Experts say these are the best places to buy appliances - and it's not looking good for Sears

AP

• Abt Electronics and Appliances get the highest rating from shoppers for appliance purchases, according to Consumer Reports.
• It's followed by Amazon, Costco, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and R.C. Willey Home Furnishings, according to Consumer Reports.
• Sears and Menards get the worst ratings.

For decades, Sears was the top store in the US for buying dishwashers, refrigerators, stoves, and other major household appliances.

But with Sears closing hundreds of stores, shoppers are now going elsewhere for these major purchases.

Lowe's and Home Depot now sell more appliances than Sears, and new players, like Amazon and JCPenney, have been entering the market.

Consumer Reports surveyed 42,000 shoppers to determine which retailer is the best for buying appliances. Customers rated the retailers on categories like price, selection, and service.

Out of 22 major appliance sellers, Abt Electronics and Appliances had the highest ratings, followed by Amazon, Costco, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and R.C. Willey Home Furnishings. Lowe's and Best Buy ranked 15th and 16th, respectively, and Home Depot ranked 19th.

Abt and Amazon received top ratings in almost every category, but Costco had higher ratings than both retailers for prices.

Coming in last place among the major appliance sellers were Sears and Menards.

Menards got poor marks for selection, service, and website usability, a subpar rating for price, "and only a middling rating for its in-store atmosphere," according to Consumer Reports. "Sears isn't much better than Menards overall, buoyed only by favorable marks for installation and haul-away scores."

The survey asked readers to rate 62,000 appliance purchases they made from spring 2016 to spring 2017 at 30 chain retailers across the country, as well as from independent retailers and manufacturers.