Lowe's closing 50 stores !

[Industrial Toys]

A lot of guys just pass the cost of materials on to the customer, so they don't care that they are paying a premium. Marking up material is the easiest money I ever make. But obviously, you have to buy at wholesale.

If for some reason, I have to buy Retail, I charge for my time to do it.

 

[prichard]

I stopped at Lowe's tonight. It was horrible, the store was a mess, pretty much no employees on the floor or at registers. Used to be that would describe HD, not Lowe's. Their original model was to be more female friendly, clean and lots of help.

 

[kenmac]

You can usually buy a roll of wire for what it costs to buy half a roll by the ft. Or you go to your local supply house and pay even less, which makes me wonder why contractors even shop at Lowes or HD. I can see getting a few odds and ends.

Actually, When I was in the HVAC business. My cost for wire at the electrical supply house (wholesale) was about .02 cents per foot less than what I paid at lowes. When using my lowes contractor account. I got 5% off. so I paid less for wire at Lowes

Some size wire at the electrical supply was more than Lowes

 

[ovrszd]

You can usually buy a roll of wire for what it costs to buy half a roll by the ft. Or you go to your local supply house and pay even less, which makes me wonder why contractors even shop at Lowes or HD. I can see getting a few odds and ends.

I paid $1.15 per foot for 2-2-4 aluminum direct bury wire buyin exactly the amount I needed with no waste. Not sure where I could have beat that price. Couldn't get close at my Electrical Supply store. They are who told me to go to Menard's.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I paid $1.15 per foot for 2-2-4 aluminum direct bury wire buyin exactly the amount I needed with no waste. Not sure where I could have beat that price. Couldn't get close at my Electrical Supply store. They are who told me to go to Menard's.

We ain't got Menards here.
I do like the fact you pick your own lumber. When you get it delivered from a lumberyard, you never know what you will get.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Just went to my first Menards store, while visiting family in Cheyenne. Well stocked, well lit, clean. For lumber and hardware, I could not see much difference compared to HD or Lowes.

Here in Sacramento I get all my lumber and softwood plywood from a family owned lumberyard that has been in operation about 40 years. The #2 lumber is always straight with some tight knots, stocked in lengths up to 20 ft. The plywood is clean, completely flat, no dinged edges, and I have never noticed voids. I like that I can drive right up to the piles of lumber and the yard guys load everything for me. There is no need, as there is in HD and Lowes, to waste time picking through a pile of scrap to find one or two half way decent pieces of wood. And both HD and Lowes have only pre-warped plywood, because they store it badly on racks. The family lumberyard price is a little higher, but not that much, and more than worth it to me to get reliably good quality materials.

 

[Oldoak]

downsizing, in your case I would agree. However not all family owned lumberyards as well as Lowes and HD stores are run the same way. I always shop where I receive the service and quality that I am paying for.

I don't expect the highest quality at the cheapest price and at the same time don't mind paying more if I am getting higher quality material.

 

[Diggin It]

Your local electric contractor may buy wire and cable by the million feet, or hundred thousand feet. The Big Box stores buy wire and cable by the ten million feet on national contracts.


Other things are different. My Lowes store sells standard concrete blocks for less than the public can buy them from the place that makes them locally. Lowes buys them from the same place and they have the same block making company name on the pallets.

 

[Jstpssng]

downsizing, in your case I would agree. However not all family owned lumberyards as well as Lowes and HD stores are run the same way. I always shop where I receive the service and quality that I am paying for.

I don't expect the highest quality at the cheapest price and at the same time don't mind paying more if I am getting higher quality material.

You are one of a very rare breed, which is one reason why stores with knowledgeable, helpful people are fading away.

 

[ovrszd]

We ain't got Menards here.
I do like the fact you pick your own lumber. When you get it delivered from a lumberyard, you never know what you will get.

My shop builder got all the dimensional lumber locally. Ordered extra. Sent back rejects. Can't do that with a Menard's delivery.