There are lots of places to buy an electric fireplace, so how do you choose the BEST place to buy an electric fireplace? As long-time electric fireplace specialists, we’ve prepared a comparison of some of the options.
Box Stores
For box stores, electric fireplaces are a seasonal item. That means that they only sell them during the winter months. A box store is NOT the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you are looking for sales staff who are knowledgeable about the products. Because the product is seasonal, and the selection changes each winter, the staff do not get to know the products well. A box store is NOT the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you are looking for a broad selection of products. Because electric fireplaces are seasonal in box stores, there is a large quantity of a very limited number of models. Box stores often carry models specifically made for them, at a lower quality level than brand name fireplaces. This allows them to offer low prices on a limited selection. This means that box stores ARE the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you value the lowest price over product range, product quality and staff expertise.
Online Retailers
There are two types of online retailers: those who only sell online, and those who also have bricks-and-mortar stores. Let’s deal with online-only retailers first. They typically carry a wide variety of product from many manufacturers. Because they don’t have a physical store, their staff have likely never seen the fireplaces in person. This limits their ability to make recommendations for the best fireplaces to suit your needs. They have also never installed the units, so their technical knowledge is limited to what they can read online. Online-only retailers are NOT the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you want to Shop Canadian. Many online-only fireplace retailers are from the U.S., even if they have ‘Canada’ or ‘Canadian’, or .ca in their name. A good example of this is ElectricFireplacesCanada.ca, which is based in the USA, but is very careful not to show that information anywhere on their site.
Like online-only retailers, bricks-and-mortar stores with ecommerce sites offer a wide variety of product. However, they also have the advantage of staff experts with more hands-on technical knowledge, who can form an opinion on the appearance of the fireplaces because they’ve actually seen them. Because manufacturers control the pricing of their products online, you won’t pay any more for shopping with these online retailers, but you will have access to more expertise. E-commerce stores that are part of a bricks-and-mortar store are the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you value selection and staff expertise at a competitive price. They are a great alternative if you don’t have a local retailer, but need expert help to find the best fireplace. Stylishfireplaces.ca falls into this category.
Local Hearth Dealers
Your local fireplace store may NOT be the best place to buy an electric fireplace. That’s because most hearth dealers prefer to sell gas or wood-burning fireplaces. Many will have very few or no electric fireplaces on display in their stores. As a result, their staff are not knowledgeable in electric fireplace products. If you can find a local hearth dealer who specializes in electric fireplaces, this will be the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you value in-depth expertise and the ability to see a lot of electric fireplaces in person. Hearth dealers typically carry better-quality fireplaces than box stores, so your local electric fireplace specialist may also be the best place to buy an electric fireplace if you value quality products. Stylish Fireplaces & Interiors falls into this category.
Stylish Fireplaces & Interiors specializes in electric fireplaces and custom designs. Their Toronto-area showroom features over 50 fireplaces on display, along with all the wall coverings to complete a feature wall. They also offer an ecommerce site which is supported by the same expert staff that works in their showroom.