What's Wrong with Working from Home? Would You if You Could?

Now Best Buy has joined Yahoo! in banning employees from working from home.

Here at Patch, there is no "here." We all work from home. Or from coffee shops, public libraries, patios, porches and dining rooms—anywhere we can get a wi-fi signal. It keeps us nimble, keeps costs down and let's us work out in the world with the people in the communities we cover. It's a great gig. And not to gloat...but I was in the warmth of my home office working while some of you were fighting traffic during the recent snowstorms. But it's obviously not for everyone. Some people prefer the office environment, the regular interaction face-to-face with coworkers. And in the case of Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, she wasn't having it anymore. She insisted several weeks ago that the company employees could no longer work from home. But …

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Police: Couple Steals Cameras from Mehlville, Crestwood; Tries in Fenton

An Hispanic man and woman stole digital cameras from Best Buy stores in Mehlville and Crestwood, police said.

Police are searching for two suspects who allegedly stole digital cameras from Best Buys in Mehlville and Crestwood and attempted to steal one from a Best Buy in Fenton. Police described the suspects as an Hispanic man and woman in a dark blue vehicle, possibly a Ford Focus, with out-of-state license plates. The suspects stole a $2,100 Nikon digital camera from the display at the Best Buy in Mehlville at 7017 Lindbergh on October 4, police said. See Related Stories

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Police: Woman Arrested for Fraud at Best Buy

A woman has been opening fraudulent credit card accounts at local stores, police siad.

Police said they arrested a woman on Oct. 3 for opening a fraudulent credit card account and using it to buy thousands of dollars worth of merchandise at Best Buy. The woman spent $2000 at the Best Buy store at 7017 Lindbergh Blvd. Police said the woman had opened several accounts under the victim’s name at other area stores. See Related Stories

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50 Best Buy Stores on the Chopping Block in 2013

Is the South County store in danger of closing?

Best Buy announced Thursday that it will close 50 big box stores in the United States in an effort to improve its bottom line. CEO Brian Dunn said in a press release that as the consumer electronics industry evolves, the company is taking “major actions” to improve its operating performance. The company hopes its new multi-channel strategy will strengthen its portfolio of store formats. The strategy includes “closing some big box stores, modifying others to our enhanced Connected Store format, and adding Best Buy Mobile stand-alone locations,” Dunn said, noting that the company’s goal is to improve the shopping environment, increase its points of presence and improve performance, in addition to increasing profits. He added that the coming …

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Black Friday News and Updates

Find the latest on Black Friday lines, deals and news as it happens. If you see something we should know about, send us a tip at Lindsay.Toler@patch.com or tweet @StLouisLindsay.

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Brandon Fry - Local Volunteer

9:38 am on Friday, November 25, 2011

We got in and out with all of our video games in about 1 hour. We got some great deals and little hassle with long lines this year. Of course we avoided the big box stores. Once we left the mall and went to McDonald's it was a different story.   more ›

Most Retailers Not Offering Holiday Season Jobs

Most retailers surveyed said they planned to offer more overtime instead of hiring additional workers this holiday season.

Things are looking up for retailers as solid sales in recent months could mean that shoppers are ready to spend more this holiday season, according to an L.A. Times business report. Despite the expected sales growth, 67 percent of retailers surveyed by the Hay Group planned to keep their seasonal hiring at the same levels as last year, and 24 percent plan to hire even fewer workers.  Best Buy, including the store in Mehlville, is a retailer that will hire fewer seasonal workers. The company expects to hire 15,000 workers, down from 29,000 last holiday season, CEO Brian Dunn told Reuters in a recent interview. He also said that Best Buy is counting on overtime from its permanent staff to fill the gap. Macy’s, with nine stores in the St. …

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Frugal Family: School Supplies, Dorm-Room Necessities and End-of-Summer Fun

Back-to-school bargains abound in the neighborhood this week.

If you are looking for some budget-stretching back-to-school bargains, try some of these local specials. Shopping locally benefits area merchants and saves you time and gasoline. Take a minute to comment on Patch about some good deals that you have found at local businesses. Target, I-55 and Lindbergh Deal: If you always seem to be running out of glue sticks, buy the six-pack of Elmer’s on sale for $1. Fiskars 5-inch school scissors with safety edge blades are also $1. Good through: August 6 Famous Footwear, South County Mall, 355 South County Center Way Deal: Ease the cost of school shoes by taking advantage of the buy-one-get-one-half-off offer. One suggestion is K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 for girls that are on sale for $39.99. Good through: …

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Black Friday Chills but Thrills

More than 300 people gathered outside Best Buy Friday morning to buy laptops, big screen TVs and video games.

"We got here at 5 p.m. last night," said Grace Winkle. "We had Thanksgiving with our families, packed our tent and blankets and started camping out."  Winkle and her sister Rose, along with their friend Allison Wilde are Black Friday veterans. They've camped out at Best Buy for the last four years.  "Last year, we ordered Domino's, but we heard QuickTrip is bringing doughnuts," said Wilde. The group wanted Best Buy's Toshiba laptops that were on sale and an Xbox.  More than 300 people gathered outside Best Buy before they opened at 5 a.m. Friday morning. Thirteen tents and countless space heaters and coffee thermoses kept the crowds warm in the 20-degree weather. "This is the biggest store in St. Louis and we're expecting between three and…

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