Lowes/Home Depot vs. small local stores - recent experience

[jinman]

I think one of the huge advantages of Lowe's and HD are that they are INDOOR lumber yards. There's nothing like shopping for lumber in air conditioned comfort inside a big warehouse while it is 100+ outside and/or raining cats and dogs. If you are buying small quantities, you can pick your lumber and cull out the rejects. You just can't do that very well in lumber yards where you order inside at a desk and they load you up outside. Indoor lumber yards have a huge advantage in my opinion.

 

[dmccarty]

...
However, when I needed a gross of large galvanized lag screws, I ordered them online as there were none in any of the local stores. The brick-and-mortar businesses nearby (this includes TSC and several independent HW stores) seem unable to stock everything I need, no matter their size.

Moral of the story: competition and variety are good, and a bigger factor in *my* satisfaction than any theory of consumer ethics.

Online stores are certainly impacting local stores. I much prefer to shop online if I can. It is faster, easier, and sometimes cheaper. We have Amazon Prime so second day shipping for us is free. This cuts both ways though. There is a product I have had in my wish list for YEARS. :laughing: Obviously I have not gotten around to pushing the buy button but recently I almost bought the item. The problem was I would have to pay shipping. :laughing: Since I don't need the item ASAP we will just wait until we are in town and buy it for the same price. On the other hand we need a pole saw and I checked out Lowes. I did not really like what I saw and looked at Amazon which has a better pole saw. Eventually I will buy from Amazon because it is a better product, I won't have to pay shipping, and it will be delivered to my door instead of me having to go back to Lowes. Course it cracks me up to think of UPS/FedEx driving up with a long pole saw.... :laughing:

There have been a few tools and fasteners I have need that simply are not available locally so you have to buy mail order. I much prefer to buy online since I can shop from home when I have time and have the product delivered. That saves quite a bit of time and money compared to me having to find time to stop at the store.

Later,
Dan

 

[IslandTractor]

Online stores are certainly impacting local stores. I much prefer to shop online if I can. It is faster, easier, and sometimes cheaper. We have Amazon Prime so second day shipping for us is free. This cuts both ways though. There is a product I have had in my wish list for YEARS. :laughing: Obviously I have not gotten around to pushing the buy button but recently I almost bought the item. The problem was I would have to pay shipping. :laughing: Since I don't need the item ASAP we will just wait until we are in town and buy it for the same price. On the other hand we need a pole saw and I checked out Lowes. I did not really like what I saw and looked at Amazon which has a better pole saw. Eventually I will buy from Amazon because it is a better product, I won't have to pay shipping, and it will be delivered to my door instead of me having to go back to Lowes. Course it cracks me up to think of UPS/FedEx driving up with a long pole saw.... :laughing:

There have been a few tools and fasteners I have need that simply are not available locally so you have to buy mail order. I much prefer to buy online since I can shop from home when I have time and have the product delivered. That saves quite a bit of time and money compared to me having to find time to stop at the store.

Later,
Dan

I have had almost the identical experience. I also count as a plus when buying from Amazon that I don't need to drive anywhere. Cutting out twenty trips to the local HD or Lowes or mall each year easily saves enough gas to pay for the Prime annual fee.

 

[cdaigle430]

I think what helps in my area is the fact that Home Depot and Lowes are only 500 feet apart from each other so there is always great competition going on And of course its a win win sit for me.

 

[Martian]

Went to my Menards today! It is indeed a Home Depot or Lowes on steroids. Not only is the store itself probably 25% larger, but most of their lumber is kept outside, so that 10-15% of the store that was full of lumber is now floor space. Not to mention that they have MUCH more lumber than Home Depot/Lowes. They even had groceries, not a full section, but snacks, drinks and canned foods. I was really impressed, wondered around for a good couple hours just looking at all their stuff.

When I finally got to looking for what I'd came for it was there. Been laying corrugated pipe to help some water drain at my cabin. Looked at Home Depot/Lowes and a couple local stores looking for something bigger than the 4" rolls, on about the 5th place, I found a 6" roll, I really wanted 8"+, but I figured I'd spent enough time looking. Of course I didn't go to Menards, they had up to 18" corrugate pipe and their 6" roll was $75 cheaper than what I paid at the local place. I got some pipe connectors for it (I measured once, and now need to cut twice:ashamed and am now on my way. I will definitely be going back to Menards.

 

[forgeblast]

They have a chocolate calzone!!! wow my wife wants me to find the recipe now lol.

 

[dmccarty]

They have a chocolate calzone!!! wow my wife wants me to find the recipe now lol.

Yeah, the chocolate calzone is pure sin. It should be banned. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

It is just a regular calzone with the cheese and then she fills it full of Nutella. At least a cups worth of Nutella. :licking: LOW FAT it is NOT! For the first few years they had different sizes but the large one was HUGE. It would take up a large pizza box. Now they only have a small size which still lasts us for a few days.

This calzone was REAL BAD for my healthy diet. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Gots to stop thinking about the place. It is Friday and it is tempting to go get a pizza...... :licking:

Later,
Dan

 

[aczlan]

Gots to stop thinking about the place. It is Friday and it is tempting to go get a pizza...... :licking:

We have a tradition to make or get a pizza every Friday (so far, our homemade Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Chicken pizza is our favorite)... My wife has started making her own crust with the Kitchenaid I got her last year and it blows any store bought crust or dough that we have tried out of the water...


Aaron Z

 

[dmccarty]

We have a tradition to make or get a pizza every Friday (so far, our homemade Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Chicken pizza is our favorite)... My wife has started making her own crust with the Kitchenaid I got her last year and it blows any store bought crust or dough that we have tried out of the water...


Aaron Z

:laughing: The pizza place we really like has a Buffalo Chicken pizza that is oh so good. :licking: All I am getting for dinner is a tortilla toasted on a cast iron skillet, then folded over with cheese and turkey. A friend brought us some tomatoes so that will go inside as well. It is good but the pizza would be better! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[Cat_Driver]

Happens in every store.
At my local Home Depot, I was standing in a line, I was next, but the guy in front of me had a ton of stuff. I had already been in line for several minutes, a guy came in behind me and waited for about a minute. An employee spoke Spanish to the guy behind me, then walked him over to a register and checked him out.

I WAS LIVID, I've been in line for many minutes, PLUS I was next and because he was Mexican and the cashier was Mexican he gets serviced and I don't.

I instantly called the manager down and tore him a new one for allowing "her" employees to do this. I got nowhere as she was also Mexica.

I got home and called Corporate Home Depo and tore them a new one.

This was blatent reverse discrimination because I was NOT a Mexican.

Corporate Home Depot appreciated the info and sent me discount coupon.