Minneapolis — Best Buy is donating $200,000 of product and Geek Squad tech support to nonprofits, schools and libraries delivering disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy.
The retailer said its IT support crew has established mobile hotspots and charging and email stations at those facilities, and is going to shelters to donate and set up TVs, gaming stations and other entertainment devices to assist displaced families.
The Geek Squad “agents” will also provide tech support for computing devices and will troubleshoot connectivity and hardware and software issues.
“The images of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy are overwhelming,” said Susan Bass Roberts, Best Buy’s community relations director. “We are very grateful to the first responders, government officials and everyday heroes who have been working tirelessly to help those in need and are eager to lend our expertise in the relief efforts.”
The company said it will continue to “monitor the situation and look for additional opportunities to assist with recovery efforts.”
In other Best Buy news, the retailer has rescheduled its planned Nov. 1 analyst and investor meeting in New York for Nov. 13 at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square. The event, which was postponed due to the storm, will be president/CEO Hubert Joly’s first formal appearance before the investment community. Joly plans to share his assessment of the business and areas of focus going forward, and presentations will also be made by other members of the company’s newly formed executive team.
