Best Buy Marks 60 Years with Week-Long Tech Sale and In-Store Perks

Key points

• The sale runs from August 17 through August 23, 2026, with a second wave of offers introduced during the anniversary weekend of August 21-23.
• My Best Buy Plus and Total members receive 10% back in rewards, up to $60, while new credit card applicants get 15% back on their first day of purchases.
• Key deals include the second-gen AirPods Max for $429 (saving $120), a 58-inch Hisense QLED TV for $190 (saving $210), and a Dyson fan for $250 (saving $130).
• A special in-store-only event on August 22 offers limited-quantity deals, including a $100 gift card for $60, with a minimum of 50 gift cards per store.
• Best Buy is partnering with tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee for a 60-year technology history campaign and selling custom 3D-printed anniversary shoes.

Background

This anniversary sale follows a series of recent Best Buy promotions, including a Back-to-School sale in early August and a Black Friday-in-July event in July. The current sale overlaps with recent price cuts on Apple products, such as the AirPods Max 2, which saw similar discounts on Amazon in late July and early August. The retailer has been actively discounting Apple gear, TVs, and accessories throughout 2026, with this event representing the largest promotional push of the year to date.

How outlets are covering it

CNET emphasizes the breadth of the sale, highlighting record-low prices on items like the Garmin Venu 3S smartwatch and the Ecovacs Deebot T80 robot vacuum, framing the event as a major opportunity to save before fall sales. MacRumors focuses heavily on Apple-specific deals, noting that while discounts on AirPods and iPads are significant, some users on their forum expressed disappointment that certain prices were similar to regular sales, with one commenter calling the 'massive' deals 'disappointing.' Best Buy’s corporate announcement highlights the loyalty program benefits and the unique in-store-only 'Anniversary Day' offers, positioning the sale as a celebration of customer relationships rather than just price cuts. The outlets differ in emphasis: CNET and MacRumors focus on specific product savings, while Best Buy focuses on the experiential and loyalty aspects of the 60th anniversary.

Why it matters

The 60th anniversary sale signals Best Buy’s strategy to compete with other retailers during a period of frequent promotional events. The inclusion of loyalty rewards and exclusive in-store deals aims to drive foot traffic and customer engagement, while the deep discounts on high-demand items like Apple headphones and large TVs aim to capture budget-conscious consumers. The event also highlights the retailer’s efforts to modernize its brand through partnerships with tech influencers and innovative products like 3D-printed shoes, reflecting a shift toward experiential retail in the consumer electronics space.

What to watch

The sale concludes on August 23, 2026, with a second wave of offers introduced on August 21. The in-store-only 'Anniversary Day' deals are available only on August 22, with limited quantities. Best Buy’s credit card promotion for new applicants runs through September 7, 2026. The retailer may continue to feature anniversary-related content and promotions in the coming weeks, but the primary sale event ends on August 23.