Last October, Best Buy opened a store in Aurora, Colorado that the consumer electronics chain created to be more female-friendly.
At the time, the chain's Ginger Sorvari Bucklin told The Associated Press, "Best Buy's roots 40 years ago were with high-end audiophiles. Because technology has changed so much, we know women make 45 percent of electronics purchases. This is about serving women better." Women today, according to Best Buy's estimates, represent a $90 billion market for consumer electronics.
Last week, Best Buy announced that it was putting more resources and focus on its Women's Leadership Forum to help the company improve its relationship with women shoppers and employees.
Today, women comprise 29 percent of Best Buy's total workforce with 31 percent of those in executive positions.
"We're not known for being a destination for women," Kelly Groehler, a spokesperson for Best Buy told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We need to change that. And if we're going to grow market share, we need to make sure that Best Buy is a great place for women to work."
Discussion Questions: What do you think Best Buy's female-friendly ways will do for its business? Does being a great place for women to work translate into a retailer being more successful with female consumers? Conversely, do unhappy female employees mean a company will have a tough time with shoppers who are women?