Dre Partners With Best Buy To Launch 'Club Beats'

Big-box retailer Best Buy hopes to become the premier DJ destination in the near future, partnering with Monster Cable and Beats Electronics by Dr. Dre headphones to launch a new in-store "Club Beats" section of its store.

In-store sections for DJ equipment will be available, building on last year’s drive to add sections devoted to music instruments. Club Beats will sell a variety of specialty-audio products as well, including Apple products such as the iPod. Interactive stations will be available in select stores, for customers to try out the gear before purchase.

Founded by hip-hop artist Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Beats Electronics was selected because of its commitment to giving the average listener a professional-quality listening experience through their headphones. Monster Cable, meanwhile, promises "make music sound better" in its ads.

"Dre and I feel that Best Buy and Brian Dunn's commitment to the quality of sound in music, along with their aggressive promotion and marketing of popular culture, makes this the perfect place to launch Club Beats," said Iovine.

Best Buy is launching the concept in 300 stores. Seven locations will include bigger, more thoroughly comprehensive retail areas that Best Buy is using to kick off the debut; a Miami kickoff will feature local DJs, a Richfield, MN, event will include remix-hoppers LMFAO.

Best Buy sees a growing interest not only in DJing, particularly with the recent release of DJ Hero, but also in the concern for the sound quality of music.

"Entertainment has long been the heart and soul of Best Buy. Our customers have always looked to us as a resource for music in a variety of formats," said Brian Dunn, Best Buy's CEO. "With Club Beats, the latest in sound quality and music technology will be available to all of our customers who want to bring music to life in a fresh way and unleash their inner DJ."

Best Buy hopes their new DJ-focused offering will corner the developing market in mainstream retail. "It may not be simple to find these products in a mainstream environment-either you have to know what you need, or you have to talk to someone who is in the industry," said Wendy Fritz, svp of merchandising for mobility for Best Buy. "What we're trying to say is 'hey you can do this,' and when they come into the store our Blue Shirts can say 'these are the three or four products you need to get started.'"

Source - http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/music/article/dr-dre-partners-with-best-buy-to-launch-club-beats-90053