Over the summer, Batteries Plus opened a store off of Forest Park Parkway. With it came a combination of on-site retail (batteries, bulbs, chargers and accessories) and some services, like recycling of batteries, bulbs and some electronic accessories, that weren't easy to find without leaving the neighborhood.
My first visit to pick up a key fob battery couldn't have been quicker. The swap took the clerk a couple of minutes, at most. My second visit wasn't quite as smooth since the company's website will sell out-of-stock products as available for pickup, leaving it up to the local store to sort out. Sold an auto battery type that they didn't have and couldn't get, the Central West End store's team did its best to locate one, checking in a couple of times over the course of a week while confirming that none of the other area locations or suppliers had stock before apologizing and refunding the purchase without issue. It wasn't a great look for the company, but the store made the best of the situation.
The bigger additions in terms of neighborhood benefits, in my mind, are the recycling services. A wide variety of items are accepted at no charge (some items are collected for a small fee that's disclosed ahead of time). Being able to bring in spent lighting, old computer backup batteries and other harder-to-recycle items, without having to wait for Earth Day or make an appointment just makes the Central West End that much more convenient! read more
