased property, the financial impact of exiting a property can vary greatly depending on, among other factors, the terms of the lease, the condition of the local property market, demand for the specific property, our relationship with the landlord and the availability of potential sub-lease tenants. It is difficult for us to influence some of these factors. If these factors are unfavorable to us, then the costs of exiting a property can be significant. When we enter into a contract with a tenant to sub-lease property, we remain at risk of default by the tenant and the impact of such defaults on our future results could be significant.

Failure to effectively manage our costs could have a material adverse affect on our profitability.

Certain elements of our cost structure are largely fixed in nature. Consumer spending remains uncertain, which makes it more challenging for us to maintain or increase our operating income. The competitiveness in our industry and increasing price transparency mean that the focus on achieving efficient operations is greater than ever. As a result, we must continuously focus on managing our cost structure. Failure to manage our labor and benefit rates, advertising and marketing expenses, operating leases, other store expenses or indirect spending could severely impair our ability to maintain our price competitiveness while achieving acceptable levels of profitability.

Our liquidity may be materially adversely affected by constraints in the capital markets or our vendor credit terms.

We must have sufficient sources of liquidity to fund our working capital requirements, service our outstanding indebtedness and finance investment opportunities. Without sufficient liquidity, we could be forced to curtail our operations or we may not be able to pursue business opportunities. The principal sources of our liquidity are funds generated from operating activities, available cash and liquid investments, credit facilities, other debt arrangements and trade payables. Our liquidity could be materially adversely impacted if our vendors reduce payment terms and/or impose credit limits. If our sources of liquidity do not satisfy our requirements, we may need to seek additional financing. The future availability of financing will depend on a variety of factors, such as economic and market conditions, the availability of credit and our credit ratings, as well as our reputation with potential lenders. These factors could materially adversely affect our costs of borrowing, our ability to pursue growth opportunities and threaten our ability to meet our obligations as they become due.

Changes in our credit ratings may limit our access to capital and materially increase our borrowing costs.

In fiscal 2013 (11-month), Moody's Investors Service, Inc. maintained its long-term credit rating at Baa2, but revised its outlook to Developing. Fitch Ratings Ltd. and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered their long-term credit rating to BB- and BB, respectively, and each revised its outlook to Negative.


12
Table of Contents

Future downgrades to our credit ratings and outlook could negatively impact our access to capital markets and the perception of our credit risk by lenders and other third parties. Our credit ratings are based upon information furnished by us or obtained by a rating agency from its own sources and are subject to revision, suspension or withdrawal by one or more rating agencies at any time. Rating agencies may review the ratings assigned to us due to developments that are beyond our control, including the introduction of new standards requiring the agencies to re-assess rating practices and methodologies.

Any downgrade to our debt securities may result in higher interest costs for certain of our credit facilities and other debt financings, and could result in higher interest costs on future financings. Further, downgrades may impact our ability to obtain adequate financing, including via trade payables with our vendors. Customers' inclination to shop with us or purchase gift cards or extended warranties may also be affected by the publicity associated with deterioration of our credit ratings.

Failure to effectively manage existing and initiate new strategic ventures or acquisitions could have a negative impact on our business.

From time to time, our strategy may involve entering into new business ventures, strategic alliances and making acquisitions. Assessing a potential opportunity can be based on assumptions that might not ultimately prove to be correct. In addition, the amount of information we can obtain about a potential opportunity may be limited, and we can give no assurance that new business ventures, strategic alliances and acquisitions will positively affect our financial performance or will perform as planned. The success of these opportunities is also largely dependent on the current and future participation, working relationship and strategic vision of the business venture or strategic alliance partners, which can change following a transaction. Integrating new businesses, stores and concepts can be a difficult task. Cultural differences in some markets into which we may expand or into which we may introduce new retail concepts may not be as well received by customers as originally anticipated. These types of transactions may divert our capital and our management's attention from other business issues and opportunities and may also negatively impact our return on invested capital. Further, implementing new strategic alliances or business ventures may also impair our relationships with our vendors or other strategic partners. We may not be able to successfully assimilate or integrate companies that we acquire, including their personnel, financial systems, distribution, operations and general operating procedures. We may also encounter challenges in achieving appropriate internal control over financial reporting and deficiencies in information technology systems in connection with the integration of an acquired company. If we fail to assimilate or integrate acquired companies successfully, our business, reputation and operating results could suffer materially. Likewise, our failure to integrate and manage acquired companies successfully may lead to impairment of the associated goodwill and intangible asset balances.

Failure to protect the integrity, security and use of our customers' information and media could expose us to litigation costs and materially damage our standing with our customers.

The use of individually identifiable data by our business, our business associates and third parties is regulated at the state, federal and international levels. Increasing costs associated with information security, such as increased investment in technology, the costs of compliance with consumer protection laws and costs resulting from consumer fraud, could cause our business and results of operations to suffer materially. Additionally, the success of our online operations depends upon the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks, including the use of cashless payments. While we take significant steps to protect customer and confidential information, lapses in our controls or the intentional or negligent actions of employees, business associates or third parties may undermine our security measures. As a result, unauthorized parties may obtain access to our data systems and misappropriate confidential data. There can be no assurance that advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments will prevent the compromise of our customer transaction processing capabilities and personal data. Furthermore, because the methods used to obtain unauthorized access change frequently and may not be immediately detected, we may be unable to anticipate these methods or promptly implement preventative measures. If any such compromise of our security or the security of information residing with our business associates or third parties were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and may expose us to material penalties or compensation claims. Any compromise of our data security may materially increase the costs we incur to protect against such breaches and could subject us to additional legal risk.

Our reliance on key vendors subjects us to various risks and uncertainties which could affect our operating results.

The products we sell are sourced from a wide variety of domestic and international vendors. In fiscal 2013 (11-month), our 20 largest suppliers accounted for just under 70% of the merchandise we purchased, with 5 suppliers – Apple, Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, Sony and LG Electronics – representing approximately 45% of total merchandise purchased. We generally do not have long-term written contracts with our major suppliers that would require them to continue supplying us with merchandise. The loss of or disruption in supply from any of our key vendors, or if any of our key vendors fail to develop new technologies

13
Table of Contents

that consumers demand, our revenues and earnings may be materially adversely affected. In addition, the formation or strengthening of business partnerships between our vendors and our competitors could limit our access to merchandise.

We require all of our vendors to comply with applicable laws, including labor and environmental laws, and otherwise be certified as meeting our required vendor standards of conduct. Our ability to find qualified vendors who meet our standards and supply products in a timely and efficient manner is a significant challenge, especially with respect to goods sourced from outside the U.S. Political or financial instability, merchandise quality issues, product safety concerns, trade restrictions, work stoppages, tariffs, foreign currency exchange rates, transportation capacity and costs, inflation, civil unrest, natural disasters, outbreaks of pandemics and other factors relating to foreign trade are beyond our control. These and other issues affecting our vendors could materially adversely affect our revenue and gross profit.

Our exclusive brands products are subject to several additional product, supply chain and legal risks that could affect our operating results.

Sales of our exclusive brands products, which primarily include Insignia, Dynex, Init, Geek Squad and Rocketfish branded products, represent an important component of our revenue. Most of these products are manufactured under contract by vendors based in southeastern Asia. This arrangement exposes us to the following additional potential risks, which could materially adversely affect our reputation, financial condition and operating results:

•
We have greater exposure and responsibility to consumers for warranty replacements and repairs as a result of product defects, and we generally have no recourse to contracted manufacturers for such warranty liabilities;
•
We may be subject to regulatory compliance and/or product liability claims relating to personal injury, death or property damage caused by exclusive brand products, some of which may require us to take significant actions such as product recalls;
•
We may experience disruptions in manufacturing or logistics due to inconsistent and unanticipated order patterns, our inability to develop long-term relationships with key factories or unforeseen natural disasters;
•
We are subject to developing and often-changing labor and environmental laws for the manufacture of products in foreign countries, and we may be unable to conform to new rules or interpretations in a timely manner;
•
We may be subject to claims by technology owners if we inadvertently infringe upon their patents or other intellectual property rights, or if we fail to pay royalties owed on our products; and
•
We may be unable to obtain or adequately protect patents and other intellectual property rights on our products or manufacturing processes.

Maintaining consistent quality, availability and competitive pricing of our exclusive brands products helps us build and maintain customer loyalty, generate sales and achieve acceptable margins. Failure to maintain these factors could have a significant adverse impact on the demand for exclusive brand products and the margins we are able to generate from them.

We are subject to certain statutory, regulatory and legal developments which could have a material adverse impact on our business.

Our statutory, regulatory and legal environments expose us to complex compliance and litigation risks that could materially adversely affect our operations and financial results. The most significant compliance and litigation risks we face are:

•
The difficulty of complying with sometimes conflicting statutes and regulations in local, national or international jurisdictions;
•
The impact of new or changing statutes and regulations including, but not limited to, financial reform, environmental requirements, National Labor Relations Board rule changes, health care reform, corporate governance matters and/or other as yet unknown legislation, that could affect how we operate and execute our strategies as well as alter our expense structure;
•
The impact of changes in tax laws (or interpretations thereof by courts and taxing authorities) and accounting standards; and
•
The impact of litigation trends, including class action lawsuits involving consumers and shareholders, and labor and employment matters.

Defending against lawsuits and other proceedings may involve significant expense and divert management's attention and resources from other matters. Furthermore, regulatory rules regarding requirements to disclose efforts to identify the origin of “conflict minerals” in certain portions of our supply chain could increase the cost of doing business and restrict our access to certain products.


