Flat-Out Differences.

While it is clear that consumer electronics company Best Buy Co. Inc. and Circuit City Stores Inc. have placed a heavy emphasis on flat-panel televisions by offering a similar assortment of big-name brands, the merchandising approach of these big-box competitors differs widely. While Circuit City's in-store customer service is by no means a hard-sell, product-pushing approach, the flat-panel shopper is reminded of the retailer's service, installation and warranty programs via signs scattered throughout television aisles. In the plasma television side, Best Buy offers consumers six SKUs of 37-to 50-inch screen sizes ranging from $2,377.99 for a 37-inch Panasonic Plasma EDTV to $6,123.99 for Pioneer's 50-inch plasma HDTV.