I like to support local merchants so have used the local independent flooring stores for tile, hardwood and carpeting. It's all they do and they know their stuff. To stay in business and be competitive they need to offer top notch service and stand behind it. I haven't found they were more expensive when comparing apples to apples. I have also used remnants for smaller rooms at a considerable cost savings. The big box stores are probably fine but my preference is local.