Nice mark up....

[bigtiller]

When I was a teenager, my little town of 2000 people had 2 hardware stores, 3 grocery stores and 6 full service gas stations and a whole slue of shops in town. Then people started going to the big stores....... the town is slowly fading away.

I can't buy a wood screw, welding rod or a fishing pole with out leaving town.

 

[MoMower]

It is most certainly a delicate balance between staying in business and not being greedy for the mom & Pops. I frequent several small hardware stores and usually buy my power equipment from them, but certain items they can not compete on.

 

[Arky217]

I like my local hardware store (it's an ACE hardware); sometimes they are actually cheaper on the same item than the 20 mile distant Lowes even with my 10% Lowes military discount.

However, one item that I rarely buy from them is lumber. This is not because of price, but because they don't let you pick it out like the box stores do.
Years ago, this wouldn't be a problem, however, with such poor quality of lumber that's available today, you might get one good piece out of 10.

Watching some of those logging reality shows, it makes me wonder how the sawmills even get any lumber out of the logs, some of which are barely big enough for pulpwood.

 

[teejk]

It is most certainly a delicate balance between staying in business and not being greedy for the mom & Pops. I frequent several small hardware stores and usually buy my power equipment from them, but certain items they can not compete on.

Hardware stores...as the big boys move in and squeeze the manufacturers, quality goes down. I'll use Ames shovels/hoes/rakes as an example...hard to believe that a long established company like that would supply HD with a clearly inferior product without putting a different name on it but they did. If my local can supply the "old" Ames tool at a higher price, for me the answer is easy ("buy it once"). If the big box guys have changed the quality for everybody, then no sense paying more. Power equipment is different...anything bought at a "big box" will most likely be a special model built cheaply for that store. Several years ago I bought a chain saw from HD and only when buying parts did I notice "HD" attached to the product number. I've noticed similar things with shop tools.

 

[Stimw]

Anybody remember the old REAL hardware stores?
They were floor to ceiling, some basement/attic too with inventory!
They bought in volume knowing it might take a few years to sell it.
BUT then the government figured out they could tax inventory and made overstocking less profitable!

 

[JDgreen227]

Did anyone see the "60 Minutes" program tonight that detailed the obscene mark ups on eyewear, especially frames? Part of it said a pair of eyeglass frames that cost $30 to make sell for $200 and up. YEAH. MY GF recently had cataract operations on both eyes and the same vision center that did her operations quoted her a price of OVER SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS for a pair of bifocals...the frame alone was nearly a third of that. She went online and found the same pair of glasses with a frame almost the same as the $190 one....know how much she paid for the entire pair of glasses online....$53 and $5 shipping. Don't ANYBODY tell me that local retailers don't mark merchandise up to screw over the consumer!!

 

[JDgreen227]

When folks start telling me how much they know, I find they usually exaggerate by quite a bit.

And your point is.......???????

 

[sseelhoff]

I buy locally as often as I can. There are just some things are local store doesn't stock. If they do have it, I will gladly spend the few extra dollars for the service I receive. I know our folks at the local store, and they know me. If something goes wrong, they make it right. If I need advice, they are eager to help. Plus the money stays here. (No big boxes where we are-closest are 15-20 miles away.)

Case in point: Bought a new Stihl chainsaw this afternoon-from the local hardware. Probably could have saved some money by driving to HD or Lowes. I know that if a problem develops, they will fix it.

In a small way, it's like people talk about with the new tractor discussions- you're buying the dealership, too.

 

[newbury]

Ah, the slow death of the hardware store.

In NE Mississippi I've got 3 choices for B&M stores - 2 are small Mom & Pop, well established within 16 miles, then 3 BB at 45 miles.

The local I like is moderately well stocked and services most of the local contractors. They have their good and bad points.

Good - Service - I picked up about 20 2x4x8's PT. The "kid" that pulled them out of a stack for me sighted every one for straightness and bad knots and discarded about 15 to get my 20. I didn't ask him to.

Bad - Stock level - I went to get 10 sheets of 3/4 PT plywood, they only had 6 sheets left and they were curved enough to make basketballs.

Which brings up a point - they accept returns, almost without question.

I was there when a contractor was returning 5 sheets of drywall. Which were sitting in the back of his pickup, uncovered, in a slight rain.

I'm waiting to be able to order everything of Amazon with FREE 24hr delivery.

 

[Red Horse]

Hardware stores...as the big boys move in and squeeze the manufacturers, quality goes down. I'll use Ames shovels/hoes/rakes as an example...hard to believe that a long established company like that would supply HD with a clearly inferior product without putting a different name on it but they did. If my local can supply the "old" Ames tool at a higher price, for me the answer is easy ("buy it once"). If the big box guys have changed the quality for everybody, then no sense paying more. Power equipment is different...anything bought at a "big box" will most likely be a special model built cheaply for that store. Several years ago I bought a chain saw from HD and only when buying parts did I notice "HD" attached to the product number. I've noticed similar things with shop tools.

I think you hit on a key point here. On many items, the big boxes do in fact have products built for them that have different specs-usually lesser IMO. And on some items (fasteners of any type) there can be big differences in quality. One of my "issues" with suppliers is when I see on a box..."contents made in USA, Taiwan, Mexico or China"--that should not be legal.

JD, as for your store I think you identified the problem-they are in an "upscale area"-that translates to me that their customer base is willing to pay for the convenience of having it in their back yard. I'm a firm believer that many merchants price at what the traffic will bear.

As always.."let the buyer beware". Oh and someone's comment on Stihl? forget about buying one at a big box-they only sell through a dealer network that does NOT include the big boxes.