14
Table of Contents

Changes to the National Labor Relations Act or other labor-related statutes or regulations could have a material adverse impact on our costs and impair the viability of our operating model.

The National Labor Relations Board continually considers changes to labor regulations, many of which could significantly impact the nature of labor relations in the U.S. and how union elections and contract negotiations are conducted. In 2011, the definition of a bargaining unit changed, making it possible for smaller groups of employees to organize labor unions. Furthermore, there are pending representation election rules changing the union election process and shortening the time between the filing of a petition and an election being held. Additional changes are anticipated in 2013. As of February 2, 2013, none of our U.S. operations had employees represented by labor unions or working under collective bargaining agreements. Changes in labor-related statutes or regulations could increase the percentage of elections won by unions, and employers of newly unionized employees would have a duty to bargain in good faith over matters such as wages, benefits and labor scheduling, which could increase our costs of doing business and materially adversely affect our results of operations.

Additional legislation or regulatory activity relating to environmental matters could have a material adverse impact on our costs or disrupt our operations.
 
Environmental legislation or other regulatory changes could impose unexpected costs or impact us more directly than other companies due to our operations as a global retailer. Specifically, environmental legislation or international agreements affecting energy, carbon emissions, and water or product materials are continually being explored by governing bodies. Increasing energy and fuel costs, supply chain disruptions and other potential risks to our business, as well as any significant rulemaking or passage of any such legislation, could materially increase the cost to transport our goods and materially adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, regulatory activity focused on the retail industry has increased in recent years, increasing the risk of fines and additional operational costs associated with compliance.
 
Regulatory and other developments could adversely affect our promotional financing offerings and therefore our operating results.
 
We offer promotional financing through credit cards issued by third party banks that manage and directly extend credit to our customers. The cardholders can receive low- or no-interest promotional financing on qualifying purchases. Promotional financing credit card sales account for approximately 19% of our revenue in fiscal 2013 (11-month). We view these arrangements as a way to generate incremental sales of products and services from customers who prefer the financing terms to other available forms of payment, and incremental income from the bounties, rebates and commissions received from our banking partners.
 
If future legislative or regulatory restrictions or prohibitions arise that significantly alter the operational, economic or contractual aspects of these programs, promotional financing volumes and the income we can generate from them could be at risk, and this may have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.
 
Changes to our credit card arrangements could adversely affect the promotional financing offerings available to our credit card customers and therefore our operating results.
 
As a result of the continuing changes in the economic and regulatory environment in the banking industry, banks continue to re-evaluate their strategies, practices and terms, including, but not limited to, the levels at which consumer credit is granted and the strategic focus on various business segments, such as the retail partner card business. If any of our credit card programs ended prematurely, the terms and provisions, or interpretations thereof, were substantially modified, or approval rates or types of financing offered to our customers amended, promotional financing volumes could be materially adversely affected.
 
Our International activities subject us to risks associated with the legislative, judicial, regulatory, political, accounting and economic factors specific to the countries or regions in which we operate.
 
We have a presence in various foreign countries, including Bermuda, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Republic of Mauritius, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turks and Caicos, and the U.K. During fiscal 2013 (11-month), our International segment's operations generated 26% of our revenue. Our future operating results in these countries and in other countries or regions throughout the world where we may operate in the future could be materially adversely affected by a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including political conditions, economic conditions, legal and regulatory constraints and foreign currency regulations. Significant concerns exist surrounding the ability of certain governments of member states of the European Union to meet their financial obligations and the indirect impacts this could have on the macroeconomic environment in Europe.
 

15
Table of Contents

In addition, foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations may have an impact on our future earnings and cash flows from International operations, and could materially adversely affect our reported financial performance. The economies of some of the countries in which we have operations have in the past suffered from high rates of inflation and currency devaluations, which, if they were to occur again, could materially adversely affect our financial performance. Other factors which may materially adversely impact our International segment's operations include foreign trade rules, monetary and fiscal policies (both of the U.S. and of other countries), laws, regulations and other activities of foreign governments, agencies and similar organizations and civil unrest or other conflict.
 
Additional risks inherent in our International segment's operations generally include, among others, the costs and difficulties of managing international operations, adverse tax consequences and greater difficulty in enforcing intellectual property rights in countries other than the U.S. The various risks inherent in doing business in the U.S. generally also exist when doing business outside of the U.S., and may be exaggerated by the complexity of operating in numerous sovereign jurisdictions due to differences in culture, laws and regulations. There is a heightened risk that we misjudge the response of consumers in foreign markets to our product and service assortments, marketing and promotional strategy and store and website designs, among other factors, and this could adversely impact the results of these operations and the viability of these ventures.
 
We rely heavily on our management information systems for our key business processes. Any failure or interruption in these systems could have material adverse impact on our business.
 
The effective and efficient operation of our business is dependent on our management information systems. We rely heavily on our management information systems to manage all key aspects of our business, including demand forecasting, purchasing, supply chain management, point-of-sale processing, staff planning and deployment, website offerings, financial management and forecasting and safeguarding critical and sensitive information. The failure of our management information systems to perform as we anticipate, or to meet the continuously evolving needs of our business, could significantly disrupt our business and cause, for example, higher costs and lost revenues and could threaten our ability to remain in operation.
 
We rely on third-party vendors for certain aspects of our business operations.
 
We engage key third-party business partners to manage various functions of our business, including but not limited to, information technology, human resource operations, customer loyalty programs, promotional financing and customer loyalty credit cards, customer warranty and insurance programs. Any material disruption in our relationship with key third-party business partners or any disruption in the services or systems provided or managed by third parties could impact our revenues and cost structure and hinder our ability to continue operations, particularly if a disruption occurs during peak revenue periods.
 
We are highly dependent on the cash flows and net earnings we generate during our fourth fiscal quarter, which includes the majority of the holiday selling season.
 
Approximately one-third of our revenue and more than one-half of our net earnings have historically been generated in our fourth fiscal quarter, which includes the majority of the holiday shopping season in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Mexico. Unexpected events or developments such as natural or man-made disasters, product sourcing issues, failure or interruption of management information systems, disruptions in services or systems provided or managed by third-party vendors or adverse economic conditions in our fourth fiscal quarter could have a material adverse effect on our annual results of operations.
 
Our revenues and margins are highly sensitive to developments in products and services.
 
The consumer electronics industry involves constant innovation and evolution of products and services offered to consumers. The following examples demonstrate the impact this can have on our business:
 
•
New product categories such as tablets and e-readers have grown rapidly and fundamentally changed the market for mobile computing devices;
•
Product convergence has significantly impacted the demand for some products; for example, the growth of increasingly sophisticated smartphones has reduced the demand for separate cameras, gaming systems, music players and GPS devices;
•
The timing of new product introductions and updates can have a dramatic impact on the timing of revenues; for example, the introduction of new gaming systems can produce high demand levels for hardware and the accompanying software, which may be followed by several years of decline in demand;
•
Delivery models for some products are affected by technological advances and new product innovations; for example, media such as music, video and gaming is increasingly transferring to digital delivery methods that may reduce the need for physical CD, DVD, Blu-ray and gaming products.

16
Table of Contents

Many of the factors described above are not controllable by us. The factors can have a material adverse impact on our relevance to the consumer and the demand for products and services we have traditionally offered. It is possible that these and similar changes could materially affect our revenues and profitability.
 
Failure to meet the financial performance guidance or other forward-looking statements we have provided to the public could result in a decline in our stock price.
 
We may provide public guidance on our expected financial results for future periods. Although we believe that this guidance provides investors and analysts with a better understanding of management's expectations for the future and is useful to our stockholders and potential stockholders, such guidance is comprised of forward-looking statements subject to the risks and uncertainties described in this report and in our other public filings and public statements. Our actual results may not always be in line with or exceed the guidance we have provided. If our financial results for a particular period do not meet our guidance or the expectations of investment analysts or if we reduce our guidance for future periods, the market price of our common stock may decline.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

Not applicable.


17
Table of Contents

Item 2. Properties.
Stores, Distribution Centers and Corporate Facilities
Domestic Segment
The following table summarizes the location of our Domestic segment stores at the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month):
 
