FORT WORTH, TEXAS –
RadioShack
and Best Buy are offering new price incentives
on mobile phones as they vie
for wireless market share.
For its part, RadioShack will begin
matching competitors’ advertised
prices for cellphones. The low-price
guarantee applies to identical pre- and
post-paid mobile phones that appear
in newspaper ads and circulars, and is
good for up to 30 days after purchase
at nearly 4,500 company-owned stores
nationwide.
The program is designed to bolster
RadioShack’s position in the increasingly
competitive mobile category,
which is the company’s largest sales
segment and its primary growth vehicle.
It is unclear however how the ad match
guarantee will impact earnings, which
the chain forecast would fall as much as
78 percent for the fourth quarter.
“In a fast-changing and increasingly
complex mobility marketplace, it is vitally
important for consumers to have the assurance
that they have made the right
choice,” said RadioShack executive
VP/chief merchandising officer Scott
Young. “In this challenging economy,
RadioShack is focused on delivering our
customers greater peace of mind as they
consider where and when to buy this essential
tool for navigating daily life.”
The offer joins other incentives such
as a trade-in program for pre-owned
products and free tech support for mobile
devices purchased at the chain.
The low price guarantee will not apply
to online offers or unactivated handsets.
Meanwhile, Best Buy is offering $50 gift
cards to customers who upgrade to new
mobile phones by Dec. 31, 2012. To be
eligible, consumers were required to register
their phone numbers at
by Feb. 12, 2012 and
activate a two-year contract by year’s end.
The $50 gift card offer was introduced
during a Best Buy Super Bowl TV spot
that showcased 10 mobile technology
innovators including Philippe Kahn, who
created the camera phone, and Neil
Papworth, who is credited with sending
the first SMS text message. The offer
is valid on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and TMobile
phones and plans.
“We are thrilled to have a stage as significant
as the Big Game to showcase all
that Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile have
to offer,” said Shawn Score, president
of Best Buy Mobile. “We have spent the
last five years building and improving the
mobile phone buying experience in our
stores, and we are confident in our ability
to deliver a world-class experience
that features any carrier, any phone, any
plan combined with unbiased advice.”
