Best Buy iPads listing has got us all waiting for the March 11 iPad 2 release date. However, something quite interesting just caught our eye. Forbes reports that Best Buy may be giving iPads to all its retail store employees. Hit the jump for more details.
A source with knowledge of corporate mobile device deployments tells Forbes that one of the country's top 10 largest retailers expects to distribute iPads to each of its on-floor sales associates. This retailer, the source adds, operates 1,100 stores across the U.S. As the country's largest electronics retailer - as well as a retailer that currently operates around 1,100 stores in the U.S. - Best Buy is a natural match.
Stats indicate the Best Buy currently employs around 180,00 people which include part-time, full-time and occasional employees all around the world. However, only Best Buy US retail store employees will be part of this offer, this would immensely help Apple in the sale iPads at Best Buy.
Populating every Best Buy store with iPad-toting salespeople would be a boon for Apple, which would not only sell tens of thousands of devices for the purpose, but also have its wares in constant, high profile use across the country.
The benefits are less assured for Best Buy, which has struggled financially in recent quarters. That said, the aim of the Connected Stores is to make Best Buy shops more alluring destinations and to encourage people to purchase devices by offering as interactive and informative a shopping experience as possible. If an army of iPads helps Best Buy achieve this goal, then the gamble will be worthwhile.
Nevertheless, it has not been revealed as to when Best Buy retail store employees will be getting their iPads, however it seems unlikely that Apple will give high priority to the large order from Best Buy for iPads which it plans to give to its employees. Apple would obviously have consumers on its priority list, and I don't expect to see the order being fulfilled until and unless Apple meets consumer supply requirements of the Apple iPad 2.