 
U.S.
Best Buy
Stores
 
U.S. Best Buy
Mobile Stand-Alone Stores
 
Pacific Sales
Stores
 
Magnolia
Audio
Video Stores
Alabama
 
15

 
6

 
—

 
—

Alaska
 
2

 
—

 
—

 
—

Arizona
 
24

 
1

 
2

 
—

Arkansas
 
9

 
5

 
—

 
—

California
 
119

 
30

 
31

 
2

Colorado
 
22

 
5

 
—

 
—

Connecticut
 
12

 
6

 
—

 
—

Delaware
 
4

 
1

 
—

 
—

District of Columbia
 
2

 
1

 
—

 
—

Florida
 
65

 
50

 
—

 
—

Georgia
 
28

 
12

 
—

 
—

Hawaii
 
2

 
—

 
—

 
—

Idaho
 
5

 
2

 
—

 
—

Illinois
 
52

 
16

 
—

 
—

Indiana
 
23

 
12

 
—

 
—

Iowa
 
13

 
1

 
—

 
—

Kansas
 
9

 
4

 
—

 
—

Kentucky
 
9

 
7

 
—

 
—

Louisiana
 
16

 
7

 
—

 
—

Maine
 
5

 
—

 
—

 
—

Maryland
 
23

 
13

 
—

 
—

Massachusetts
 
27

 
12

 
—

 
—

Michigan
 
34

 
11

 
—

 
—

Minnesota
 
23

 
16

 
—

 
—

Mississippi
 
9

 
2

 
—

 
—

Missouri
 
20

 
11

 
—

 
—

Montana
 
3

 
—

 
—

 
—

Nebraska
 
5

 
3

 
—

 
—

Nevada
 
10

 
4

 
1

 
—

New Hampshire
 
6

 
4

 
—

 
—

New Jersey
 
27

 
11

 
—

 
—

New Mexico
 
5

 
2

 
—

 
—

New York
 
54

 
16

 
—

 
—

North Carolina
 
32

 
14

 
—

 
—

North Dakota
 
4

 
1

 
—

 
—

Ohio
 
37

 
12

 
—

 
—

Oklahoma
 
13

 
3

 
—

 
—

Oregon
 
12

 
3

 
—

 
—

Pennsylvania
 
38

 
16

 
—

 
—

Puerto Rico
 
3

 
—

 
—

 
—

Rhode Island
 
1

 
—

 
—

 
—

South Carolina
 
15

 
5

 
—

 
—

South Dakota
 
2

 
1

 
—

 
—

Tennessee
 
16

 
8

 
—

 
—

Texas
 
108

 
39

 
—

 
—

Utah
 
10

 
—

 
—

 
—

Vermont
 
1

 
—

 
—

 
—

Virginia
 
34

 
12

 
—

 
—

Washington
 
19

 
12

 
—

 
2

West Virginia
 
5

 
—

 
—

 
—

Wisconsin
 
23

 
11

 
—

 
—

Wyoming
 
1

 
1

 
—

 
—

Total
 
1,056

 
409

 
34

 
4


18
Table of Contents

The following table summarizes the ownership status and total square footage of our Domestic segment store locations at the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month):
 
 
U.S.
Best Buy
Stores
 
U.S. Best Buy
Mobile Stand-Alone Stores
 
Pacific Sales
Stores
 
Magnolia
Audio
Video Stores
Owned store locations
 
24

 
—

 
—

 
—

Owned buildings and leased land
 
36

 
—

 
—

 
—

Leased store locations
 
996

 
409

 
34

 
4

Square footage (in thousands)
 
40,704

 
597

 
876

 
55


The following table summarizes the location, ownership status and total square footage of space utilized for distribution centers, service centers and corporate offices of our Domestic segment at the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month):
 
 
 
 
Square Footage (in thousands)
 
 
Location
 
Leased
 
Owned
Distribution centers
 
23 locations in 17 U.S. states
 
7,360

 
3,183

Geek Squad service center(1)
 
Louisville, Kentucky
 
237

 
—

Principal corporate headquarters(2)
 
Richfield, Minnesota
 
—

 
1,452

Territory field offices
 
29 locations throughout the U.S.
 
166

 
—

Pacific Sales corporate office space
 
Torrance, California
 
15

 
—

(1)
The leased space utilized by our Geek Squad operations is used primarily to service notebook and desktop computers.
(2)
Our principal corporate headquarters is an owned facility consisting of four interconnected buildings. Certain vendors who provide us with a variety of corporate services occupy a portion of our principal corporate headquarters. We also sublease a portion of our principal corporate headquarters to third parties.


19
Table of Contents

International Segment

The following table summarizes the location of our International segment stores at the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month):
 
Europe
 
Canada
 
China
 
Mexico
 
The Carphone
Warehouse Stores
 
The Phone House Stores
 
Future Shop Stores
 
Best Buy Stores
 
Best Buy Mobile
Stand-Alone Stores
 
Five Star Stores
 
Best Buy Stores
 
Best Buy Express Stores
Europe
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
France
—

 
336

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Germany
—

 
200

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Ireland
82

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Netherlands
—

 
205

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Portugal
—

 
134

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Spain
—

 
532

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
 
Sweden
—

 
110

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

United Kingdom
790

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Canada
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alberta
—

 
—

 
17

 
12

 
8

 
—

 
—

 
—

British Columbia
—

 
—

 
22

 
9

 
10

 
—

 
—

 
—

Manitoba
—

 
—

 
4

 
2

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

New Brunswick
—

 
—

 
3

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Newfoundland
—

 
—

 
1

 
1

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Nova Scotia
—

 
—

 
6

 
2

 
1

 
—

 
—

 
—

Ontario
—

 
—

 
56

 
33

 
26

 
—

 
—

 
—

Prince Edward Island
—

 
—

 
1

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Quebec
—

 
—

 
27

 
11

 
4

 
—

 
—

 
—

Saskatchewan
—

 
—

 
3

 
2

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

China
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Anhui
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
20

 
—

 
—

Henan
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
12

 
—

 
—

Jiangsu
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
131

 
—

 
—

Shandong
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
11

 
—

 
—

Sichuan
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
7

 
—

 
—

Yunnan
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
6

 
—

 
—

Zhejiang
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
24

 
—

 
—

Mexico
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Estado de Mexico
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
3

 
—

Distrito Federal
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
5

 
1

Jalisco
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
4

 
—

Nuevo Leon
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
1

 
—

Michoacan
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
1

 
—

Total
872

 
1,517

 
140

 
72

 
49

 
211

 
14

 
1


The following table summarizes the ownership status and total square footage of our International segment store locations at the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month):
 
Europe
 
Canada
 
China
 
Mexico
 
The
Carphone
Warehouse
Stores
 
The Phone
House
Stores
 
Future Shop
Stores
 
Best Buy
Stores
 
Best Buy
Mobile
Stand-Alone Stores
 
Five Star
Stores
 
Best Buy
Stores
 
Best Buy Express Stores
Owned store locations
—

 
2

 
—

 
3

 
—

 
7

 
—

 
—

Leased store locations
872

 
1,515

 
140

 
69

 
49

 
204

 
14

 
1

Square footage (in thousands)
702

 
794

 
3,695

 
2,293

 
46

 
6,940

 
577

 
2



20
Table of Contents

The following table summarizes the location, ownership status and total square footage of space utilized for distribution centers and corporate offices of our International segment at the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month):
 
 
 
Square Footage (in thousands)
 
 
 
Square Footage (in thousands)
 
Distribution Centers
 
Leased
 
Owned
 
Principal Corporate Offices
 
Leased
 
Owned
Europe
Throughout six European countries
 
218

 
—

 
Acton, West London and throughout Europe
 
828

 
—

Canada
Brampton and Bolton, Ontario
 
1,763

 
—

 
Burnaby, British Columbia
 
141

 
—

 
Vancouver, British Columbia
 
639

 
—

 
 
 
 
 
 
Five Star
Jiangsu Province, China
 
957

 
—

 
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China (corporate office)
 
24

 
46

 
Throughout the Five Star retail chain
 
758

 
—

 
District offices throughout the Five Star retail chain
 
174

 
—

Mexico
Estado de Mexico, Mexico
 
45

 
—

 
Distrito Federal, Mexico
 
21

 
—


Exclusive Brands

We lease approximately 52,000 square feet of office space in China to support our exclusive brands operations.

Operating Leases

Almost all of our stores and a majority of our distribution facilities are leased. Terms of the lease agreements generally range from 10 to 20 years. Most of the leases contain renewal options and rent escalation clauses.

Additional information regarding our operating leases is available in Note 11, Leases, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Securities Actions

In February 2011, a purported class action lawsuit captioned, IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al., was filed against us and certain of our executive officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. This federal court action alleges, among other things, that we and the officers named in the complaint violated Sections 10(b) and 20A of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act in connection with press releases and other statements relating to our fiscal 2011 earnings guidance that had been made available to the public. Additionally, in March 2011, a similar purported class action was filed by a single shareholder, Rene LeBlanc, against us and certain of our executive officers in the same court. In July 2011, after consolidation of the IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund and Rene LeBlanc actions, a consolidated complaint captioned, IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al., was filed and served. We filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint in September 2011, and in March 2012, subsequent to the end of fiscal 2012, the court issued a decision dismissing the action with prejudice. In April 2012, the plaintiffs filed a motion to alter or amend the court's decision on our motion to dismiss. In October 2012, the court granted plaintiff's motion to alter or amend the court's decision on our motion to dismiss in part by vacating such decision and giving plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint, which plaintiff did in October 2012. We filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint in November 2012 and all responsive pleadings were filed in December 2012. A hearing is scheduled for April 26, 2013. The court's decision will be rendered thereafter.

In June 2011, a purported shareholder derivative action captioned, Salvatore M. Talluto, Derivatively and on Behalf of Best Buy Co., Inc. v. Richard M. Schulze, et al., as Defendants and Best Buy Co., Inc. as Nominal Defendant, was filed against both present and former members of our Board of Directors serving during the relevant periods in fiscal 2011 and us as a nominal defendant in the U.S. District Court for the State of Minnesota. The lawsuit alleges that the director defendants breached their fiduciary duty, among other claims, including violation of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, in failing to correct public misrepresentations and material misstatements and/or omissions regarding our fiscal 2011 earnings projections and, for certain directors, selling stock while in possession of material adverse non-public information. Additionally, in July 2011, a similar purported class action was filed by a single shareholder, Daniel Himmel, against us and certain of our executive officers in the same court. In November 2011, the respective lawsuits of Salvatore M. Talluto and Daniel Himmel were consolidated into a new action captioned, In Re: Best Buy Co., Inc. Shareholder Derivative Litigation, and a stay ordered until after a final resolution of the motion to dismiss in the consolidated IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al. case.

