Consumer Electronics Top Holiday Wish Lists Again, but Shoppers Say Tech Gifts Can Be Stressful to Buy; Best Buy Makes Changes in Stores to Reduce Tension and Help Holiday Shoppers Find the Perfect Gift.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Please replace the release with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions to the boilerplate titled "About Best Buy Co., Inc."

The corrected release reads:

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS TOP HOLIDAY WISH LISTS AGAIN, BUT SHOPPERS SAY TECH GIFTS CAN BE STRESSFUL TO BUY; BEST BUY MAKES CHANGES IN STORES TO REDUCE TENSION AND HELP HOLIDAY SHOPPERS FIND THE PERFECT GIFT

Nearly 60 percent of consumers plan to purchase consumer electronics as gifts this holiday season, according to the Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) 2005 holiday survey released today. In addition, 35 percent of respondents put technology items atop their own wish lists. The gift they would most like to receive this holiday season? Flat-screen TVs.

Best Buy's holiday survey results also found that nearly 80 percent of consumers attribute shopping for gifts as the main source of increased stress during the holidays. The survey shows that consumers consider laptop computers to be the most difficult electronic gift to purchase, followed by video gaming systems.

"As digital living goes mainstream, the potential of the technology is increasing faster than our understanding of how it works," said Mike Linton, chief marketing officer, Best Buy Co., Inc. "At Best Buy, we can end the confusion by helping people learn what technology can help them do. We have the in-store expertise, the products and the services to help consumers understand how to get the right technology for the people on their gift list."

Redefining the Retail Experience

To make the in-store shopping experience easier, Best Buy has converted more than 150 stores across the country this year to reflect the company's customer centricity operating model, which tailors store experiences to particular customer needs and expectations. These stores have added exclusive services and an expanded product selection for holiday shoppers, especially home theater enthusiasts, small business owners, gaming fanatics and busy moms.

"Shoppers will find that Best Buy stores now reflect a better understanding of what customers need and how they like to shop," said Linton. "Stores are set up with displays that not only highlight hot gift ideas, but also show what accessories you will need to get the most from those gifts. The stores feature knowledgeable non-commissioned Blue Shirts, a broad selection of products to meet any lifestyle, and services designed to help consumers get connected."

Services Differentiate Best Buy

Best Buy's new Personal Shopping Assistants, a free service in select major metropolitan area stores, serve as one-on-one escorts through the store. They offer consumers guidance on product selection, expedite check-out and even provide their e-mail addresses to customers for follow-up questions. Shoppers can check online about the availability of Personal Shopping Assistants in their market by visiting www.bestbuy.com/more.

With the continued growth of high-definition television - particularly flat-panel TVs, plasma and LCD technology - home theater installation services are more important than ever this year. Twenty-five percent of consumers rank flat screen TVs as the consumer electronics item they would most like to receive as a gift, according to the Best Buy survey.

Best Buy offers two different home theater services to meet a range of budgets. Magnolia Home Theater, the specialty boutique within select Best Buy stores, provides enthusiasts of state-of-the-art home theater a premium product portfolio, in-home design services and quick, professional installation. Additionally, the Best Buy home theater installation staff is available in all stores to visit consumers' homes, design a schematic for a new home theater system, deliver a cost estimate and install the new equipment.

All Best Buy stores now offer Geek Squad, a 24-hour computer support task force that can help customers set up and use technology effectively. Additionally, holiday shoppers can take advantage of other services including small business consultation, mobile electronics installation and Appliance Consumer Experts.

Blue Shirts Provide Shoppers Advice

Best Buy's team of Blue Shirts advise consumers not to follow the pack and assume the "hottest" gift out there is right for the people on their list. They say the key to successful gift giving is understanding one size does not fit all when it comes to technology. Critical questions to ask yourself before you start shopping include:

--What are the tastes and hobbies of your recipient?

--How tech savvy are they?

--How might they use the gift you're contemplating?

--Does the person on your list need help with installation or set-up?

Internet is Now Primary Resource for Holiday Shopping

More than 42 percent of consumers surveyed by Best Buy use store Web sites or online product reviews to research holiday gifts. Shoppers say they use the Internet as a resource for both product details and information about new technologies. BestBuy.com offers an expanded product selection, but also valuable research tools. Customers can research features and benefits of individual products as well as general information on the technology that drives the products that friends and family want most. Customers can use bestbuy.com to take care of gift giving from the comfort of their own home.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is an innovative Fortune 100 growth company that continually strives to create superior customer experiences. Through more than 870 retail stores across the United States and in Canada, our employees connect customers with technology and entertainment products and services that make life easier and more fun. We sell consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services. A Minneapolis-based company, our operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com and BestBuyCanada.ca), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com) and Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com). We support our communities through employee volunteerism and grants from The Best Buy Children's Foundation.

About the Best Buy Holiday 2005 Holiday Survey

Best Buy commissioned a study to collect information about how U.S. consumers view holiday shopping and gift-giving. The survey, conducted by Impulse Research Corporation, polled a random sample of 1,695 U.S. consumers. All are members of the CyberPulse(TM) Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel has been carefully selected to closely match U.S. population demographics. The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent. The holiday survey also includes internal Best Buy insights, based on further consumer research.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views and estimates regarding future market conditions, company performance and financial results, business prospects, new strategies, the competitive environment and other events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Among the factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements are the following: general economic conditions, acquisitions and development of new businesses, product availability, sales volumes, profit margins, weather, foreign currency fluctuation, availability of suitable real estate locations, our ability to react to a disaster recovery situation, and the impact of labor markets and new product introductions on our overall profitability. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 18, 2004, and in our other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Commission. Best Buy cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements that it may make.