Remember when IBM (NYSE:IBM) sold its PC business to China's Lenovo? Well, you don't hear too much about the deal these days, but apparently ThinkPads are about to show up in a Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) near you. That signifies a big push into the consumer market from Lenovo.
There are all kinds of places where consumers can pick up PCs, of course. You can swing by CircuitCity (NYSE:CC) or Wal-Mart, for example. Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) has made a name for itself with its direct-sales model, while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), of course, stands alone with its Macintoshes, selling those in Apple Stores, as well as through its website and select retailers (including Best Buy).
Then again, Best Buy is a serious force to contend with. Lenovo's ThinkPads are already available at Office Depot, but that's small potatoes compared to Best Buy, the largest consumer-oriented electronics retailer in the U.S. My Foolish colleague Nate Parmelee took a look at its most recent quarterly earnings, and the numbers show that Best Buy is withstanding the test of time.
Best Buy doesn't rest on its laurels, either. One of its biggest innovations is its recent push to gear its stores toward the demographics of specific areas. For example, some of its stores are geared more toward hardcore techies, while others are designed for soccer moms. For a push into the consumer market, Lenovo is going to the right place. However, many rivals, including Gateway (NYSE:GTW) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ), already have their own PCs available on Best Buy's shelves.
Last but not least, it's interesting to note that ThinkPads have not only been traditionally associated with IBM, but they've also been business-oriented PC products with a tendency to carry a hefty price tag. Lenovo may be exhibiting savvy strategy by putting its PCs on Best Buy's shelves, but whether that exposure will be enough to convince many consumers to ante up is a whole other story.
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Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned.
