Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Canada, Mexico, and China. The company’s subsidiaries include Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada it operates under both the Best Buy and Future Shop label.

Together these operate more than 1,150 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico and Turkey. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Richfield, Minnesota. On June 26, 2007, Best Buy announced a 40% increase in its operations, with plans to operate more than 1,800 stores worldwide, including 1,400 Best Buy stores in the U.S. On March 9, 2009, Best Buy became the primary electronics retail store (online and bricks and mortar) in the eastern United States, after smaller rival Circuit City went out of business.

We tell you this because we think the corporation’s unshakeable commitment to diversity and inclusion is one major factor in its success. The retailer got some flak last week for including, along with its circular advertising Thanksgiving Day sales, a note saying “Happy Eid Al-Adha,” which refers to a holiday of sacrifice for followers of Islam which occurred on Nov. 27 this year.

Best Buy representative Lisa Svac Hawks explained the thought behind the greeting: “Best Buy’s customers and employees around the world represent a variety of faiths and denominations. We respect that diversity and choose to greet our customers and employees in ways that reflect their traditions,” she said.

Ahmed Rehab, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he could not recall when any American retailer mentioned the holiday in its ads. “It makes perfect business sense to acknowledge and celebrate a holiday that one out of four people celebrate,” Rehab said.

Best Buy has advertised with The Arab American News for many years. It makes perfect sense to do so in a newspaper circulated in a city with 30% of the population Arab American.

Know what else makes perfect sense? For Arab Americans and American Muslims to acknowledge Best Buy’s inclusive advertising policies by contacting corporate headquarters and thanking them for their gesture and by shopping all forms of electronics at their stores.

Let Best Buy know you value their message: Email: online.communities@bestbuy.com Call: 1.888.BEST BUY (1.888.237.8289) Visit: www.forums.bestbuy.com