21
Table of Contents

The plaintiffs in the above securities actions seek damages, including interest, equitable relief and reimbursement of the costs and expenses they incurred in the lawsuits. We believe the allegations in the above securities actions are without merit, and we intend to defend these actions vigorously. Based on our assessment of the facts underlying the claims in the above securities actions, their respective procedural litigation history, and the degree to which we intend to defend our company in these matters, the amount or range of reasonably possible losses, if any, cannot be estimated.

Trade Secrets Action

In February 2011, a lawsuit captioned Techforward, Inc. v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et. al. was filed against us in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California. The case alleges that we implemented our “Buy Back Plan” in February 2011 using trade secrets misappropriated from plaintiff's buyback plan that were disclosed to us during business relationship discussions and also breached both an agreement for a limited marketing test of plaintiff's buyback plan and a non-disclosure agreement related to the business discussions. In November 2012, a jury found we were unjustly enriched through misappropriation of trade secrets and awarded plaintiff $22 million. The jury also found that although we breached the subject contracts, plaintiff suffered no resulting damage. In December 2012, the court further awarded the plaintiff $5 million in exemplary damages and granted plaintiff's motion for $6 million in attorney fees and costs. We believe that the jury verdict and court awards are inconsistent with the law and the evidence offered at trial or otherwise in error. Accordingly, we appealed the resulting judgment and awards in February 2013 and intend to vigorously contest these decisions.

Other Legal Proceedings

We are involved in various other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of conducting business. For such legal proceedings, we have accrued an amount that reflects the aggregate liability deemed probable and estimable, but this amount is not material to our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Because of the preliminary nature of many of these proceedings, the difficulty in ascertaining the applicable facts relating to many of these proceedings, the variable treatment of claims made in many of these proceedings and the difficulty of predicting the settlement value of many of these proceedings, we are not able to estimate an amount or range of any reasonably possible additional losses. However, based upon our historical experience, the resolution of these proceedings is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.


22
Table of Contents

Executive Officers of the Registrant
(As of March 21, 2013)

Name
 
Age
 
Position With the Company
 
Years
With the
Company
Hubert Joly(1)
 
53
 
President and Chief Executive Officer
 
—

Sharon L. McCollam(2)
 
50
 
Executive Vice President – Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer

 
—

Keith J. Nelsen
 
49
 
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Risk Officer & Secretary
 
7

Carol A. Surface
 
47
 
Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
 
3

Shari L. Ballard
 
46
 
Executive Vice President and President, International
 
20

Susan S. Grafton
 
56
 
Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
 
12

Christopher K.K. Gould
 
43
 
Vice President, Treasurer
 
2

(1)
Mr. Joly became our President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2012.
(2)
Ms. McCollam became our Executive Vice President – Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer in December 2012.

Hubert Joly was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors in September 2012. Mr. Joly was previously the president and chief executive officer of Carlson, Inc., a worldwide hospitality and travel company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from 2008 until his current appointment. Prior to becoming chief executive officer of Carlson, Mr. Joly was president and chief executive officer of Carlson Wagonlit Travel from 2004 until 2008 and held several senior executive positions with Vivendi S.A. and its subsidiaries from 1999 to 2004 and with Electronic Data Systems (now part of Hewlett-Packard Company) from 1996 to 1999. Mr. Joly was with McKinsey & Company, Inc. from 1983 to 1996, working with clients in the technology, financial services and luxury industries. Mr. Joly is currently a member of the board of directors of Ralph Lauren Corporation, a leader in the design, marketing and retailing of premier lifestyle products. He also serves on the board of overseers of the Carlson School of Management, the board of trustees of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the executive committee of the Minnesota Business Partnership. Mr. Joly previously served as a member of the board of directors of Carlson, Inc.; chair of the board of directors of the Rezidor Hotel Group; chair of the board of directors of Carlson Wagonlit Travel; chair of the Travel Facilitation Sub-Committee of the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; and on the executive committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Sharon McCollam was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer in December 2012. Ms. McCollam was previously executive vice president, chief operating and chief financial officer of Williams-Sonoma Inc., a premier specialty retailer of home furnishings, from July 2006 until her retirement in March 2012. At Williams-Sonoma, she was responsible for the long-term strategic planning activities of the company and oversaw multiple key functions, including global finance, treasury, investor relations, information technology, real estate, store development, corporate operations and human resources. Ms. McCollam also held various executive leadership roles, including principal accounting officer, at Williams-Sonoma from March 2000 to July 2006. Prior to her time at Williams-Sonoma, Ms. McCollam served as chief financial officer of Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. from 1996 to 2000 and in various other finance-related leadership positions at Dole Food Company Inc., a producer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, from 1993 until 1996. Ms. McCollam serves as a member of the board of directors for Sutter Health, a nonprofit network of hospitals and doctors in Northern California (since January 2012), Art.com, an online specialty art retailer (since July 2012), and Privalia Venta Directa, s.a., a European e-commerce apparel retailer (since September 2012). Ms. McCollam previously served as a member of the board of directors of OfficeMax Incorporated from July through December 2012, Williams-Sonoma from 2010 until March 2012, and Del Monte Foods Company from 2007 until 2011.

Keith J. Nelsen was named Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Risk Officer and Secretary in March 2012, after being appointed Executive Vice President, General Counsel in May 2011 and Secretary of the Company in June 2011. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Commercial & International General Counsel from 2008 until his current appointment. Mr. Nelsen joined us in 2006 as Vice President, Operations & International General Counsel. Prior to joining us, he worked at Danka Business Systems PLC, an office products supplier, from 1997 to 2006 and served in various roles, including chief administration officer and general counsel. Prior to his time at Danka, Mr. Nelsen held the role of vice president, legal from 1995 to 1997 at NordicTrack, Inc., a provider of leisure equipment products. Mr. Nelsen began his career in 1989 as a practicing attorney with Best and Flanagan, LLP, a law firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Nelsen serves on the board of directors of NuShoe, Inc., a privately held shoe repair facility in San Diego, California; the executive board of

23
Table of Contents

Chad Greenway's Lead the Way Foundation, a charitable organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and the executive board of the Children's Cancer Research Fund, a non-profit research foundation associated with the University of Minnesota.

Carol A. Surface joined us in 2010 when she was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to joining us, Ms. Surface spent 10 years at PepsiCo, Inc., a global food, snack and beverage company, where she served most recently as senior vice president of human resources and chief personnel officer for PepsiCo International. From 2009 to 2010, Ms. Surface served PepsiCo in Dubai where she was responsible for all human resources aspects across the Asia Pacific region, Middle East and Africa. Prior to that, Ms. Surface spent five years in Hong Kong, serving as PepsiCo's senior vice president of international human resources and chief personnel officer for the Asia region. Prior to her work at PepsiCo, her professional career included human resources and organization development positions with Kmart Corporation and the Oakland County, Michigan government.

Shari L. Ballard was named Executive Vice President and President, International in January 2012. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President, President – Americas from March 2010 until being appointed to her current role; Executive Vice President – Retail Channel Management from 2007 to 2010; and as Executive Vice President – Human Resources and Legal from 2004 to 2007. Ms. Ballard joined us in 1993 and has served as Senior Vice President, Vice President, and General and Assistant Store Manager. Ms. Ballard is a member of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts board of trustees. She also serves on the board of directors of the Delhaize Group, a Belgian international food retailer.

Susan S. Grafton was named Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer in 2011. She previously served as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer from 2006 until being named to her current role. From 2005 to 2006, she served as Vice President – Financial Operations and Controller, and from 2004 to 2005, she served as Vice President – Finance, Planning and Performance Management. Prior to joining us in 2000, she worked in finance and accounting positions with The Pillsbury Company and Pitney Bowes, Inc. Ms. Grafton is a member of Financial Executives International's Committee on Corporate Reporting and the Finance Leaders Council for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. She also serves on the board of Perspectives, Inc., a non-profit supportive housing program in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Christopher K.K. Gould joined us in 2010 when he was named Vice President, Treasurer. Previously, Mr. Gould spent 11 years at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a global retailer, most recently as vice president and head of the capital markets division from 2007 to 2010. From 2006 to 2007, he was a senior director and head of finance for the financial services division, and prior to that, Mr. Gould held other financial leadership roles in Wal-Mart in its international, corporate finance and investment analysis divisions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gould worked with Wasatch Funds and Bankers Trust Company. He previously served on the board of the Business Consortium Fund, an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.


24
Table of Contents

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BBY. The table below sets forth the high and low sales prices of our common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange — Composite Index during the periods indicated.
 
Sales Price
 
High
 
Low
Fiscal 2013 (11-month)
 
 
 
First Quarter(1)
$
27.95

 
$
20.78

Second Quarter
23.57

 
16.97

Third Quarter
21.60

 
14.62

Fourth Quarter
16.41

 
11.20

Fiscal 2012
 
 
 
First Quarter
$
33.22

 
$
28.09

Second Quarter
32.85

 
23.25

Third Quarter
28.36

 
21.79

Fourth Quarter
28.53

 
22.48

(1)
The first quarter of fiscal 2013 (11-month) included only two months (March 4, 2012 – May 5, 2012) as a result of the change in our fiscal year-end.

Holders

As of March 21, 2013, there were 3,185 holders of record of our common stock.

Dividends

In fiscal 2004, our Board initiated the payment of a regular quarterly cash dividend with respect to shares of our common stock. A quarterly cash dividend has been paid in each subsequent quarter. Our quarterly cash dividend for the first two quarters of fiscal 2012 was $0.15 per share. For the remaining two quarters of fiscal 2012, and for the first two quarters of fiscal 2013 (11-month), our quarterly cash dividend was $0.16 per share. Our quarterly cash dividend for the remaining two quarters of fiscal 2013 (11-month) was $0.17 per share. The payment of cash dividends is subject to customary legal and contractual restrictions.

