Side-by-side fridges now sit beside Plasma TVs and home theater setups at the Denver area stores formerly known as SoundTrack.

Since founder Bill Pearse opened his 2,000-square-foot Arvada TV and stereo store in 1968, the company now known as Ultimate Electronics has worked to change with the times and keep up with ever-evolving customers needs.

In its latest evolution, the Colorado-based retailer has added a home appliance department with more than 300 washers, dryers, ovens and refrigerators at every price point, from GE and Whirlpool to Jenn-Air and Bosch. Stores in Denver, Englewood, Littleton, Golden, Boulder and Thornton recently added between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet devoted to appliances, without cutting back on the extensive selection of TVs, home theaters and sound systems for which the retailer is known.

"With the introduction of advanced technologies in home appliances today, we feel that our customer-focused sales and delivery teams will be perfect for this category," said Jim Pearse, president and son of Ultimate's founder Bill Pearse. "Carrying home appliances is the next logical step in providing our customers with exactly what they need."

Ultimate is continuing a practice that illustrates the retailer's understanding of its customers and the harsh economic realities many are facing today. As it already does with its consumer electronics, the retailer is comparing prices daily among competitors including Sears, Lowe's, Home Depot and Best Buy, and always pricing their products lower than the competition.

Today, Ultimate operates 32 stores in nine states, with nine Colorado locations. The privately held company added appliances in its Colorado Springs store last year, and will also include them in its Fort Collins location when that store relocates later this year.

Store addresses:

Denver: 1370 S. Colorado Boulevard

Englewood: 9657 E. County Line Road

Littleton: 8196 W. Bowles Ave.

Golden: 14391 W. Colfax Ave.

Boulder: 1955 28 th Street

Thornton: 321 W. 84 th Avenue