EMAIL I sent to Best Buy urging them to locate their new store in Beloit. This was sent during Christmas in 1998. Oh, my, how naive we were... *** To whom it may concern, I would like to suggest that Best Buy look into relocating the Rockford, Illinois store on Business 20 (State Street) to Beloit Wisconsin's growing commercial strip at I-90 and I-43. Of course, simply adding a new store at this Beloit location is perfectly acceptable, I personally think you'd be money ahead just relocating. Here's an outline of some factors to consider: LOCATION: I-90/I-43 is a GOOD location. This is a rapidly developing commercial area. It's close and easily accessible to the Roscoe/Rockton Illinois area (Illinois' fastest growing residential area). And it's close to the Janesville/Clinton/Elkhorn/Delavan/Lake Geneva area in Wisconsin. The Wal-Mart Superstore, many Motels/Hotels, restaurants, cinemas and the new Morgan Square Shopping Center are already drawing lots of interest to this area. By my rough estimate, over 70,000 potential customers live within 15 miles of the I-90/I-43 junction. LOCATION, LOCATION: Beloit-based appliance/electronics retailers represent little competition. However, your present location in Rockford is surrounded by national and regional competitors (Circuit City, American TV, CompUSA, Sam's Club, Media Play, and more). Many of these businesses along State Street in Rockford are housed in newer, larger, more modern and better located stores. Best Buy's store on State Street is old, small, poorly located (hard to get in and out of... somewhat buried in one of the first developed spots along the strip on State street). Quite honestly, the store looks decrepit and worn out. The "obvious" location of opening a store near or on the Milton Avenue commercial strip in Janesville, WI (a larger, more developed city 13 miles north of Beloit) would still put a new store next to major competitors and inconveniently far from the border communities of Roscoe and Rockton. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Sales taxes in Beloit Wisconsin are currently _over_ 1% less than in Rockford. This can really impact the bottom-line when shopping for the large appliances, computers and electronics sold in Best Buy stores. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Delivery service to a large market area is facilitated by the Beloit I-90/I-43 location. You can easily cover from Janesville to Rockford to 1/2 way to Milwaukee from this site. Please look into this prime location as a site for a new Best Buy store! For Beloit area contact information try these web sites: http://www.beloitwi.com/ http://www.visitbeloit.com/ http://www.ci.beloit.wi.us/ http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/cityofbeloit Thank you for the opportunity to suggest this idea. Mark Preuschl Beloit, WI 53511-4137 608-365-3130 mep@hughestech.net The above was sent to the email address listed on BestBuy's web site for new store location suggestions (betsy@bestbuy.com). I received the following reply: Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 12:26:52 -0600 To: mep@mail.hughestech.net From: Betsy Buy Subject: Re: Re-locate your Rockford Best Buy store. Thank you for investing the time and effort to reply to our Idea Box. I would encourage you to write our Real Estate department at P.O. Box 9312, Minneapolis, MN 55440 with your idea for a new Best Buy location. Per these instructions, you are receiving this letter. I have no vested interests in real estate or connections with developers in the Beloit area mentioned above. I'm just a citizen (machinist and part-time computer geek) with an idea I thought might interest you. Thank you, Mark Preuschl