Inside Best Buy's Supply Chain Transformation: Data, Culture and AI at Scale

At a session hosted by National Retail Federation Senior Vice President of Content Jill Dvorak, Mark Irvin, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Best Buy, outlined how the retailer is redefining logistics performance through culture, data and technology.

Best Buy, a $42 billion electronics retailer operating across North America, sells everything from appliances and laptops to televisions and mobile phones. What differentiates the company is not just assortment, but service, particularly through its in store and in home support team, Geek Squad.

Behind that customer experience is a supply chain built for speed, resilience and intelligence.

Why People Power Best Buy's Logistics Machine

Irvin emphasized that while infrastructure matters, trucks, automation systems, scanners and robotics are table stakes. The true differentiator is people.

Best Buy operates nearly 1,000 stores across North America, supported by approximately 5,000 distribution employees and thousands of store associates. Many team members have remained with the company for decades, a rarity in US retail.

Irvin himself has been with Best Buy for 13 years and previously served as Chief Talent and Belonging Officer. He helped embed inclusive leadership behaviors across the company, centered on vulnerability, empathy, courage and grace. That cultural foundation has strengthened resilience, particularly during the pandemic and the shift to hybrid work.

The company also removed college degree requirements from many roles, instead prioritizing passion for technology and customer engagement. Store associates, known as blue shirts, are hired for curiosity and product enthusiasm rather than formal credentials.

Building a Smarter, Data Driven Supply Chain

The purpose of supply chain, Irvin noted, is simple: ensure goods and services are available when and where customers want them.

During the pandemic, supply chains globally were tested. Best Buy responded by investing in intelligence.

Today, 60 percent of Best Buy's online purchases are delivered within one calendar day or less. That speed is supported by a network of stores, distribution centers and last mile partnerships working in sync.

To enhance agility, the company invested in a dedicated data and analytics team to build a scalable data footprint across its network.

Digital Twins and AI Driven Sourcing

One major innovation is the creation of a digital twin across Best Buy's supply chain network. This virtual replica allows teams to run scenario planning and redesign distribution flows before making physical changes.

The result has been reduced inventory investment, lower costs and a smaller operational footprint, even as throughput increases.

Irvin also described what he calls data driven sourcing, an advanced decision tool he refers to as adolescent AI. It does not replace human decision making, but it augments it.

The system evaluates shipping nodes, carrier performance and cost to serve, identifying the optimal path for each order. This improves on time performance while reducing total logistics costs.

Strategic Partnerships and the FedEx Shift

Partnerships remain central to Best Buy's agility.

The retailer recently strengthened its collaboration with FedEx, naming it the single source partner for US parcel deliveries. The partnership includes shared data insights to tailor delivery performance and improve customer speed.

For a retailer shipping large appliances and high value electronics, reliability is critical. Delivery quality can define the customer relationship, particularly when transporting bulky items such as refrigerators or televisions.

By integrating first mile, middle mile and final mile partnerships, Best Buy has built a flexible logistics ecosystem rather than a rigid network.

Sustainability as a Core Operating Principle

Sustainability is embedded into Best Buy's supply chain DNA.

Since 2009, the company has taken back more than 3 billion pounds of electronics and appliances for recycling, refurbishment or parts harvesting. Rather than sending products to landfill, returned goods are processed through service depots within distribution centers.

Best Buy is the largest retail collector of e waste in the United States. Across its distribution network, the company has committed to zero waste certification, preventing at least 90 percent of non hazardous solid waste from reaching landfills.

Sustainability is not treated as a cost center, but as a structural component of operations, particularly in categories where haul away services are expected by customers.

Balancing Stores and Fulfillment

Irvin also addressed the tension between stores and fulfillment.

As many retailers expanded ship from store capabilities, some locations began to resemble distribution hubs rather than experiential retail spaces. Best Buy has worked to maintain balance, ensuring stores remain service oriented environments while distribution centers handle the majority of fulfillment complexity.

Vendor partners play a key role in training associates on the latest technology. Combined with Geek Squad's in home consultation services, this ensures that customers do not simply purchase products, but understand how to use them fully.

The goal is not just delivery of goods, but delivery of a world class experience.

Why This Matters for Retail Leadership

Best Buy's supply chain transformation underscores three strategic principles.

First, culture drives performance. Empowered and engaged teams create operational resilience that technology alone cannot replicate.

Second, intelligence beats scale alone. Digital twins, advanced analytics and AI enabled sourcing create agility in volatile markets.

Third, sustainability and speed are not mutually exclusive. When embedded into infrastructure, environmental responsibility can coexist with one day delivery performance.

For retail executives navigating disruption, Best Buy demonstrates that a modern supply chain is not just a logistics function. It is a competitive advantage built on people, data and disciplined execution.