<p>I have the feeling that Best Buy is geared to younger people given their sales environment and product mix. Old folks do prefer things like quiet and order.</p>
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I’ve found Radio Shack’s in-store selection of resistors, capacitors, ICs, switches, cables, etc. to be very diminished compared to what it used to be and the prices are way high. The Frys store has a much better selection and better prices. One advantage to RS is that there’s usually one within a reasonable distance and they can be good for those quick trips like you did. I don’t think there are that many Frys stores around (only two in our large county). But I still don’t see how most of these RS stores will survive long-term since they have such a limited selection, few patrons, and couldn’t be generating that much revenue. One advantage over the big box stores they have though is that they usually have maybe two people working in them at a time - not a big payroll.</p>
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Fortunately for my disappointment level, I don’t expect the salespeople to know that much. It’s a low-end job that’s a part time position for many of them and many of them are still in HS or CC. I research things to death and almost always know more about the product I’m interested in than the salesperson.</p>
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<p>Frys has 17 stores in California, 8 stores in Texas, and 9 other stores in 7 states. They have no presence in New England. Radio Shack apparently has a monopoly in this corner of the country.</p>
<p>For those in the Boston area, there’s a store in Newton/Needham called You-Do-It electronics that carries a wide variety of electronic parts, consumer electronics and project kits. We used to have Allied Electronics when I was a kid that competed with Radio Shack. Radio Shack bought them out a long time ago I believe.</p>