Howard Street’s Best Buy will close March 1, leaving customers to browse the electronics retailer’s website or drive outside the city to other locations in Skokie and Norridge.
The shutdown comes as the company shuts down stores nationwide amid declining sales after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Verge. The Evanston Best Buy permanently closing its doors follows fellow Evanston big box store Office Depot shuttering in October 2024.
A store employee confirmed Best Buy’s closing date with The Daily. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Some customers are sad about Best Buy’s upcoming closure, reckoning with a transition to online shopping to avoid driving longer to other locations.
Evanston resident Neville Allen said he plans to shop online because he is not aware of similar stores nearby. Consequently, he said he will miss buying products like chargers or adapters on short notice because the closest store to him now will be in Skokie.
Neville added that Best Buy — one of few big box electronics stores in Evanston — is helpful beyond shopping needs because it offers technological support.
“It is sad that they are closing because it is convenient for us that live in Evanston,” Allen said.
Pat Fraser visited the Best Buy location Sunday to say goodbye to employees. She said she will miss the convenience of the store and is concerned about the employees’ futures.
“Every time I’ve come here, I’ve gotten great service,” Fraser said. “These guys are wonderful in here. … I hope they all get jobs.”
Steven Wolfe grew up shopping at Best Buy and said while the store’s closing is bittersweet, he is not opposed to shopping online for electronics.
Some stock was already off the shelves, with multiple sections nearly empty on Sunday, a month before the closing date. Other electronics stores, like Gadgetworks in Evanston, meet some of the same demands as Best Buy, but none appear to offer the same amount of product as big-box stores.
“Brick and mortar is important. It was an opportunity for a lot of people,” Wolfe said. “Economically, it’s kind of sad, but at the same time, it’s better for the consumer pocket.”
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