Best Buy has adjusted its financial outlook for the fiscal year 2026, primarily due to the impact of increased tariffs on electronics prices. The company now expects comparable sales to fluctuate between a decrease of 1% and an increase of 1%, revising its previous forecast from flat to 2% growth. This announcement led to a 3% drop in the company’s shares during premarket trading, Reuters reported.
The change in outlook is largely attributed to U.S. tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports, which are predicted to hike costs for high-ticket items like appliances, home theater systems, and gaming consoles. Given that a substantial portion of Best Buy’s inventory—including gaming consoles, audio equipment, cameras, and drones—comes from China, the company is particularly susceptible to these tariff-associated price increases.
In addition to the revised forecast, Best Buy also reported a 0.7% decline in first-quarter same-store sales, surpassing analysts' expectations of a 0.6% drop. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges retailers face amid shifting trade policies and their effects on pricing structures for consumer electronics.