Amazon and Best Buy today announced a partnership that will see Best Buy selling smart TVs running Amazon's Fire TV software and Alexa in its physical stores. The deal will begin with "more than 11" models of Insignia and Toshiba TVs going on sale at Best Buys this summer.
TVs are a challenge for Amazon, as consumers might be disinclined to buy a TV sight unseen. You can't judge comparative quality from images on your computer monitor. Some things, like HDR, are not possible to experience at all without being physically present in most cases. So Amazon needs a popular retail outlet for its TVs to make progress in that market. Best Buy dedicates much of its stores' square footage to showcasing TVs, though the lighting conditions are only suitable for assessing quality in the specialized rooms reserved for the highest-end sets.
When Amazon acquired Whole Foods, industry analysts suggested several options for other retailers that Amazon could benefit from acquiring, and Best Buy has come up in that context a few times. However, Best Buy's partnership with Amazon indicates that Amazon doesn't need to make an acquisition to reach consumers who need to see a TV in person before buying it.
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