Next spring I'll also let you know if it's better to buy in the spring and plant within a short time, or .........\

Buy a bunch of shrubs in the spring, never make time to plant them or even consider where they'll go anyway, ponder all summer, and then just before it snows, dig a hole, throw pots close together in the hole, cover with dirt to the rims, and hope like heck they survive the winter. Oh, and the other leftovers, dig a hole near the house foundation, sink the shrub, run out of room, and dig a hole in a pile of dirt, sink the pot, and again, hope like heck you have something survive until spring =:D

I'd highly recommend Konrad's method over mine, LOL !

Konrad, I fully agree with your comments. I only transplant in the spring or late summer when there's still plenty of time for plants to reestablish roots before the cold weather arrives.

A few years autumns ago, I had purchased several upright junipers on 1/2 price clearance. These I had thought would be fine and good just to sink to their rims in the shade of my protected north facing deck .... WRONG! .... they had died back terribly! Instead I should have just tossed them into the cold storage room where they would have wintered 100% fine.

Depends what kind of plant. I personally think it's always preferable to plant in spring (except fall bulbs obviously), but I have had better success with fall transplanting of herbaceous perennials than with fall transplanting of woody plants.