Bix box stores hardware stores product slection

[JoeR]

Recently I had to get a new dimmer switch and went over to Lowe's. I couldn't find one that I liked, and everything they had was made my Lutron. So, I went to Home Depot thinking I would find a different selection. To my amazement, they also had the same poor selection of Lutron. I couldn't believe it! Same junk!

Today, I needed a new aerator for my faucet. I go to Lowe's and get one. I install it and the water comes out at an angle. Well, I go to Home Depot once again thinking I could find a different or better part. Nope! Same exact manufacturer at Home Depot too!

I wonder if they are going to merge since their product lines and distributors are beginning to align. As a consumer, I am starting to have less products to choose from....

Has anyone else noticed that the suppliers for both stores are almost the same? I don't remember it being that way a year ago.

Joe

 

[MikePA]

Has anyone else noticed that the suppliers for both stores are almost the same? I don't remember it being that way a year ago.

It's been this way for a long time and it's not just at the 'bix' box stores, even smaller places like Ace Hardware carry the same electrical supplies.

 

[slowrev]

It is the inevitable results of mergers and acquisitions.
Less product selection and competition.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

If you think the box stores tick you off you need to consider the position of the small contractor. The box store begs for your business while employing all the guys and gals that couldn't make it on their own as subcontractors to compete with you for work.

They don't affect me. But they do remind me of something a friend once said about dealing with Walmart. "Nothing ticks them off more than someone else making a buck." He was involved in trying to sell a product through Walmart.

 

[DieselPower]

If you think the box stores tick you off you need to consider the position of the small contractor. The box store begs for your business while employing all the guys and gals that couldn't make it on their own as subcontractors to compete with you for work.

They don't affect me. But they do remind me of something a friend once said about dealing with Walmart. "Nothing ticks them off more than someone else making a buck." He was involved in trying to sell a product through Walmart.

I feel sorry for your friend. I have read about how Commiemart bullies their suppliers around and "tells" them how much they are going to sell to them for and not how much the supplier wants.

 

[Bedlam]

Well today I drove past two Lowe's and a home depot to get to a 'local' hardware store. It was well worth the trip.

The clerk new their stuff, and I wasn't asked for my zip or phone or ID..
They had a map, with push pins in it to indicate if I wished where I was from , so they can tell the distance their customers travel.
I placed the pin, <much better than asking for your zip code.

Ironically prices re sometimes cheaper in the 'local' stores,
Al

 

[heehaw]

i haven't been in a "hardware" store in years: till jan 9th: i was in Germantown, Tn: and saw a private hardware store: i was impressed with the selection they have: and the prices where in line: we have an ace hardware locally: which was really competitive until the founder/owner passed away a couple years ago and his kids took over.
heehaw

 

[dmccarty]

I feel sorry for your friend. I have read about how Commiemart bullies their suppliers around and "tells" them how much they are going to sell to them for and not how much the supplier wants.

Why? Walmart's customers demand lower prices. How is Walmart going to meet its Customer's demands without the supplier lowering their prices. Its business. Nobody forces a supplier to sell through Walmart.

There was an article in the WSJ a few years ago where the CEO of Huffy was complaining about Wally World. From what I could figure out from the article, the CEO wanted the volume that Wally World could provide. But there were a couple of problems supplying WallyWorld. One, selling to Walmart might lower Huffy's brand image. I could not figure that one out since Huffy is not up their in my image of a quality bike. Two, Huffy would make less per bike. Duh! That is why you go to WallyWorld for volume. Three, Huffy supplying Wallmart would tick off their other retailers. Duh!

The Huffy CEO was complaing about Big Bad Walmart. But HE SIGNED THE DEAL. Walmart did not point a gun at him. The CEO did it. The CEO was upset that Walmart the next year wanted products for less. But they also wanted MORE products. Huffy would make more on the volume. This was in the contract. The problem was that Huffy could not meet the demand for more volume. And thus Huffy was penalized per the contract. Duh.

So who is wrong? Walmart for going by the contract? or the CEO who signed a contract that he had issues with and he knew he could not meet?

The auto companies do the same thing to their suppliers.
I just taped togather a notebook cover at work. Why? Because its hard to get new supplies since that is an expense. And holding down expenses is a big deal.

Later,
Dan

 

[DieselPower]

Yeah, Commiemarts customers demand lower prices and they get it by bulling their suppliers to move operations to China where labor cost are almost nill. All they end up doing is lowering prices so the poor out of work US workers can still afford it. They can keep their junk. On top of their cheap junk they also end up forcing small business owners to close because they can not compete. I personally don't mind paying a little more for good service from a locally owned company. I'm a die hard red blodded American and darn proud of it. They can keep their global conglomerate.

I to like my old binders. We totaly agree on that. In fact this is the binder I use when selling TRC lubricants. Note the pattent dates from the 1920's and I know for a fact it is from at least the 30's (it was my grandfathers). Even has real metal hinges. Bet you won't find these in Commiemart.





frontline: is wal-mart good for america?: transcript | PBS Not sure if you saw this program or not but it was excellent.
Film reveiw: Wal-Mart - The High Cost of Low Price : Melbourne Indymedia
Socialism Today - Is Wal-Mart just Evil?
Wal-Mart Watch
WALMART ASSOCIATES CENTRAL

 

[dmccarty]

LOL!

PBS and Frontline are not good references on any subject as far as I'm concerned. They have a very strong bias and it shows. Given the titles on your links I don't think they will be unbiased as well.

The fact is that we are in a global economy. Jobs are going to go to cheap labor. That is not Walmarts fault. Walmart for years at least tried to buy products made in this country.

