Best Buy sees sales rise

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Electronics retailer Best Buy says a key sales figure rose in December as consumers snapped up notebook computers, TVs and mobile phones ahead of the holidays.

Sales in stores open at least one year rose 8.2 percent, compared with a 6.5 percent drop a year ago. That includes a 9.3 percent rise domestically and a 3.5 percent increase internationally.

Total sales rose $13 percent to $8.5 billion.

The company says it still expects to earn $3.00 to $3.15 per share this fiscal year. Analysts expect a profit of $3.10 per share.

Sales in stores open at least a year are a key retail measure because they track sales in established locations, instead of newly opened ones.