CHANGE MY LOCATION
Inner Harbor BestBuy charts new course
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BestBuy at Lockwood Place opened last November.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - BestBuy tries to know its customers — especially how they spend their money. BestBuy’s Inner Harbor location at 600 E. Pratt St. opened last November. Already, the retailer is finding that downtown shoppers — particularly visitors to the harbor — prefer high-end, portable electronics to microwaves and washing machines.
Emphasizing digital products is "a move we have been talking about,” said Matt Dagostino, general manager of the Lockwood BestBuy. “We want to look at moving the digital merchandise, the cameras, printers and [more].”
With projects such as the $250 million Ritz-Carlton Residences on Key Highway springing up in the area, a downtown influx of luxury condos is on the horizon.
Michael Yerman, a trustee of the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors Foundation, previously told The Examiner area condo prices range from $300,000 to $5 million, depending on the state of the market and the type of condo.
Dagostino wants to position his relatively new store to take advantage of these trends. His vision for the store includes prominently displaying plasma televisions and other high-end electronics. Putting these items front and center, he believes, can reach customers not only in the new luxury condos, but the redeveloped rowhomes in the area with residents looking to save space.
And if he gets his way, the traditional model of placing dryers front and center will become a thing of the past, at least in his store.
“With so many condos currently going up, we want to make sure we are prepared,” Dagostino said.
But tourist dollars are just as important to stores in the Inner Harbor. For the last fiscal year, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association reported that visitors added nearly $3 billion to the economy. That’s one reason the Dagostino’s digital cameras may soon have a new home in the front of the store, with a great view of the harbor.
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:47 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 4, 2008 re: "Value City closing Baltimore-area stores"
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Examiner Reader said:
Wow.. You need to do something with the format on this page in Firefox. Black font on a black background does not make for easy reading..
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
prices rising are not inflation, Inflation is caused by the devaluation of the dollar and this is caused soley by the federal reserve
2 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Baltimore is one of the oldest cities in this nation; it is rich with a tradition of invention, industrialism, and innovation. It should return to it's former glory...back in the late 1800's and 1900's it was said "If you want tomke money, you will need to go to Baltimore"...
8 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why is nothing ever realesed in australia? i have been looking for light up shoes for years and i finally find a pair and they arent selling in australia!!
13 agree | 9 disagree
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D said:
Still cheap.
56 agree | 61 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Cheap: I said trying not being sucessfull.
69 agree | 74 disagree
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Cheap said:
Well, if you let him. Who's fault is that? Make a call.
78 agree | 48 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Now I know what o'malley's march really stands for. He will stand by raise taxes and watch all of the businesses march out of Maryland.
66 agree | 43 disagree
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Leaving MD said:
Value City is closing 37 of its 113 stores nationwide yet 7 of 8 of its MD stores are closing! How many jobs is that? How many other businesses will be affected by the MD closings. This is what a hostile business climate does! Thanks O'Malley! Thanks Franchot! Thanks Miller! Thanks Busch! Nice job boys.
71 agree | 64 disagree
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City Resident said:
pretty sure this is O' Malleys fault. that and the fact that liberals are now using craigslist to buy second hand furniture....man, way to go Baltimore!
80 agree | 70 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
WHat is the street address for Penskys???? You give the one for the new one in Falls Church.
290 agree | 275 disagree
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