Future dividend payments will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant by our Board.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

From time to time, we repurchase our common stock in the open market pursuant to programs approved by our Board. We may repurchase our common stock for a variety of reasons, such as acquiring shares to offset dilution related to equity-based incentives, including stock options and our employee stock purchase plan, and optimizing our capital structure.

In June 2011, our Board authorized up to $5.0 billion of share repurchases. The program, which became effective on June 21, 2011, replaced a $5.5 billion share repurchase program authorized by our Board in June 2007. There is no expiration date governing the period over which we can repurchase shares under the June 2011 program. During fiscal 2012, we repurchased and retired 54.6 million shares at a cost of $1.5 billion. During fiscal 2013 (11-month), we repurchased and retired 6.3 million shares at a cost of $122 million. At the end of fiscal 2013 (11-month), $4.0 billion of the $5.0 billion of share repurchases authorized by our Board in June 2011 was available for future share repurchases.

We consider several factors in determining whether to make share repurchases including, among other things, our cash needs, the availability of funding, our future business plans and the market price of our stock. If we decide to make future share repurchases, we expect that cash provided by future operating activities, as well as available cash and cash equivalents, will be the sources of funding for our share repurchase program.

25
Table of Contents

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

The following table provides information about our common stock that may be issued under our equity compensation plans as of February 2, 2013.
Plan Category
Securities to Be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options and Rights
(a)
 
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share of Outstanding Options and Rights(1)
(b)
 
Securities Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (a))(2)
(c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
30,789,830

(3) 
$
36.93

 
24,844,613

(1)
Includes weighted-average exercise price of outstanding stock options only.
(2)
Includes 5,485,655 shares of our common stock which have been reserved for issuance under our 2008 and 2003 Employee Stock Purchase Plans.
(3)
Includes grants of stock options and market-based and performance-based restricted stock under our 1994 Full-Time Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended; our 1997 Directors' Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended; our 1997 Employee Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, as amended; and our 2004 Omnibus Stock and Incentive Plan, as amended.

Best Buy Stock Comparative Performance Graph

The information contained in this Best Buy Stock Comparative Performance Graph section shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or "filed" or incorporated by reference in future filings with the SEC, or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

The graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock for the last five fiscal years with the cumulative total return on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ("S&P 500"), of which we are a component, and the Standard & Poor's Retailing Group Industry Index ("S&P Retailing Group"), of which we are also a component. The S&P Retailing Group is a capitalization-weighted index of domestic equities traded on the NYSE and NASDAQ, and includes high-capitalization stocks representing the retail sector of the S&P 500.

The graph assumes an investment of $100 at the close of trading on February 29, 2008, the last trading day of fiscal 2008, in our common stock, the S&P 500 and the S&P Retailing Group.

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among Best Buy Co., Inc., the S&P 500 and the S&P Retailing Group

 
FY08
 
FY09
 
FY10
 
FY11
 
FY12
 
FY13
Best Buy Co., Inc.
$
100.00

 
$
68.03

 
$
87.50

 
$
78.79

 
$
60.58

 
$
41.72

S&P 500
100.00

 
56.68

 
87.07

 
106.72

 
112.19

 
125.59

S&P Retailing Group
100.00

 
66.21

 
113.65

 
142.39

 
166.07

 
201.11

*    Cumulative total return assumes dividend reinvestment.
Source: Research Data Group, Inc.

26
Table of Contents

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

The following table presents our selected financial data. The table should be read in conjunction with Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K.

Five-Year Financial Highlights

$ in millions, except per share amounts
 
11-Month
 
12-Month
Fiscal Year
2013(1)(2)
 
2012(1)(3)
 
2011(4)
 
2010(5)
 
2009(6)(7)
Consolidated Statements of Earnings Data
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Revenue
$
45,085

 
$
50,705

 
$
49,747

 
$
49,243

 
$
44,737

Operating income (loss)
(125
)
 
1,085

 
2,374

 
2,368

 
2,014

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
(421
)
 
330

 
1,554

 
1,495

 
1,150

Gain (loss) from discontinued operations
1

 
(308
)
 
(188
)
 
(101
)
 
(117
)
Net earnings (loss) including noncontrolling interests
(420
)
 
22

 
1,366

 
1,394

 
1,033

Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders
(441
)
 
(1,231
)
 
1,277

 
1,317

 
1,003

Per Share Data
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
$
(1.31
)
 
$
(2.89
)
 
$
3.44

 
$
3.29

 
$
2.66

Net gain (loss) from discontinued operations
0.01

 
(0.47
)
 
(0.36
)
 
(0.19
)
 
(0.27
)
Net earnings (loss)
(1.30
)
 
(3.36
)
 
3.08

 
3.10

 
2.39

Cash dividends declared and paid
0.66

 
0.62

 
0.58

 
0.56

 
0.54

Common stock price:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
High
27.95

 
33.22

 
48.83

 
45.55

 
48.03

Low
11.20

 
21.79

 
30.90

 
23.97

 
16.42

Operating Statistics
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Comparable store sales gain (decline)(8)
(2.9
)%
 
(1.7
)%
 
(1.8
)%
 
0.6
%
 
(1.3
)%
Gross profit rate
23.6
 %
 
24.8
 %
 
25.2
 %
 
24.5
%
 
24.4
 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses rate
21.1
 %
 
20.2
 %
 
20.2
 %
 
19.5
%
 
19.7
 %
Operating income (loss) rate
(0.3
)%
 
2.1
 %
 
4.8
 %
 
4.8
%
 
4.5
 %
Year-End Data
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current ratio(9)
1.1

 
1.2

 
1.2

 
1.2

 
1.0

Total assets
$
16,787

 
$
16,005

 
$
17,849

 
$
18,302

 
$
15,826

Debt, including current portion
2,296

 
2,208

 
1,709

 
1,802

 
1,963

Total equity(10)
3,715

 
4,366

 
7,292

 
6,964

 
5,156

Number of stores
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Domestic
1,503

 
1,447

 
1,317

 
1,190

 
1,107

International
2,876

 
2,861

 
2,756

 
2,746

 
2,745

Total
4,379

 
4,308

 
4,073

 
3,936

 
3,852

Retail square footage (000s)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Domestic
42,232

 
43,785

 
43,660

 
42,480

 
40,924

International
15,049

 
15,852

 
13,848

 
13,295

 
13,000

Total
57,281

 
59,637

 
57,508

 
55,775

 
53,924

(1)
Fiscal 2013 (11-month) included 48 weeks and fiscal 2012 included 53 weeks. All other periods presented included 52 weeks.
(2)
Included within our Operating income (loss) and Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for fiscal 2013 (11-month) is $451 million ($293 million net of taxes) of restructuring charges from continuing operations recorded in fiscal 2013 (11-month) related to measures we took to restructure our business. Also included in Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for fiscal 2013 (11-month) is $821 million (net of taxes) of goodwill

27
Table of Contents

impairment charges primarily related to Best Buy Canada and Five Star. Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders for fiscal 2013 (11-month) includes restructuring charges (net of tax and noncontrolling interest) from continuing operations and the net of tax goodwill impairment.
(3)
Included within our Operating income (loss) and Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for fiscal 2012 is $58 million ($38 million net of taxes) of restructuring charges from continuing operations recorded in fiscal 2012 related to measures we took to restructure our business. Also included in Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for fiscal 2012 is $1.2 billion (net of taxes) of goodwill impairment charges related to Best Buy Europe. Included in Gain (loss) from discontinued operations is $186 million (net of taxes) of restructuring charges recorded in fiscal 2012 related to measures we took to restructure our business. Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders for fiscal 2012 includes restructuring charges (net of tax and noncontrolling interest) from both continuing and discontinued operations and the net of tax goodwill impairment, and excludes $1.3 billion in noncontrolling interest related to the agreement to buy out Carphone Warehouse Group plc's interest in the profit share-based management fee paid to Best Buy Europe pursuant to the 2007 Best Buy Mobile agreement (which represents earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest).
(4)
Included within our Operating income (loss) and Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for fiscal 2011 is $147 million ($93 million net of taxes) of restructuring charges recorded in the fiscal fourth quarter related to measures we took to restructure our businesses. These charges resulted in a decrease in our operating income rate of 0.3% of revenue for the fiscal year. Included in Gain (loss) from discontinued operations is $54 million (net of taxes) of restructuring charges recorded in the fiscal fourth quarter related to measures we took to restructure our business. Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders for fiscal 2011 includes the net of tax impact of restructuring charges from both continuing and discontinued operations.
(5)
Included within our Operating income (loss), Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations and Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders for fiscal 2010 is $52 million ($25 million net of taxes and noncontrolling interest) of restructuring charges related to measures we took to restructure our businesses. These charges resulted in a decrease in our operating income rate of 0.1% of revenue for the fiscal year.
(6)
Included within our Operating income (loss) and Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for fiscal 2009 is $78 million ($48 million net of tax) of restructuring charges related to measures we took to restructure our businesses. Included within Gain (loss) from discontinued operations is goodwill and tradename impairment charges of $64 million (net of tax) related to our former Speakeasy business. Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders for fiscal 2009 includes the net of tax impact of restructuring charges from continuing operations and the goodwill and tradename impairment from discontinued operations.
(7)
Included within our Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations and Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders for fiscal 2009 is $111 million ($96 million net of tax) of investment impairment charges related to our investment in the common stock of CPW.
(8)
Comparable store sales is a commonly used metric in the retail industry, which compares revenue for a particular period with the corresponding period in the prior year, excluding the impact of sales from new stores opened. Our comparable store sales is comprised of revenue from stores operating for at least 14 full months, as well as revenue related to call centers, websites and online sales, and our other comparable sales channels. Revenue we earn from sales of merchandise to wholesalers or dealers is not included within our comparable store sales calculation. Relocated stores, as well as remodeled, expanded, and downsized stores closed more than 14 days, are excluded from the comparable store sales calculation until at least 14 full months after reopening. Acquired stores are included in the comparable store sales calculation beginning with the first full quarter following the first anniversary of the date of the acquisition. The calculation of comparable store sales excludes the impact of the extra week of revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, as well as revenue from discontinued operations. The portion of our calculation of the comparable store sales percentage change attributable to our International segment excludes the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The method of calculating comparable store sales varies across the retail industry. As a result, our method of calculating comparable store sales may not be the same as other retailers' methods.
(9)
The current ratio is calculated by dividing total current assets by total current liabilities.
(10)
As a result of the adoption of new accounting guidance related to the treatment of noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements, we recharacterized minority interests previously reported on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as noncontrolling interests and classified them as a component of shareholders' equity. As a result, we have reclassified total shareholders' equity for fiscal year 2009 to include noncontrolling interests of $513 million.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") is intended to provide a reader of our financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. Unless otherwise noted, transactions and other factors significantly impacting our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity are discussed in order of magnitude. Our MD&A is presented in seven sections:

