March 2008
Appliance stores: Price vs. selection
The best places to shop for appliances for your home
BIG SELECTION Lowe's was rated average or above in every category in our reader survey, so consider buying there if you want to make just
one stop on your shopping trip.
You can buy multipacks of pasta, gallon-size containers of mayonnaise, best-selling books, and even tires at Costco and other
similar national wholesale clubs. But should you consider buying a refrigerator or other appliances there?
Yes, our readers say. For price and product quality, Costco registered higher marks than did any other major-appliance chain in our latest appliance-shopping survey. Overall, our readers who bought large appliances were as satisfied with Costco as with higher-priced independent stores and significantly more satisfied than with chains such as Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe's.
But Costco is not the place to shop if you want a wide selection or kitchen designers on call. The appliance pickings were slim and service was lacking, our survey found. Readers who shopped at independent stores, meanwhile, were very satisfied with both service and selection, although not so much with price. The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, represented more than 32,000 purchases.
For smaller appliances such as window air conditioners, gas grills, and vacuum cleaners, our readers prefer to let their fingers do the clicking. For the second straight year, online powerhouse Amazon.com had the highest shopper-satisfaction score, compared with any chain retailer, mainly because of the superior selection, as well as price.
Wal-Mart was at the bottom of shoppers' lists for small appliances, disappointing them with selection, ease of shopping, checkout, and service. While 76 percent of survey respondents who told us they shop at Wal-Mart said they went for low prices, the store got only average scores for price.
BEST WAYS TO SAVE
Our readers were at least fairly well satisfied with their experiences at every retailer. But not every retailer works for everyone. To find the best selection of appliances, much depends on what type of appliance you're seeking and whether you're looking to replace an entire kitchen or just one or two appliances. At a local Costco, for instance, we found just four electric dryers, two washers, and four full-sized refrigerators. A Costco official told us the online and in-store selections often differ.
When we called the seven Costco locations that the company's Web site said were within a 20-mile radius of our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters, we found that only three stores had appliances on the showroom floor.
For our suggestions on where to buy, see Quick Picks (available to subscribers). Regardless of what you're looking for and where you decide to shop, follow these tips for the best price and service:
Walk the Web. Retailer and manufacturer Web sites have become an indispensable source of promotions, rebates, closeout specials, and other limited-time offers, so consult them even when you plan to buy a product in a store. At Sears.com we found a kitchen-appliance sale with a choice of five different rebates. Best Buy offered gift cards ranging from $150 to $500 for combined purchases. Manufacturers Fisher & Paykel, Frigidaire, GE, Maytag, and Whirlpool all offered various rebates and cash cards.
Time your purchase for top savings. New ranges and other cooking appliances hit the showrooms in September and October, at which point the previous year's models go on sale to make room for the fresh arrivals. For refrigerators, that cycle starts in May. Major sales are also common after the winter holidays.
Combine special offers. Using store and manufacturer sales together can significantly trim your final bill. A Home Depot circular mentioned combining savings from the retailer's Mother's Day sale with current offers from manufacturers, including Maytag and Jenn-Air. The chain had yet another concurrent deal that included free delivery and appliance removal. When you combine deals, be prepared for extra paperwork and a wait.
Plan ahead. There was a strong correlation between the amount of research our readers did and their purchase satisfaction. In our survey, 13 percent of respondents spent more than expected. A third of those underestimated prices, and 70 percent had to pay more to get the features they wanted.
Yes, our readers say. For price and product quality, Costco registered higher marks than did any other major-appliance chain in our latest appliance-shopping survey. Overall, our readers who bought large appliances were as satisfied with Costco as with higher-priced independent stores and significantly more satisfied than with chains such as Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe's.
But Costco is not the place to shop if you want a wide selection or kitchen designers on call. The appliance pickings were slim and service was lacking, our survey found. Readers who shopped at independent stores, meanwhile, were very satisfied with both service and selection, although not so much with price. The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, represented more than 32,000 purchases.
For smaller appliances such as window air conditioners, gas grills, and vacuum cleaners, our readers prefer to let their fingers do the clicking. For the second straight year, online powerhouse Amazon.com had the highest shopper-satisfaction score, compared with any chain retailer, mainly because of the superior selection, as well as price.
Wal-Mart was at the bottom of shoppers' lists for small appliances, disappointing them with selection, ease of shopping, checkout, and service. While 76 percent of survey respondents who told us they shop at Wal-Mart said they went for low prices, the store got only average scores for price.
BEST WAYS TO SAVE
Our readers were at least fairly well satisfied with their experiences at every retailer. But not every retailer works for everyone. To find the best selection of appliances, much depends on what type of appliance you're seeking and whether you're looking to replace an entire kitchen or just one or two appliances. At a local Costco, for instance, we found just four electric dryers, two washers, and four full-sized refrigerators. A Costco official told us the online and in-store selections often differ.
When we called the seven Costco locations that the company's Web site said were within a 20-mile radius of our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters, we found that only three stores had appliances on the showroom floor.
For our suggestions on where to buy, see Quick Picks (available to subscribers). Regardless of what you're looking for and where you decide to shop, follow these tips for the best price and service:
Walk the Web. Retailer and manufacturer Web sites have become an indispensable source of promotions, rebates, closeout specials, and other limited-time offers, so consult them even when you plan to buy a product in a store. At Sears.com we found a kitchen-appliance sale with a choice of five different rebates. Best Buy offered gift cards ranging from $150 to $500 for combined purchases. Manufacturers Fisher & Paykel, Frigidaire, GE, Maytag, and Whirlpool all offered various rebates and cash cards.
Time your purchase for top savings. New ranges and other cooking appliances hit the showrooms in September and October, at which point the previous year's models go on sale to make room for the fresh arrivals. For refrigerators, that cycle starts in May. Major sales are also common after the winter holidays.
Combine special offers. Using store and manufacturer sales together can significantly trim your final bill. A Home Depot circular mentioned combining savings from the retailer's Mother's Day sale with current offers from manufacturers, including Maytag and Jenn-Air. The chain had yet another concurrent deal that included free delivery and appliance removal. When you combine deals, be prepared for extra paperwork and a wait.
Plan ahead. There was a strong correlation between the amount of research our readers did and their purchase satisfaction. In our survey, 13 percent of respondents spent more than expected. A third of those underestimated prices, and 70 percent had to pay more to get the features they wanted.
