Best Buy opens in Bloomington

Electronic super store Best Buy will open its 18th Indiana location in Bloomington Friday. The opening will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony along with a check presentation of $10,000 from Best Buy to the Monroe County United Way.\n"We are glad to be opening our doors to Bloomington," said Mendi Boss, Bloomington Best Buy's General Manager. "We plan to give our customers the ultimate shopping experience."\nThe opening of Best Buy could help Bloomington's economy by providing more than 100 jobs, but it will also provide to the community. The money given to the Monroe County United Way will go to a campaign supporting children's issues.\n"It is wonderful and unexpected," said Rebecca Beckfield, Interim Executive Director of the Monroe County United Way. "Best Buy has a strong history of being a wonderful partner to communities."\nBest Buy will hold an annual drive where employees have an opportunity to give a one time donation or a portion of their pay check to the drive which will go the Monroe County United Way.\n"We like to stay in touch with the community since they give so much to us," Boss said. The new Best Buy store will offer an entertainment and software area with more than 15,000 CD's, 3,400 DVD movies and 1,000 Computer software titles. Along with the latest in wireless, digital television and home theatre, Best Buy also offers an extensive collection of appliances.\n"We are extremely proud of our selection," said Boss. "But what sets us apart from other stores is our customer service."\nCustomers will be able to test fully functioning display products throughout the store.\nSenior Scott Friedman said they are anticipating the opening of Best Buy. \n"It's going to be great," Friedman said. "I currently shop at Circuit City and the selection there can not even compare to the selection at Best Buy."\nCircuit City managers did not return phone messages concerning the opening of Best Buy.\nThe 30,000 square foot store includes wider aisles and a single-line checkout. In a single line checkout system there is only one checkout line with many cash registers. This way the customers are able to go to the first available register.\nThe store will offer more than 100 new jobs and raise spending, but IU Economics Department Associate Professor Eric Leeper said the economic effects in Bloomington will be minimal. \n"The effects will be so small most people won't even notice them, unless you are one of the people that gets a job there," Leeper said.\nLeeper said the increase in competition for electronic goods will rise along with an improvement in employment and overall spending.\nEach of the 100 full and part time employees went through extensive training in their departments. The store will have professional in-store technicians to handle P.C. setup, upgrades, repairs and peripheral installations. \n"Being in a college town, we feel technicians will be extremely helpful to students as well as Bloomington residents," Boss said.\nSophomore Brandi Moncrief has worked at an Indianapolis branch of Best Buy as a summer job and has applied to the Bloomington Best Buy.\n"It was a great environment," Moncrief said. "I am really hoping that I get to return to Best Buy." \nBest Buy will open its doors on at 10 a.m. and will remain open until 10 p.m.\n-- Contact staff writer Monica Dix at mcdix@indiana.edu.