The Best stores shown in the link were among the most provocative commercial designs around at the time. The company had a number of stores in the mid-Atlantic area, including several in Northern Virginia where I was growing up. Most were stores built in existing spaces, with no particular special design.

I worked at one store in the late 70’s/early 80’s, and it was a somewhat smaller-sized location, but still had the unique design of a large showroom with sample items on the first (ground-floor) level and the warehouse and stock on the upper floor. Most items were “ordered” from the service desk and paid for at checkout stations. Wait-time was generally less than five to ten minutes, unless it was a particularly busy time of year.

Some sections of the store were called “self-service,” where customers could pick up an item and buy it immediately, like sporting goods, hardware, jewelry, the audio section (excluding items like large TV sets).

Upon opening some of the unique stores, the local managers would promote the new locations, sometimes making trips to visit those locations. Many of my colleagues/co-workers felt the buildings were too “radical” or “impractical.”