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A second Best Buy document — pertaining to launch plans — further reveals the retailer's structural plans for its new-found partnership with Apple Computer, sources tell AppleInsider.

According to sources, the juiciest portion of the document implies that the 48 Best Buy locations that are currently carrying Apple products have been implemented as 'test sites.' The merchandizing throughout these and future locations will fall under two planograms.

The first — and most extravagant — are Store-Within-a-Store locations similar to what has been implemented in CompUSA outlets for several years. These locations will have all the Apple products in the first three to four sections of the desktop planogram, sources said. This includes desktops, notebooks, monitors, input, and networking. iPods will stay in-line in the MP3 planogram. Macintosh software titles will be placed in plexiglas product holders. These locations received signage with the August 3rd Best Buy Merch Kit and include backdrops for the two to four sections consisting of bull-nose shelving to accommodate the old security device required for compatibility with Apple-branded products. Approximately half these locations will staff Apple Solutions Consultants (ASCs).

A second form of planogram adopted for the integration is referred to as 'Blended In-Line,' sources said. Retail locations using this structure will have all products merchandised in their respective categories (i.e. networking with network products, software with software products), sources added.

According to the sources, Best Buy won't perform in-store repairs on Apple products at the current time, as they don't carry enough products to support them. However, the retailer's Tech Bench can perform setups and memory installations and will soon provide means of system customization. All locations will have access to software drivers via the public interface to Apple.com's support site.

In regards to Apple-centric advertisements, products will be featured in the ads that began this week for the 48 stores. Apple SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) will continue to be in the ads for 12 weeks, though Washington, D.C., Phoenix, New York City, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles won't have Apple ads during this time period. In-store promotions should include "floater ads," pending final agreements with Apple.

Finally, Best Buy as a corporation will be suspending employee purchases of Apple products at the beginning of the test cycle until they can fully grasp and understand the resulting sales rates and product availability of the Apple products. "Employees will be notified when there's an update to the employee purchase program," sources added.

In addition to the 48 stores participating in the test program, at least 16 additional locations will be carrying a portion of Apple's product line.

If you have further information on this report or information for a potential future AppleInsider story, please contact [email protected]. We also offer [email protected] for more sensitive information

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