For years, I got Crutchfield catalogs, even though I wouldn’t say I’m their ideal customer. My perception of them was always – top service, high quality and higher prices to match. That view could be wrong, but as a result, I often bought my electronics from the big-box stores — even despite the frustrating sales processes.

Would I be more inclined to shop Crutchfield now after hassles at Best Buy or Circuit City? Maybe. But in this economic climate, I think a better deal will still trump better service for a lot of people. That said, a quality buying experience is critical to positive user ratings in shopping engines, although I didn’t see Crutchfield listed in one I tried recently.

We hear a lot about overall sales being down this year, but it would be interesting to find out how the quality vs. price battle shakes out after the holiday season.

I think it’s fine to have a separate tagline from your value proposition, because the tagline really should describe what you do, so the visitor “gets it” right away. Compare this to Circuit City’s “we’ll hook you up” which could be a dating site, a cable guy, a fishing school…

Very clean design and navigation too.

As for the unique selling proposition, mentioning (34 years), it does have several powerful things all rolled up into one. Experience, knowledge, caring. But it does not set them apart from other retailers in my opinion.

I suppose that’s one way of looking at it, but I really just consider it a confidence-builder.

Same with media mentions. Very helpful in boosting customer confidence, but is that really connected to a value proposition?