It seems like Best Buy stores have become a place where people go to demo the latest electronics and then rush home to order the same thing online for a few dollars less. I have always liked Best Buy stores and hope they don't go the way of Circuit City stores which I also appreciated. I hope others will remember the value they are getting by having a place where you can actually see the different brands and get educated on them before buying. If you put them out of business, this will no longer be an option for you. The sales tax issue shouldn't matter if you aren't breaking the law. If you don't pay sales tax on your online purchase, you are supposed to pay use tax on it to your home state. This loophole should just be ended and have all retailers collect sales tax. The only things I have ever seen posted bad about Best Buy have been regarding individual sales associates. Any huge operation like that is going to have some transactions where you didn't click with the sales associate. By and large, Best Buy associates are well-trained and do a good job from what I have seen in my numerous trips to them. Just remember the value-added services you get from brick and mortar stores and don't forget to support them too!
From my experience, quite a few people opt to purchase from Best Buy and alike vs their online counterparts. This is particularly the case for big ticket items or "I got to have it right now" urgency. Whether you can find an item cheaper online doesn't always matter so much if you're comfortable price matching it at Best Buy. The big dog will always be Amazon and I use them constantly even just for simply reviewing items or seeing what's the #1 seller in a particular category. From there, I may opt to buy locally, but not always. In any case, I tend to prefer Amazon because of its "above and beyond" customer service experience which is another form of value-added service. Really, the only company that stands out to me with amazing customer service is Apple.
I do this at a lot of stores even clothing stores. I have only bought a few things at Best Buy, but I'm not a big fan of the store chain. I'm not impressed with the level of customer service. I do make an effort to buy at smaller mom and pop stores, but never considered the impact on a big chain. The only time I will buy something in the stores is when I need it right away. If I don't need it immediately then I will order it online for a lot cheaper. I'm saving more than just sales tax.
I very rarely go into Best Buy anymore, because quite frankly, they don't carry all the latest items. Many years ago, it used to seem that way when they first came on to the scene and the only other stores in my area to buy electronics were places like K-Mart and Sears, which had a far more limited selection. So at that time Best Buy seemed like a god send. But since places like Amazon came around, and started offering products from merchants all over the world, they have a far better selection to choose from and they have newer items faster. For instance, I am a huge fan of Shure earbuds. For many years Best Buy never carried them. I think I only saw them for sale in their store briefly back in like 2007, but then they quickly stopped carrying them. Best Buy also doesn't carry B+W brand filters for my Canon SLR camera, which I never knew existed until I saw them online. As long as I can see enough good pictures of a product, along with detailed specs and some reliable reviews, I am comfortable ordering online instead.
I have never actually went into a Best Buy to try out something before buying. To be honest, I buy my high end big items at a much cheaper price then Best Buys. If I had a BB Giftcard, I'd even trade it in for say, like a WM.
I go to Best Buy when I can. I like the sales they have on their cds/dvds. I do buy things from Amazon, but I will support Best Buy. The people in there are really nice and helpful so I will support them whenever I can. I hope the store doesn't end up closing the way Circuit City did.
Best Buy is a great place to purchase electronics but I can't stand the sales associates and equally rude cashiers. I always opt for Walmart, Target or Office Depot in terms of electronics. Best Buy is a little far from me, perhaps a 45 minute drive to get there. I will say the store is nice and I love the option of testing new electronic devices before purchasing them. In my opinion, their selection in the electronics department is very superior compare to other stores. Unfortunately, I prefer to buy the items online because of the awesome deals I get through Ebates or email advertisements with a decent percentage off.
I like Best Buy, but often go online and then try in the store. Then I will order it online to get some rebates, use coupons and have time to make up my mind and then I pick up from the store. Best Buy is good for people like an elderly friend of mine who doesn't know what is best, even if she prefers the look of something she doesn't know what she needs to look for. At least Best Buy have staff who aren't on commission so they can give unbiased opinions. Their prices are usually matched, I bough my Macbook and they matched the Apple Education store price, so I had a good deal with Ebates and student discount from Best Buy.
Best Buy Geek Squad employees have been busted stealing photos and porn off people's computers that they were supposed to fix and they tried to charge an undercover reporter $200 to fix a computer when the undercover reporter had actually unplugged a data cable to test the honesty of the Geek Squad. I don't respect Best Buy and don't care if they go out of business. I can buy video games and computer components anywhere.
I do sometimes go to Best Buy just to browse. The bottom line is that I can often find the same product at a discount online. I prefer to research the items myself so I don't usually ask the sales associates. I'm all for supporting brick and mortar stores but mostly with my local owned shops. I will pay a little more at a local book store or electronics store. I don't really feel the same allegiance to giant chain like Best Buy.
Best Buy is extremely expensive and I really never go there. I can buy anything they have on Amazon.com for up to 40% less. It isn't like it is a dollar less. It is a LOT less. If they want to earn my business they either need to be priced competitively or give me some kind of awesome astounding white glove service, neither of which they currently do. Just out of curiosity, what kind of value added service do you feel they give? True you can look at the items in person, but on Amazon I can read reviews and compare and contrast. Amazon also has a lot more items.
It seems Target, along with a handful of other major retailers, are trying to discourage the same thing. I can understand how it's a concern for a company, and something that they would want to try and combat, but on the other hand it makes sense for customers to consider it. It seems more often than not you can find the same things online for a better price, but the downside to that is not always knowing if you like the look and feel of it in person...so to the customer I can see how that would be the best of both worlds.
For the most part, I do it in the reverse. I'll read Amazon and tons of online sites and then find the store that I can buy it in. The price would have to be overwhelming for me to order online. It's really not my thing if I can get it at a store. I want the same ease of returning it as I have in purchasing it.
