Nintendo Wii From Amazon or Best Buy?
If you are shopping for a Wii console should you look online or in a retail store? Retailers of all kinds are highly competitive on price today. But the market has been slower generally, and Nintendo lowered prices on its popular game console, all stores are offering discounted pricing. Buying Nintendo Wii from Amazon is so incredibly easy, since you can shop online and have items shipped in many cases for free as well as not having to pay sales tax. The sales tax issue is beginning to change, but in most of the US Amazon does not yet have to charge sales tax. That alone can result in savings, but Amazon's pricing is also low.
Best Buy is probably the biggest competitor for Amazon today in the electronics marketplace. You can find Best Buy Wii consoles either online or in store, and Best Buy also offers customers the option of ordering and paying online, and picking up in store even later the same day, which is more convenient than waiting for shipments. Best Buy pricing is competitive with Amazon and other stores, although buyers will pay sales tax.
There are other online competitors out there such as Overstock, and to an extent and the big box stores have online presence as well such as Target and WalMart. You'll find the prices are usually within a few dollars of each other, so it may wind up being that you just purchase the most conveniently located item. One thing to consider however is that while pricing may compare to Amazon, shipping isn't always free, and you'll pay sales tax in most states. Also, those big boxes online don't always have the inventory, which is a huge problem during holiday crunch season! Inventory supplies for things like Wii accessories is also something to take into account. If you want to buy several controllers in different colors, for example, you can't always find that at your local WalMart store.
That's where Best Buy comes in. They are working hard to beat Amazon pricing for electronics, and game systems are no exception. They still will charge sales tax, but consider how easy it is to walk into a store and just buy the item you want locally. Their prices are better for the most part than local brick and mortar stores such as GameStop or the other big box stores WalMart, Target or KMart. Generally though the prices are going to be very very close. That's why buying a Wii console online can be a great deal. When you purchase from Best Buy, you can also have it ready for you in store, depending on inventory. Best Buy will either pull from inventory and have it ready, or have it shipped to the store for pickup with shipping free.
You also want to consider how much you'll pay for accessories and games. Often on Amazon you can find great deals on the extras, while other stores have to charge the retail price in order to make back some of the money they lose when they discount the console itself. Again, too, selections is a pain, since retail stores aren't going to stock literally everything that's in release. They will have top sellers, and other big titles, but not every title. Getting your game console at Amazon, you can also add multiple pieces to your shopping cart that you want, like extra controllers, games and other accessories, and know you're getting a low price as well as free shipping and no sales tax in most cases.
Compared to Best Buy, it's just more likely that Amazon will have the additional accessories and games available that you want, rather than wait for five days or so to have it shipped to your local store. Depending on what Wii games and accessories you are looking for, Amazon ships free over $25, and Best Buy will ship free to your nearest store, so inventory becomes the biggest issue.
Given the slight edge Amazon still enjoys in not paying sales tax, and having more inventory in hand, it's probably still the better deal, but either way, being able to shop and compare makes these options a winner in terms of savings for you.
Where To Buy Wii
Now that the Nintendo Wii is the most popular selling video game console system, there are plenty of retailers and other sellers with consoles and games at a discount. When you are researching prices to buy a Wii, you can find excellent prices online if you know where to look. Here are some tips to help you find out where to buy Wii at the best price.
First, you can search auction sites, but there are not many real deals there these days. For example, searching through recent sale prices for completed auctions, one buyer recently purchased a Wii console on an major auction site - and paid $50 more than the console sold for in stores! For the price this person paid, they could have purchased the latest Wii bundle being offered everywhere for $199. Clearly this person did not do their research, and you don't want to make that mistake.
When you buy Nintendo Wii online, it's best to at least compare prices everywhere, at auction sites as well as retailers like Amazon. You may find that you can get all the same parts and games you are looking for at the same or even a lower price. Before you buy any specific bundle, make sure you compare the prices of the included items as they are sold separately, in order to get the best deal. If you're not getting any kind of real discount, are you at least buying from a seller you can trust? Often, the shipping charges and return policies will make the difference between buying from one seller over another.
The best places to check prices are at the biggest retailers, such as Amazon, or Wal-Mart, if pricing is what you're looking for. You may also be able to trade in old systems and use the cash toward a new console. Make sure you check what you can get for selling a used systems yourself - often, retailers pay far far less for a trade in than you could get on Craigslist or on EBay by selling it yourself. Amazon now takes trade in video games, and will give you an Amazon gift card, which you can then credit toward your new Wii console. That's a great way to save on paying out of pocket.
Wii Bundles
Wii Console with Mario Kart Wii Bundle - White
Sale Price: $168.00
