Searching for the best place to purchase consumer electronics can be a bit of a game. The internet makes that game a little easier with sites like Nextag.com and Froogle. These sites help you to find out how much each company is selling the product you are looking for.

If price is your only concern, then I strongly recommend this type of shopping; however, if you want to make sure your product comes to you fast and safe, make sure that you check customer ratings on that store.

If you are impulsive about purchases and want to have that new Gadget and now, then you'll probably run around to the nearby electronics stores to see if they have it in stock. Usually you will pay an extra 10-30% for your product because of your impulsive need to have it now. If that's alright with you then enjoy.

Best Buy is a huge pit of fun toys that are overprices. The main draw they have at this store is that you can look at almost all of the gadgets in one location. Don't get suckered into their price. Also, it always seems like the sales people are busy helping someone else. Frustrating at the least. Wait for their sales and check their returned bins, that's where the deals are. Returning merchandise to this store is a joke. Consider yourself warned.

Circuit City is similar to a best buy and all about Monster Cable and upselling the customer with useless junk that they don't know or could buy online for 1/4 the in-store price. The customer service is better here than at most Best Buys, so if that is important to you than go for it. Again, price is something to scoff at here. The only time you will find good deals at Circuit City are when they are competing with Best Buy on a specific product. Play them against each other and you will definitely come out victorious. That's how I got my 42" plasma.

Radio Shack should only be used as a quick fix for immediate needs. Talk about pushy sales guys who sort of know what they are talking about. Inventory at these places is hard to find for anything not quite mainstream.

Frys Electronics. It's like heaven exploded and sprinkled down on an electronics store. Comparable prices to online stores and good customer service. I wouldn't ever work for them, but their employees seem genuinely willing to make sure the customer has his/her questions answered. Selection, pricing, and service make this store the right choice for local electronic purchases.

Wal-Mart & Target offer consumer electronics but don't offer anything obscure or very high end. Buy your towels, deodorant, and plants here, not your electronics. Also keep in mind that Wal-Mart will take back most products without a receipt... even if you didn't purchase it from that store. Silly and awesome at the same time.

So there it is. For your immediate impulsive needs, visit your local Frys Electronics warehouse. For everything else, do your research online. Purchase from a customer trusted manufacturer and watch the savings pile up.

Good luck!

Learn more about this author, J. Eberhardt.
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