The Best Buy stores in Edina and Brooklyn Center are closing June 21, months earlier than originally announced.
The Going-Out-of-Business sale started Sunday, June 10 but things are hardly picked over yet. The oddest thing about the sale is that only floor models are clearly marked down. Almost everything else is discounted, but customers have to ask for the price since there aren't across the board discounts, even by department. Some items are nicely discounted and others not at all.
Media, including CDs and DVDs, are not discounted. Open box items, including large appliances, get decent discounts. An LG steam washer and dryer (models WM3070HRA and DLEX3070R) are $679.99. Amazon's price is $989. Display model TVs, for example, are discounted 10 to 30 percent and there are still plenty left.
A salesperson said that items in boxes aren't likely to get big discounts because they can so easily move them back to the warehouse or another store. That was true on a Stir Crazy corn popper, which was cheaper at Amazon. But if you're in the market for a dehumidifier, the Frigidaire 50 pint model # FAD504DUD is an excellent price at $140, regularly $200. Even Sam's Club sells the same model for $179. (Consumer Reports rated the Frigidaire a "best buy" in its June issue.)
Bottom line: Check prices and then shop around. Bring your smartphone along to compare model numbers online or use an app such as Red Laser. So far, shoppers don't seem to be making a run on the store as they often do early in a GOB sale.
