Best Buy has begun a phased rollout of Ask Blue, a conversational AI assistant that answers shopper questions, compares products and—critically—routes complex queries to human agents when needed. The move, announced on Best Buy’s recent Q2 2027 earnings call, signals how the retailer expects conversational AI to sit alongside stores, fulfillment and trained support staff rather than replace them.

What Ask Blue does

According to Best Buy executives, Ask Blue pulls from product specifications, customer reviews, item availability and pricing to help customers make purchasing decisions. The company cited example tasks such as comparing product options and verifying compatibility between items.

Ask Blue is built to be a first contact for shoppers: it handles straightforward queries and guides users to self‑service tools. When interactions exceed the assistant’s scope or require human judgment—such as complex compatibility or high‑value purchases—the assistant escalates the conversation to a live customer support specialist.

Where it fits in Best Buy’s strategy

Ask Blue is one element of a broader strategy that pairs digital convenience with in‑store experiences and faster fulfillment. Executives described an interconnected approach where improved digital touchpoints feed customer insight back into merchandising and media initiatives.

Best Buy is simultaneously investing in physical experiences. The company is more than halfway to its plan to deploy 900‑square‑foot Meta Labs spaces at 50 large‑format stores; those spaces are staffed by employees trained on Meta’s ecosystem, including VR and AI glasses. Management said early customer response has exceeded expectations and indicated the concept could expand to other vendor partners.

For major appliances—where most purchases are replacements—speed and convenience matter. Best Buy highlighted competitive pricing, product availability and fast delivery and installation as essential to serving customers whose appliances have failed and require quick solutions. The company also said it will simplify the digital appliance‑shopping journey by improving visibility into delivery availability, pricing and service scheduling.

Financial context

The launch of Ask Blue coincides with a solid quarter: Best Buy reported same‑store sales growth of 4.1% year over year and revenue of $9.8 billion, up 3.6% from a year earlier. Management framed continued investment in stores and online experiences as a core pillar of its growth strategy. Jason Bonfig, who discussed Ask Blue on the call, is the company’s chief customer, product and fulfillment officer and is set to become CEO in the fall.

Why marketers and retailers should care

Ask Blue illustrates a pragmatic approach to conversational AI for retail: automate routine tasks to shorten purchase journeys, preserve clear escalation paths for nuanced or high‑value interactions, and link the assistant to broader merchandising and fulfillment systems.

Operationally, that means three concrete implications for marketers and vendors:

  • Conversion: A well‑configured assistant can reduce friction for comparison and compatibility questions, cutting steps between discovery and checkout.
  • Routing and experience control: Built‑in escalation preserves service quality for complex purchases while letting AI handle volume.
  • Partner placement and data: Investments like Meta Labs show retailers will trade premium in‑store placement and curated experiences for partner ecosystems that drive engagement and first‑party signals about product usage.

What to watch next

Key metrics will determine whether Ask Blue is a tactical fix or a durable channel: customer adoption and satisfaction, escalation rates to human agents, impact on conversion and average order value, and whether Best Buy publishes performance data or concrete use cases.

Also watch whether Meta Labs expands to other vendor ecosystems and whether improvements to the appliance‑shopping flow measurably shorten time‑to‑replacement for customers. For marketers and retailers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: conversational AI will matter most where it’s integrated with fulfillment, in‑store experiences and clear human escalation—investments that protect revenue while lowering friction for routine queries.