The Hands Down Worst Place To Buy Kitchen Appliances, Per Consumer Reports

If you're in the market for a new refrigerator, of course it's important to find the right brand — but purchasing the right brand from the right store is just as important. Just as there are refrigerator brands that are best avoided, there are appliance stores you should also steer clear of. Consumer Reports surveyed 20,000 of its members on the best and worst stores to shop for all large or small appliances, and coming in dead last in both segments was the upper-Midwest-based budget hardware store Menards.

Stores were rated on price, service, selection, in-store atmosphere, website usability, home delivery, and installation. For small appliances, Menards fared poorly, and for large, the chain was at best middle-of-the-road. For website, delivery, and installation, the chain's score was nonexistent. Menards does deliver, but for installation services it connects you with a local contractor. Anyone who has tried to use the Menards website since 1998 knows the pain of navigating it. If you're looking to shop for appliances online, you may be better served searching on Amazon.

Menards has a mixed reputation online. Some people love its low prices, others feel the products it carries are of poor quality. "I detest Menards. Am I in the minority?" asked a poster on a Reddit forum for people living in Wisconsin. The top complaint people had was with the ownership. Multiple posters reported the owner showing up to locations and, per the same Reddit thread, reportedly would "fire people for looking him in the eye." The company and owner have been cited for numerous environmental violations including multiple illegal dumping of dangerous chemicals and selling arsenic-tainted mulch labeled as "ideal for playgrounds and for animal bedding" (per Milwaukee Magazine).

Other posters had complaints about the store's rebate program. In 2025, Menards settled with 10 states over deceptive advertising of its 11% rebate program. Customers assume you get the rebate when you check out, but in fact you have to mail the rebate in. And the rebate is only in-store credit. People on Reddit complained about how much work goes into getting the rebate, as well as delays in receiving rebates. Fortunately, the top place to buy kitchen appliances also resides in the Midwest. If you live near Chicago, Abt Electronics was the top place to buy new appliances, according to Consumer Reports.