Best Buy launches free shipping during holidays

Free shipping has become table stakes during the holiday shopping season.

And this year is shaping up to be no different with Richfield-based Best Buy announcing today that it has launched free shipping promotion on any size order, instead of requiring a minimum order of $35 as it does during the rest of the year, from now until Christmas Day.

This is the third year in a row it has offered free shipping during the holidays. Last week, Minneapolis-based Target Corp. also announced free shipping during the season, something it as also offered in previous years.

In addition, Best Buy said it has now expanded same-day delivery to another 15 U.S. metro areas as it said it would do earlier this year. That brings the number of markets where it has it up and running to 40 cities.

The electronics chain had rolled out same-day delivery, and dropped the price for the service to $5.99, to more markets, including the Twin Cities, in September. That rollout was in partnership with delivery firm Deliv.

The additional markets Best Buy has now expanded same-day delivery are in markets where Deliv does not operate. So it has teamed up with third-party logistics firm Geodis to make those deliveries.

The new markets that now have access to same-day delivery to Best Buy include: Birmingham, Alabama; Cleveland; Detroit; Indianapolis; Little Rock, Arkansas; Milwaukee; New Orleans, Oklahoma City; Portland, Oregon; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salt Lake City and St. Louis.