Apple to open mini stores inside Target

[XJ-linux]

Sales tax won't save the brick and mortar stores... Buying at Amazon, where I pay WA state's insane 10% sales tax, is still siginificantly less than going to Best Buy for just about anything.

Probably depends upon the store and industry I'd guess. Sales tax + shipping may well become more expensive for some items than sales tax + markup. I didn't say it would save all retail outlets per se, but I do think it will balance out the sales of some marketable items between retail and online. The USPS going broke won't help drive down shipping costs if and when they fold, potentially resulting in less competition in over land delivery. Gas prices certainly won't lend to making free shipping for many purchases a "given" indefinitely either. Heck, I don't know. If I knew something more than an semi-educated guess, I'd be snapping up cheap stocks on margin instead of posting online.

 

[stratguy]

I think until this economy becomes more stable and people have more money to spend that the online stores will continue to ship for free and with price matching going on even online it really doesn't matter what online store you buy from as long as they don't have a shipping warehouse in your home state because if they do you can't get around paying that tax.

I don't wish any bad luck to brick and mortar stores but they have pretty much done it to themselves with high prices and hiring sales reps to work by the hour and not the sale. Yes I do know they they get a small percentage of the overall profit in some stores but from what I see and notice it's just not enough to motivate the sales people to learn their product and really want to close the sale. When was the last time you asked a sales rep at best buy to explain to you how to setup a product you are looking at and they did answer without getting someone else or feeding you some sort of bad info I think the average tech geek as in people that keep up on their technology knows more about the products at these stores than the sales reps do. That's just my findings here at my local electronic stores and it may not be that way in your city.

stratguy

 

[CrimsonRequiem]

There is only one reason I go to best buy...and that is to test products. I rarely buy anything there because I kind find it cheaper else where. >_<"

 

[Chris H.]

The electronics store around here within a stone's throw is a Best Buy. Radio Shack doesn't always have what I'm looking for...and the nearest Apple Store is 25 miles out across Albuquerque...yuck.

I've never stepped foot in a Fry's before...though I've been in an area that has one or two (Mesa, Arizona area)...they need to come up this way. Circuit City was right across the street from the Best Buy around here...then we had Ultimate Electronics next door to a CompUSA and a Circuit City on the other side of town...and of course, all three went under.

The old CC building nearest the Best Buy was taken over by a local retail company - Baillo's as they're called - they sell with permission refurbished Apple products...however their electronics department is limp at best...and their sales associates are hopeless.

However, seeing as I shop at local computer stores for motherboards and hard to find computer parts...and on occasion I go to places like TigerDirect and New Egg...if Best Buy goes under, I wouldn't miss them - the local Best Buy's here are slowly starting to lose their appeal - especially with the Apple products - it's increasingly hard to find stuff in stock without ordering.

 

[decoman]

HH Greg moved into Chicago area replacing most of the Circuit Stores and seem to be doing fine...

Also we still have 3 CompUSA they are the factory outlet stores for Tiger Direct and they are grew tho have...