TNB Tech Minute: Best Buy Reports Higher Profit And Rising Sales

Summary

---

WSJ Tech News Briefing – TNB Tech Minute: Best Buy Reports Higher Profit And Rising Sales

Date: May 28, 2026
Host: Julie Chang, The Wall Street Journal

---

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a fast-paced rundown of the latest in tech business news. The primary focus is Best Buy’s impressive Q1 results, a major parcel delivery deal between DHL and USPS, and Uber’s increasing stake in Germany's Delivery Hero. The episode also touches on organizational best practices for scaling AI.

---

Key News Highlights and Insights

Best Buy’s Strong Financial Performance

(00:16 – 01:10)

• Profit & Sales Up:
  • Q1 profit soared to $276 million (from $202 million last year).
  • Revenue climbed to nearly $9 billion, slightly exceeding analyst expectations.
• Growth Drivers:
  • Strong domestic sales in gaming consoles, computing, mobile phones, and services.
  • Sales rises in emerging tech categories like 3D printers and AI glasses—doubling year-over-year.
  • This growth is partially offset by declining appliance sales.

“According to Best Buy, the strongest drivers of domestic sales growth were gaming consoles, computing mobile phones and services. That was partially offset by a decline in appliance sales.”
— Julie Chang (00:40)

• Emerging Tech:
  • Notably, “Sales of emerging categories, including 3D printers and AI glasses, also doubled year over year.” (00:48)

---

DHL and USPS Forge Major Delivery Deal

(01:11 – 01:45)

• Multi-Year Partnership:
  • DHL’s E-commerce unit has entered into a multi-year contract with USPS for last-mile deliveries (replacing prior single-year contracts).
• Strategic Impact:
  • USPS recognizes DHL E-commerce as one of its top three customers.
  • The deal is valued at over $10 billion in revenue for USPS.
  • Amazon remains the largest USPS customer; recent contract negotiations had hurdles.

“USPS said DHL E Commerce is one of its top three customers and that the latest deal will bring in more than $10 billion in revenue. Amazon remains USPS biggest customer.”
— Julie Chang (01:28)

---

Uber’s Expanding Stake in Delivery Hero

(01:46 – 02:22)

• Major Shareholding:
  • Uber now controls over 36% of Delivery Hero's voting rights (about 25% directly, 11% via financial contracts).
• Takeover Proposal:
  • Uber made an “indicative takeover proposal” at €33/share to all Delivery Hero shareholders.
  • Delivery Hero is currently “fully focused on executing its strategic review.”
  • Uber has stated it does not intend to acquire 30% or more of the company’s voting rights.

“Uber now holds over 36% of Delivery Hero's voting rights, just under 25% directly and about 11% through financial contracts.”
— Julie Chang (01:49)

• Response:
  • “Uber didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.” (02:09)

---

Organizational Alignment for Scaling AI

(02:27 – 03:13)

• Beyond Technology:
  • Many companies struggle with scaling AI due to organizational misalignment, rather than technical challenges.
• Expert Insight:
  • Caroline Roach, Senior Partner at IBM Consulting, emphasizes shifting focus from “what model to use” (2025) to “how do I drive change within my organization” (2026).

“The biggest thing that we were talking about a year ago is what model to use and the biggest thing that I’m talking about with my clients now is how do I drive change within my organization.”
— Caroline Roach (02:32)

• Keys to Success:
  • Clear enterprise-wide targets and priorities.
  • Incentivize people properly and review workflows to realize AI’s value.

“The organizations that are the most successful set very clear targets and have several priorities that are very clear across the enterprise. The technology is really good, but if you're not changing your organizational alignment, not incentivizing your people correctly, not looking at workflows, you're not going to see real value with it.”
— Caroline Roach (02:52)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:16: Best Buy’s Q1 performance, key sales drivers
• 01:11: DHL and USPS multi-year deal, Amazon’s position
• 01:46: Uber’s stake in Delivery Hero, takeover talk
• 02:27: Expert advice on organizational alignment for AI success

---

Notable Quotes

• “Sales of emerging categories, including 3D printers and AI glasses, also doubled year over year.”
  — Julie Chang (00:48)
• “Uber now holds over 36% of Delivery Hero's voting rights, just under 25% directly and about 11% through financial contracts.”
  — Julie Chang (01:49)
• “The biggest thing that we were talking about a year ago is what model to use and the biggest thing that I’m talking about with my clients now is how do I drive change within my organization.”
  — Caroline Roach (02:32)
• “If you’re not changing your organizational alignment, not incentivizing your people correctly, not looking at workflows, you’re not going to see real value with it.”
  — Caroline Roach (02:52)

---

Conclusion

This concise episode spotlights notable moves in the retail, logistics, and food delivery sectors, while also offering timely insights into the challenges of scaling AI for business. For deeper analysis, listeners are directed to the Friday edition of the Tech News Briefing podcast.

Transcript

[A]

Many companies are struggling to scale their AI deployments or even move them past the pilot stage. Often the problem isn't technology, but organizational misalignment around goals, processes and incentives. At the break, join Caroline Roach, Senior Partner, IBM Consulting, to learn why.

[B]

Here's your afternoon TNB Tech minute for Thursday, May 28th. I'm Julie Chang for the Wall Street Journal, Best Buy notched a higher profit and rising sales in the first quarter. The electronics retailer today reported a profit of $276 million, up from $202 million a year earlier. Revenue rose to nearly $9 billion, slightly above analysts expectations, per FactSet. According to Best Buy, the strongest drivers of domestic sales growth were gaming consoles, computing mobile phones and services. That was partially offset by a decline in appliance sales. Sales of emerging categories, including 3D printers and AI glasses, also doubled year over year. DHL Group's E commerce unit said it signed a multi year deal with the US Postal Service for last mile parcel deliveries. The two parties previously signed single year contracts, but the Postal Service has been looking to be more accommodating to its large customers, in part by signing multi year deals. USPS said DHL E Commerce is one of its top three customers and that the latest deal will bring in more than $10 billion in revenue. Amazon remains USPS biggest customer. There had been some hurdles leading up to their latest contract with the tech giant. Finally, Uber is continuing to increase its stake in German food delivery company Delivery Hero. According to a regulatory disclosure, Uber now holds over 36% of Delivery Hero's voting rights, just under 25% directly and about 11% through financial contracts. Uber Delivery Hero said over the weekend that Uber had made an indicative takeover proposal to all its shareholders valued at €33 a share. In response to Uber's offer, Delivery Hero said it was fully focused on executing its strategic review. Uber didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Company, which has been building a stake in Delivery Hero in recent weeks, said last week that it didn't intend to acquire 30% or more of the company's voting rights. For a deeper dive into what's happening in tech, check out Friday's Tech News Briefing podcast.

[A]

Scaling AI successfully requires more than the right technology. Here again is Caroline Roach, senior partner,

[C]

IBM Consulting the biggest thing that we were talking about a year ago is what model to use and the biggest thing that I'm talking about with my clients now is how do I drive change within my organization.

[A]

Companies able to identify correct and then avoid misalignment will be best positioned to deliver meaningful business value from AI.

[C]

The organizations that that are the most successful set very clear targets and have several priorities that are very clear across the enterprise. The technology is really good, but if you're not changing your organizational alignment, not incentivizing your people correctly, not looking at workflows, you're not going to see real value with it.

[A]

Visit IBM.com think leadership to learn how building organizational alignment can help deliver AI deployments that scale and drive growth.

[D]

This content was created by custom content from WSJ, a unit of the Wall Street Journal advertising department.