•
Overview
•
Business Strategy and Core Philosophies
•
Results of Operations
•
Liquidity and Capital Resources
•
Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations
•
Critical Accounting Estimates
•
New Accounting Standards

Our MD&A should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K.

On November 2, 2011, our Board of Directors approved a change in our fiscal year-end from the Saturday nearest the end of February to the Saturday nearest the end of January, effective beginning with our fiscal year 2013. As a result of this change,

28
Table of Contents

our fiscal year 2013 transition period was 11 months and ended on February 2, 2013, and we began consolidating the results of our Europe, China and Mexico operations on a one-month lag, compared to a two-month lag in fiscal year 2012, to continue aligning our fiscal reporting periods with statutory filing requirements in certain foreign jurisdictions. As a result of our change in fiscal year-end and resulting change in our lag period, the month of January 2012 was not captured in our consolidated fiscal 2013 (11-month) results for those entities reported on a one-month lag. Refer to Note 2, Fiscal Year-end Change, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K for further information.

In this MD&A, when financial results for fiscal 2013 are compared to financial results for fiscal 2012, the results for the 11-month transition period are compared to the results of the comparable 11-month recast period from fiscal 2012. When financial results for fiscal 2012 are compared to financial results for fiscal 2011, the results are presented on the basis of our previous fiscal year-end on a 12-month basis. Fiscal 2013 (11-month) and fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) included 48 weeks, fiscal 2012 included 53 weeks, and fiscal 2011 included 52 weeks. The following tables show the fiscal months included within the various comparison periods in our MD&A:
Fiscal 2013 (11-month) Results Compared With Fiscal 2012 (11-month recast)(1)
2013 (11-month)
 
2012 (11-month recast)
March 2012 - January 2013
 
March 2011 - January 2012
(1) 
For entities reported on a lag, the fiscal months included in fiscal 2013 (11-month) and fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) were February through December.
Fiscal 2012 Results Compared With Fiscal 2011 (1)
2012
 
2011
March 2011 - February 2012
 
March 2010 - February 2011
(1) 
For entities reported on a lag, the fiscal months included in fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 were January through December.

Overview

We are a multi-national, e-commerce and physical retailer of consumer electronics, including mobile phones, tablets and computers, large and small appliances, televisions, digital imaging, entertainment products and related accessories. We also offer consumers technology services – including support, repair, troubleshooting and installation – under the Geek Squad brand.

Best Buy operates as two reportable segments: Domestic and International. The Domestic segment is comprised of all operations within the U.S. and its territories. The International segment is comprised of all operations outside the U.S. and its territories.

Our business, like that of many retailers, is seasonal. Historically, we have realized more of our revenue and earnings in the fiscal fourth quarter, which includes the majority of the holiday shopping season in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Mexico. While consumers view some of the products and services we offer as essential, others are viewed as discretionary purchases. Consequently, our financial results are susceptible to changes in consumer confidence and other macroeconomic factors, including unemployment, consumer credit availability, and the condition of the housing market. Consumer confidence and macroeconomic trends continue to be uncertain, making customer traffic and spending patterns difficult to predict. Additionally, there are other factors that directly impact our performance, such as product life-cycles (including the introduction and pace of adoption of new technology) and the competitive retail environment. As a result of these factors, predicting our future revenue and net earnings is difficult. However, we remain confident that our differentiated value proposition continues to be valued by the consumer. Our value proposition is to offer: (1) the latest devices and services, all in one place; (2) knowledgeable, impartial advice; (3) competitive prices; (4) the consumer's ability to shop Best Buy wherever and whenever they like; and (5) technical and warranty support for the life of the product.

Revenue growth, along with disciplined capital allocation and expense control, remain key priorities for us as we navigate through the current environment and work to grow our return on invested capital.

Throughout this MD&A, we refer to comparable store sales. Comparable store sales is a commonly used metric in the retail industry, which compares revenue for a particular period with the corresponding period in the prior year, excluding the impact of sales from new stores opened. Our comparable store sales is comprised of revenue from stores operating for at least 14 full months, as well as revenue related to call centers, websites and online sales, and our other comparable sales channels. Revenue we earn from sales of merchandise to wholesalers or dealers is not included within our comparable store sales calculation.

29
Table of Contents

Relocated stores, as well as remodeled, expanded, and downsized stores closed more than 14 days, are excluded from the comparable store sales calculation until at least 14 full months after reopening. Acquired stores are included in the comparable store sales calculation beginning with the first full quarter following the first anniversary of the date of the acquisition. The calculation of comparable store sales excludes the impact of the extra week of revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, as well as revenue from discontinued operations. The portion of our calculation of the comparable store sales percentage change attributable to our International segment excludes the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The method of calculating comparable store sales varies across the retail industry. As a result, our method of calculating comparable store sales may not be the same as other retailers' methods.

In our discussions of the operating results of our consolidated business and our International segment, we sometimes refer to the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates or the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which are references to the differences between the foreign currency exchange rates we use to convert the International segment’s operating results from local currencies into U.S. dollars for reporting purposes. The impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations is typically calculated as the difference between current period activity translated using the current period’s currency exchange rates and the comparable prior-year period’s currency exchange rates. We use this method to calculate the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates for all countries where the functional currency is not the U.S. dollar.

In our discussions of the operating results below, we sometimes refer to the impact of net new stores on our results of operations. The key factors that dictate the impact that the net new stores have on our operating results include: (i) store opening and closing decisions; (ii) the size and format of new stores, as we operate stores ranging from approximately 1,000 square feet to approximately 50,000 square feet; (iii) the length of time the stores were open during the period; and (iv) the overall success of new store launches.

Business Strategy and Core Philosophies

In November 2012, we announced our priorities to strengthen our operating and financial performance. As part of this announcement, we provided a diagnosis of our strengths and weaknesses and two main areas of focus: (1) stabilizing and improving our comparable store sales, and (2) increasing profitability across both of our segments. In addition, we unveiled our Renew Blue strategy with the goal of making Best Buy the preferred authority and destination for technology products and services. The pillars supporting our Renew Blue strategy are as follows:

•
Reinvigorate and rejuvenate the customer experience
•
Attract and inspire leaders and employees
•
Work with vendor partners to innovate and drive value
•
Increase return on invested capital
•
Continue our leadership role in positively impacting our world

In this context, we believe fiscal 2014 will be a year of transition for Best Buy. We intend to build on the momentum from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 (11-month), and our focus in fiscal 2014 will include the following six priorities:

1.
Accelerating online growth;
2.
Enhancing the multi-channel customer experience;
3.
Increasing revenue and gross profit per square foot through enhanced store space optimization and merchandising;
4.
Driving down cost of goods sold through supply chain efficiencies;
5.
Continuing to gradually optimize the U.S. real estate portfolio; and
6.
Reducing selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") costs.

Accelerate online growth. To accelerate online growth, we intend to improve online traffic and conversion by: (1) building a unified view of the customer across our various platforms that dynamically generates online recommendations for product and shopping information based on customers' needs and preferences; (2) implementing a new search platform that helps customers find products more easily with increased relevance; (3) creating product pages that have an integrated and consistent browsing experience across all devices; (4) enabling seamless access to Reward Zone points management and redemption capabilities; (5) creating an easy process for customers to add additional products and services, such as extended warranties and Geek Squad support; and (6) increasing our product assortment and enhancing product information. We expect to have made substantial progress against these initiatives by the fiscal 2014 holiday season.

Enhance the multi-channel customer experience. We recently introduced a new metric to track customer service levels known as “net promoter score” or NPS. NPS will measure not only the satisfaction of customers that buy from our stores or websites, but also those who do not.

30
Table of Contents

We will also use NPS to help ensure we are upholding Best Buy's customer promises, which include offering the customer: (1) the latest devices and services, all in one place; (2) impartial and knowledgeable advice; (3) competitive prices; (4) the ability to shop when and where they want; and (5) support for the life of their products. We have defined key performance indicators that measure our progress on a monthly basis. Since we first announced Renew Blue, we have seen an improvement in our NPS, as well as increased customer satisfaction pertaining to our sales associates, service and price perception. Looking ahead, we remain focused on driving customer satisfaction through: (1) better in-stock performance across our various channels; (2) improved price perception through our low price guarantee; (3) higher personalization in our online offers; and (4) the re-allocation of store labor hours to customer-facing activities.

