Best Buy Crashes As Margins Slide Due To "Organized Retail Theft"

(Tyler Durden) Liberal socialist utopias such as California are a blessing for deadbeat klepto hobos from around the world thanks to the state's lack of prosecution of shoplifting, but the same policies are becoming a major headache for nationwide retailers such as Best Buy which this morning reported that despite beating on the top and bottom line (revenues of $11.9 billion vs expectations of $11.7BN, EPS of $2.08, beating est of $1.96), its margins missed, echoing the same margin crunch theme that emerged recently with big box retailers such as Walmart.

Gross margin fell 0.1% to 23.5%, Best Buy said, missing the 23.6% average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg, while the decline in the core U.S. operation was steeper. The company also reported a 10% drop in domestic online revenue as more shoppers returned to stores. 

But besides the usual margin-crushing suspects of frayed supply chains and deep discounts as a result of stepped-up promotional activity and a drag tied to its new TotalTech membership program, the company brought up the reason why Democrats are looking at far more losses in the coming months as a reason for the margin drop: organized theft.

Hilariously, Best Buy had advanced 38% this year through Monday, attaining record levels and outpacing the 28% gain of an S&P 500 index of consumer discretionary companies. Because while BBY channel checkers were right and traffic was indeed off the charts; alas most of that foot was courtesy of thieves.