Best Buy planning to give all on-floor retail employees iPads: report

A report from Forbes issued on March 4 indicates that electronics giant Best Buy may be preparing to distribute magical iPads to all of its on-floor sales associates in its nearly 1,100 US stores.

The source told Forbes that "one of the country’s top 10 largest retailers expects to distribute iPads to each of its on-floor sales associates." While not naming names, the retailer involved operates 1,100 stores across the U.S. Best Buy had some 1,093 retail outlets in the U.S. as of Sept. 2010, and its existing connection with Apple products makes it a likely candidate for the "unnamed retailer."

It'a also a possible extension of Best Buy's Connected Store program, which is currently being trialed at 27 stores. In that initiative, Best Buy remodeled 27 stores in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, using tables so that customers could handle electronic devices easily. The Best Buy sales associates in these stores were given several devices, including iPads, iPod touches and even Samsung Galaxy Tabs to process purchases and enlighten customers.

While not admitted anything concretely, Best Buy acknowledged to Forbes that the pilot program could be expanded at some time in the future.

While such a program would be expensive, considering even the wholesale price of an iPad, it could be a good way for Best Buy to "rid itself" of those leftover iPad 1s. That is, of course, assuming that the clearance going on right now doesn't wipe out stock.

Via: Forbes