Increase revenue and gross profit per square foot through enhanced store space optimization and merchandising. In fiscal 2014, we plan to reduce space allocated to declining or low-margin categories, such as music and movies, and replace it with higher growth categories, such as mobile phones, appliances and accessories. To support these expanded categories, we plan to: (1) deepen product assortments; (2) increase store employee training; and (3) reprioritize marketing investments.

Drive down cost of goods sold through supply chain efficiencies. In conjunction with our initiatives to improve the effectiveness of our online channel described above, we also plan to expand our online fulfillment capabilities into all of our existing distribution centers and improve our allocations of inventory in order to ensure that product availability is optimized. Additionally, we will be consolidating multi-unit customer orders into one shipment, when possible, and refining order management to fill orders from optimal locations. All of these initiatives are meant to improve service levels to the customer and reduce shipping costs.

Another priority for supply chain will be to reduce expense by driving transportation efficiencies. To achieve this, we are significantly improving information sharing, collaboration and route planning with our carrier partners to send fuller trucks and reduce empty miles. Finally, we are reviewing all product movement to identify opportunities to alter product flows and transportation methods to further reduce expense.

Continue to gradually optimize our U.S. real estate portfolio. Occupancy cost reductions continue to be a key focus, and we made significant progress in fiscal 2013 (11-month) in both the area of store closings and renegotiated leases. In fiscal 2013 (11-month), we closed 47 large-format stores and expect to close an additional 5 to 10 large-format stores in fiscal 2014. Additionally, we are adopting more stringent standards for returns on capital investments, including the performance levels we require from prototype store formats before we commit to larger scale roll-outs. This includes all formats, including our Richfield prototype stores, our Magnolia and Pacific Sales stores-within-a-store, and our Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores. However, we are planning to move forward with new stores in a small number of selected and opportunistic markets, including 12 new Best Buy Mobile stores, 10 Magnolia Design Center (stores-within-a-store), and 18 to 25 Pacific Kitchen and Home (stores-within-a-store).

Reduce SG&A costs. Over time, we believe there is an opportunity to remove $400 million in costs in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Beginning in February 2013, we executed Phase One of our Renew Blue cost reduction plan with an estimated $150 million in annualized savings. These savings are being driven by: (1) the discontinuation of non-core activities; (2) the elimination of management layers; and (3) various efficiency improvements intended to reduce costs and improve decision making.

In addition to the $150 million of Phase One actions, we expect additional costs to be eliminated in fiscal 2014, as we continue to systematically and aggressively challenge all elements of our SG&A cost structure in pursuit of a lower cost base.

Results of Operations

In order to align our fiscal reporting periods and comply with statutory filing requirements in certain foreign jurisdictions, we consolidate the financial results of our Europe, China and Mexico operations on a lag. Consistent with such consolidation, the financial and non-financial information presented in our MD&A relative to these operations is also presented on a lag. When fiscal 2013 (11-month) results are compared to fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) results, lag entities are reported on a one-month lag as a result of our fiscal year-end change. When fiscal 2012 results are compared to fiscal 2011 results, lag entities are reported on a two-month lag based on our previous fiscal calendar year-end. Our policy is to accelerate the recording of events occurring in the lag period that significantly affect our consolidated financial statements. There were no significant intervening events which would have materially affected our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity or other factors had they been recorded during fiscal 2013 (11-month).


31
Table of Contents

Discontinued Operations Presentation

The results of our large-format Best Buy branded stores in China, Turkey, and the United Kingdom ("U.K."), The Phone House retail stores in Belgium, Napster and Speakeasy are presented as discontinued operations in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Unless otherwise stated, financial results discussed herein refer to continuing operations.

Fiscal 2013 (11-month) Summary

•
Fiscal 2013 (11-month) included a net loss from continuing operations of $443 million, compared to a net loss of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2012 (11-month recast). The net loss in fiscal 2013 (11-month) includes the impacts of $822 million of goodwill impairments and $451 million of restructuring charges, while fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) includes the impacts of a $1.2 billion goodwill impairment and $53 million of restructuring charges. Loss per diluted share from continuing operations was $1.31 in fiscal 2013 (11-month), compared to loss per diluted share of $3.38 in fiscal 2012 (11-month recast).

•
Revenue was $45.1 billion in fiscal 2013 (11-month). The decrease from fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) was driven primarily by a comparable store sales decline of 2.9% and the closure of 47 large-format stores in our Domestic segment.

•
Our gross profit rate decreased by 1.0% of revenue to 23.6% of revenue. The decrease was primarily due to increased revenue from the wholesale channel in Europe and increased promotional activity in the International segment and the Domestic segment.

•
We recorded $451 million of restructuring charges related to several restructuring actions we undertook in fiscal 2013 (11-month), including our Renew Blue cost reduction initiatives, Europe store transformation and U.S. large-format store closures and other operational changes.

•
We generated $1.5 billion in operating cash flow in fiscal 2013 (11-month) with $1.8 billion of cash and cash equivalents, compared to $1.2 billion at the end of fiscal 2012. Capital expenditures remained relatively consistent with prior years at $705 million in fiscal 2013 (11-month).

•
During fiscal 2013 (11-month), we made four dividend payments totaling $0.66 per share, or $224 million in the aggregate.





























32
Table of Contents

Consolidated Results

The following table presents selected consolidated financial data for each of the past three fiscal years and fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) ($ in millions, except per share amounts):
 
11-Month
 
12-Month
Consolidated Performance Summary
2013
 
2012
 
2012
 
2011
 
 
 
(recast)
 
 
 
 
Revenue
$
45,085

 
$
46,064

 
$
50,705

 
$
49,747

Revenue gain (decline) %
(2.1
)%
 
n/a

 
1.9
 %
 
1.0
 %
Comparable store sales % decline
(2.9
)%
 
(1.6
)%
 
(1.7
)%
 
(1.8
)%
Gross profit
$
10,649

 
$
11,352

 
$
12,573

 
$
12,541

Gross profit as a % of revenue(1)
23.6
 %
 
24.6
 %
 
24.8
 %
 
25.2
 %
SG&A
$
9,502

 
$
9,339

 
$
10,242

 
$
10,029

SG&A as a % of revenue(1)
21.1
 %
 
20.3
 %
 
20.2
 %
 
20.2
 %
Restructuring charges
$
450

 
$
34

 
$
39

 
$
138

Goodwill impairments
$
822

 
$
1,207

 
$
1,207

 
$
—

Operating income (loss)
$
(125
)
 
$
772

 
$
1,085

 
$
2,374

Operating income (loss) as a % of revenue
(0.3
)%
 
1.7
 %
 
2.1
 %
 
4.8
 %
Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations(2)
$
(443
)
 
$
(1,260
)
 
$
(1,057
)
 
$
1,427

Gain (loss) from discontinued operations(3)
$
2

 
$
(165
)
 
$
(174
)
 
$
(150
)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Best Buy Co., Inc. shareholders
$
(441
)
 
$
(1,425
)
 
$
(1,231
)
 
$
1,277

Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations
$
(1.31
)
 
$
(3.38
)
 
$
(2.89
)
 
$
3.44

Diluted earnings (loss) per share
$
(1.30
)
 
$
(3.83
)
 
$
(3.36
)
 
$
3.08

(1)
Because retailers vary in how they record costs of operating their supply chain between cost of goods sold and SG&A, our gross profit rate and SG&A rate may not be comparable to other retailers' corresponding rates. For additional information regarding costs classified in cost of goods sold and SG&A, refer to Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Transition Report on Form 10-K.
(2)
Includes both Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations and Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests.
(3)
Includes both Gain (loss) from discontinued operations and Net loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests.

Fiscal 2013 (11-month) Results Compared With Fiscal 2012 (11-month recast)

For purposes of this section, fiscal 2013 (11-month) represents the 11-month transition period ended February 2, 2013 and fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) represents the comparable 11-month period ended January 28, 2012.

In fiscal 2013 (11-month), we experienced comparable store sales declines in gaming, computers, televisions and digital imaging. These declines were partially offset by gains in mobile phones and tablets. The decline in gross profit rate reflects mix shifts, a price competitive environment and growth in the lower-margin wholesale business in Europe. The increase in SG&A largely reflected increased field incentive compensation and executive retention and transition costs.

The components of the 2.1% revenue decrease in fiscal 2013 (11-month) were as follows:
Comparable store sales impact
(2.8
)%
Net store changes
(0.2
)%
Non-comparable store sales channels(1)
0.6
 %
Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations
0.3
 %
Total revenue decrease
(2.1
)%
(1)
Non-comparable store sales channels primarily reflects the impact from revenue we earn from sales of merchandise to wholesalers and dealers, as well as other non-comparable sales not included within our comparable store sales calculation.


33
Table of Contents

Our gross profit rate decreased 1.0% of revenue in fiscal 2013 (11-month). Our Domestic and International segments each accounted for a decrease of 0.5% of revenue. For further discussion of each segment's gross profit rate changes, see Segment Performance Summary, below.

The SG&A rate increased 0.8% of revenue in fiscal 2013 (11-month). Our Domestic and International segments contributed a rate increase of 0.6% of revenue and 0.2% of revenue, respectively. For further discussion of each segment's SG&A rate changes, see Segment Performance Summary, below.

