By Alan Wolf, YSN
Independent dealers in general, and four BrandSource members in particular, were cited by USA Today as the best places to shop online for home appliances.
The report was compiled by the editors of consumer advice site Reviewed.com, who listed 11 leading e-tail venues after extensively vetting the field. Ranked No. 1 was “your local appliance store,” which was described as oftentimes consumers’ best bet for buying these big-ticket items.
“Not only have these mostly family-owned business been around for decades,” the story stated, “but they have experts on hand who can install your appliances without issue. Additionally, some may have large showrooms and local warehouses that can deliver items to you fast and efficiently.”
The article, which first appeared in November and was updated this week, named six regional retailers that exemplify the independent channel. Of those six, four dealers — Famous Tate, Albert Lee, Orville’s and Spencer’s — are BrandSource members.
Trailing the BrandSource crew at No. 2 was Best Buy, followed by The Home Depot and Lowe’s in third and fourth place. Wayfair ranked 10th, while Costco rounded out the list at No. 11.
As an addendum, Reviewed.com and USA Today suggested shoppers avoid purchasing appliances from either Amazon.com or Walmart.com. “We advise skipping buying appliances here altogether,” the article stated, due to their reliance on questionable third-party marketplace sellers. “Buying appliances here could come with more risk than we think is necessary.”
So congratulations to Famous Tate, Albert Lee, Orville’s, Spencer’s and their fellow BrandSource members for leading USA Today’s appliance pack.
BrandSource, a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc., is a nationwide buying group for independent appliance, furniture, mattress and CE dealers.
