The warehouse clubs and Wal-Mart, on the other hand, were praised for their prices and judged to be fairly limited in product selection. About one in three readers said they visited at least three stores before they made their purchase, and one in eight visited four or more stores. To reduce that runaround, consider calling stores before you hit the road. Despite our findings about selection, it still pays to check a range of stores, including the warehouses, if you're looking for a particular item. If you find the model you're looking for, consider buying it then and there.
Many electronics products have a short shelf life, and stores carry a limited inventory.
The supply of TV sets and some other audio-video products is especially tight this year, say industry sources, due in part to the financial troubles in Asia, where many electronics manufacturers are based. Also, shopping around for a good price may save you relatively little. Electronics retailing is so competitive that prices within a city typically vary by 10 percent or less, we've found. And you may be able to close the price gaps you do find by bargaining. One bargaining strategy is to ask the store to match a competitors' advertised price, which many chains pledge to do .