We recorded restructuring charges of $451 million in fiscal 2013 (11-month), which included $1 million of inventory write-downs recorded in cost of goods sold. Our Domestic segment recorded $328 million of restructuring charges, including $1 million of inventory write-downs, in fiscal 2013 (11-month), and our International segment recorded $123 million of restructuring charges in fiscal 2013 (11-month). These restructuring charges resulted in a decrease in our operating income in fiscal 2013 (11-month) of 1.0% of revenue. We recorded $53 million of restructuring charges in fiscal 2012 (11-month recast), which included $19 million of inventory write-downs recorded in cost of goods sold. Our Domestic and International segments recorded $38 million and $15 million of restructuring charges, respectively, in fiscal 2012 (11-month recast). The restructuring charges recorded in fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) resulted in a decrease in our operating income rate of 0.1% of revenue. For further discussion of each segment’s restructuring charges, see Segment Performance Summary, below.

Our operating income decreased $897 million, or 116.2%, and our operating loss as a percent of revenue decreased to 0.3% of revenue in fiscal 2013 (11-month), compared to operating income of 1.7% of revenue in fiscal 2012 (11-month recast). The decrease in our operating income was due to a decrease in gross profit as a result of a decrease in revenue and a decline in the gross profit rate, an increase in restructuring charges and an increase in SG&A, partially offset by a decrease in goodwill impairments.

Fiscal 2012 Results Compared With Fiscal 2011

For purposes of this section, fiscal 2012 represents the 12 months ended March 3, 2012 and fiscal 2011 represents the 12 months ended February 26, 2011.

The macroeconomic pressures on consumer spending and the consumer electronics industry trends we experienced in fiscal 2011 largely continued through fiscal 2012. We continued to face declining demand in key product categories, particularly televisions, notebook computers, gaming and music. These factors have impacted many of the geographic markets in which we operate. However, we have seen growth in several key product categories. For example, increased consumer demand for tablets, e-Readers, and associated accessories and services led to revenue growth of these products in all of our global markets. Further, our focus on gaining market share in appliances in the Domestic segment produced comparable stores sales gains in fiscal 2012.
 
The components of the 1.9% revenue increase in fiscal 2012 were as follows:
Net new stores
1.6
 %
Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations
1.5
 %
Comparable store sales impact
0.9
 %
One less week of revenue for Best Buy Europe(1)
(1.6
)%
Non-comparable sales channels(2)
(0.5
)%
Total revenue increase
1.9
 %
(1)
Represents the incremental revenue associated with stores in our Domestic segment and Canada in fiscal 2012, which had 53 weeks of activity, compared to 52 weeks in fiscal 2011.
(2)
Non-comparable sales channels primarily reflects the impact from revenue we earn from sales of merchandise to wholesalers and dealers, as well as other non-comparable sales not included within our comparable store sales calculation.
 
Our gross profit rate decreased 0.4% of revenue in fiscal 2012. A gross profit rate decline in our Domestic segment accounted for a decrease of 0.5% of revenue, which was partially offset by a 0.1% of revenue increase in our International segment. For further discussion of each segment's gross profit rate changes, see Segment Performance Summary, below.
 
The flat SG&A rate in fiscal 2012 was due to a 0.1% of revenue decrease attributable to the decrease in our Domestic segment's SG&A rate, offset by a 0.1% of revenue increase attributable to the increase in our International segment's SG&A rate. For further discussion of each segment's SG&A rate changes, see Segment Performance Summary, below.

34
Table of Contents

We recorded restructuring charges of $58 million in fiscal 2012, which included $19 million of inventory write-downs recorded in cost of goods sold. Our Domestic segment recorded $43 million of restructuring charges in fiscal 2012, and our International segment recorded $15 million of restructuring charges in fiscal 2012. These restructuring charges resulted in a decrease in our operating income in fiscal 2012 of 0.1% of revenue. For further discussion of each segment’s restructuring charges, see Segment Performance Summary, below.
 
Our operating income decreased $1.3 billion, or 54.3%, and our operating income rate decreased to 2.1% of revenue in fiscal 2012, compared to 4.8% of revenue in fiscal 2011. The 2.7% of revenue operating income rate decrease was driven primarily by a non-cash impairment charge of $1.2 billion to write-off the goodwill related to our Best Buy Europe reporting unit and a decrease in our gross profit rate, partially offset by decreased restructuring charges. Our operating income in fiscal 2012 included $58 million of restructuring charges, compared to $147 million of restructuring charges in fiscal 2011.

Segment Performance Summary
 
Domestic
 
The following table presents selected financial data for our Domestic segment for each of the past three fiscal years and fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) ($ in millions):
 
11-Month
 
12-Month
Domestic Segment Performance Summary
2013
 
2012
 
2012
 
2011
 
 
 
(recast)
 
 
 
 
Revenue
$
33,343

 
$
34,110

 
$
37,615

 
$
37,070

Revenue gain (decline) %
(2.2
)%
 
n/a

 
1.5
 %
 
(0.2
)%
Comparable store sales decline %
(1.7
)%
 
(1.6
)%
 
(1.6
)%
 
(3.0
)%
Gross profit
$
7,837

 
$
8,231

 
$
9,186

 
$
9,314

Gross profit as a % of revenue
23.5
 %
 
24.1
 %
 
24.4
 %
 
25.1
 %
SG&A
$
6,773

 
$
6,656

 
$
7,307

 
$
7,229

SG&A as a % of revenue
20.3
 %
 
19.5
 %
 
19.4
 %
 
19.5
 %
Restructuring charges
$
327

 
$
19

 
$
24

 
$
31

Goodwill impairments
$
3

 
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
—

Operating income
$
734

 
$
1,556

 
$
1,855

 
$
2,054

Operating income as a % of revenue
2.2
 %
 
4.6
 %
 
4.9
 %
 
5.5
 %

The following table reconciles our Domestic segment stores open at the end of each of the last three fiscal years:
 
Fiscal 2011
 
Fiscal 2012
 
Fiscal 2013 (11-Month)
 
Total Stores
at End of
Fiscal Year
 
Stores
Opened
 
Stores
Closed
 
Total Stores
at End of
Fiscal Year
 
Stores
Opened
 
Stores
Closed
 
Total Stores
at End of
Fiscal Year
Best Buy
1,099

 
7

 
(3
)
 
1,103

 
—

 
(47
)
 
1,056

Best Buy Mobile stand-alone
177

 
128

 
—

 
305

 
105

 
(1
)
 
409

Pacific Sales
35

 
—

 
(1
)
 
34

 
—

 
—

 
34

Magnolia Audio Video
6

 
—

 
(1
)
 
5

 
—

 
(1
)
 
4

Total Domestic segment stores
1,317

 
135

 
(5
)
 
1,447

 
105

 
(49
)
 
1,503


Fiscal 2013 (11-month) Results Compared With Fiscal 2012 (11-month recast)

For purposes of this section, fiscal 2013 (11-month) represents the 11-month transition period ended February 2, 2013 and fiscal 2012 (11-month recast) represents the comparable 11-month period ended January 28, 2012.

In the first three quarters of fiscal 2013 (11-month), we experienced continued declines in comparable store sales and gross margins. Management took action to reverse these negative trends, including increased training for our retail employees and a price-match policy for online and retail store competitors during the U.S. holiday season. During the fourth quarter, we achieved comparable store sales growth and stable gross margins.

35
Table of Contents


In fiscal 2013 (11-month), we experienced sales growth in mobile phones and tablets due to continued demand for these products as new technology is introduced. We also experienced sales growth in appliances, primarily from the introduction of additional Pacific Kitchen and Home store-within-a-store locations. However, these increases were more than offset by decreases in other product categories, such as gaming, computers, digital imaging and televisions. Certain of these products (in particular, compact cameras and camcorders and gaming) have faced declining demand due in part to the inclusion of their key features in new products, such as smartphones and tablets. In addition, the net impact from the closure of 47 large-format stores in fiscal 2013 (11-month) contributed to the overall revenue decline.

The components of the 2.2% revenue decrease in the Domestic segment in fiscal 2013 (11-month) were as follows:
Comparable store sales impact
(1.6
)%
Net store changes
(0.9
)%
Non-comparable store sales channels(1)
0.3
 %
Total revenue decrease
(2.2
)%
(1)
Non-comparable store sales channels reflects the impact from revenue we earn from sales channels not yet included within our comparable store sales calculation.

The impact of net store changes on our revenue is a result of store opening and closing activity during the past 11 months, as well as stores opened in the prior year that are not included in comparable store sales due to the timing of their opening. The decrease in large-format Best Buy branded stores contributed to the majority of the total decrease in revenue associated with net store changes in fiscal 2013 (11-month) compared to the comparable prior-year period. The addition of small-format Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores partially offset the decrease, as the proportion contributed to revenue is smaller due to their smaller square footage and limited category focus compared to our large-format stores.

The following table presents the Domestic segment's revenue mix percentages and comparable store sales percentage changes by revenue category in fiscal 2013 (11-month) and 2012 (11-month recast):
 
Revenue Mix Summary
 
Comparable Store Sales Summary
 
11 Months Ended
 
11 Months Ended
 
February 2, 2013
 
January 28, 2012
 
February 2, 2013
 
January 28, 2012
Consumer Electronics
33
%
 
36
%
 
(7.5
)%
 
(5.7
)%
Computing and Mobile Phones
44
%
 
40
%
 
7.5
 %
 
6.4
 %
Entertainment
10
%
 
12
%
 
(21.4
)%
 
(16.0
)%
Appliances
6
%
 
5
%
 
10.1