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Comment by radcon | Hacker News Reader

> I'd like to see them perhaps expand into electronics, boards, drones, maker stuff, etc.

I was thinking the same thing.

Those categories are the perfect way for brick and mortar stores to differentiate themselves from online retailers. They're accessible enough that the average consumer may be interested in them, but complex enough that you'll probably need advice from someone knowledgeable before buying.

I'm really surprised Best Buy hasn't devoted much (if any) floor space to those things. I bet they could sell truckloads of things like micro FPV drones if they just demonstrated them for customers.

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Problem is, unless you're in a hurry, you can get most of this stuff much cheaper on Aliexpress. Components and boards for DIY electronics are actually one of the few things that seem to be safe to buy there - it's really hard to botch an electronic component or an Arduino board so badly for it to matter in typical maker applications, and there probably isn't much money to be made in doing so.

(I wouldn't order power supplies or flash memory from Chinese retailers, though.)

> you can get most of this stuff much cheaper on Aliexpress

You're thinking of an entirely different market.

People who shop for something like a drone in Best Buy are never going to order one directly from China. First, they don't trust Chinese websites (and I've ordered from them all, so I completely understand why). Second, they probably don't know exactly what they want, so they need to talk to someone first. Third, even if they do know what they want, 99% of the stuff you see on sites like AliExpress is actually toy-grade junk, even when the price is $100+. Finding something that's actually worth your money is like finding a needle in a haystack.

I think there's a ton of potential in selling these types of hobby electronics to consumers, but it's only possible with salespeople who can demonstrate and explain the products. Fast shipping (or pickup) and easy returns/exchanges/repairs would just be icing on the cake.

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