Forcing suppliers to sell cheaper has been going on forever. The big auto companies do it. My company holds down labor rates, meaning what they pay me as well as my benefits. My benefits have been cut every year since I joined the company. I don't like it but our Customers are not clammering at the door demanding to pay MORE for products. They want it cheaper. They want more for what they pay. One way to make it cheaper is to pay people less, i.e., lower expenses.

Kinda sounds like everyone else.

Beating up Walmart is a political tirade now a days for some reason. Sears sells Chinese stuff. Do we beat up Sears? Do you own a computer? What country produced the parts? I doubt many parts have made in the USA stamped on it. How about TVs, DVDs, MP3 players, iPods, cell phones, phones, ect.

Do we dump on Circuit City because they buy their products overseas? Hmmmm. No. How many mom and pop TV stores are out there? Why?

Last year I needed a new jacket. My old one from LL Bean was getting to rag state, it was a good 15 years old. It cost about $200. I looked and looked and looked but could not find what I wanted but I did notice that jacket prices had really dropped. If I could find what I wanted it was not going to cost more than $100-150. Eventually I found what I wanted in a real honest to goodness gun store. For $75. Made in China of course.

My wife lost her job in the tech business years ago when her position went to India. She is now a real estate broker. I see systems getting transfered to India. I have people from India having skill transfers on systems right behind me. If *** I *** don't stay competitive my job will go overseas. It might anyway.

The global economy has been here for years. Its not going away. But something must be working since I see more new buildings. Dozens and dozens of new developments full of HUGE houses going up that I don't think I could afford. There are large number of people in my area making lots of money doing something. And its not work in 'bacco or textiles.

NC used to be a big textile state with mills and the company towns all over the place. People complain about Walmart. If you want to see people treated poorly go study up on what it was like to be live in a Company Town. Given that I see much better houses in the old mill towns compared to what the workers used to live in me thinks the workers are better off. The river I cross twice a day used to be one of the most polluted in NC due to the mills. Its not any more since the mills have all but shut down. The mills are being bought up and used as apartments, offices and stores. I buy groceries at a store in an old mill. The city of Durham had a huge base of jobs, income, and taxes in the tobacco business. That has moved off shore has well. But the areas that had the wharehouses and factories are booming as the have been converted over to very nice malls, resturants, condos, and apartments. A large section of town that was seedy at best is now very high end and providing far more tax money to the city.

To get back to the subject of this thread, in my town for years there where two hardware stores. Then for some reason a third opened. Given the areas growth and the road building it was pretty obvious and, after a while, well known that a Lowes was going to build. Those hardware stores where going to get hit. The store I went to saw the writing on the wall. The store was small to begin with and really did not have many products. There major business was fuel supply but the Fire Marshal was going to require upgrades they could not or would not make so they had to shut down the operation. The wife opened a flower shop else where in town and is doing very well. I drove by the hardware store this week and its gone. We knew they where up to something since the husband has been in the real estate office. Their land and building are worth alot of money. They just have to figure out what the husband will now do.

Its unfortunate but Lowes certainly provides a HUGE selection compared to what the local stores have in stock. No comparison. The reason Lowes/HD/Walmart/Target/etc exist is that smaller stores don't have the selection and usually the lower prices a large store/company can provide. If it was otherwise Lowes/HD/Walmart/Target/etc would not be here. My wife's family used to be part owners in one of the largest department stores in eastern NC. That store no longer exists. Other stores came into the area and drove them out of business. It was likely a Mall and/or a KMart.

Later,
Dan

 

[Jagmandave]

The global economy has been here for years. Its not going away. But something must be working since I see more new buildings. Dozens and dozens of new developments full of HUGE houses going up that I don't think I could afford. There are large number of people in my area making lots of money doing something.

I've noticed this phenomenon in our area too, and I wonder what these folks are doing to be able to afford these expensive new homes. The median price of a home here in KC is now $285k! This in an area that's still considered to be one of the most "affordable" housing areas in the country.........

 

[midlf]

Walmart did not invent beating suppliers into the ground on price. Dad used to work for Sears and back in the 50's I heard stories of their business practices. Worst business decision you could make back then was to let Sears be the great majority of your business. When they knew you were tied to them they started turning the screws. Some business found out Sears knew their costing data better than they did.

 

[billbill1]

That's the way it works, drop prices until you eliminate the competition, then raise your price.

 

[Bedlam]

Just to set your minds at ease, I'm sure most of these people who 'afford' the huge houses they have,Most are at the breaking point. (And by breaking point yes its relative.)They have a mortgage that takes two incomes etc. to make it work. And when something happens to either income for whatever reason, they bail.
I'm a lot of cases they move to the 'country' to get away from it all. And then push the town meetings to get what they had in the city. And then sit quietly, until they find that the taxes are more than they can bear, and poof gone.
On my road alone in the last 15 years, no one knows their neighbor anymore, they haven developed all th farm land that was once here, and of course , when you build a new House, you need to cut all the trees down. And put up telephone poles,With lights, to give it the 'security' image.
This is just how it is in my neck of the woods.

 

[cp1969]

Just to set your minds at ease, I'm sure most of these people who 'afford' the huge houses they have,Most are at the breaking point. (And by breaking point yes its relative.)They have a mortgage that takes two incomes etc. to make it work. And when something happens to either income for whatever reason, they bail.
I'm a lot of cases they move to the 'country' to get away from it all. And then push the town meetings to get what they had in the city. And then sit quietly, until they find that the taxes are more than they can bear, and poof gone.
On my road alone in the last 15 years, no one knows their neighbor anymore, they haven developed all th farm land that was once here, and of course , when you build a new House, you need to cut all the trees down. And put up telephone poles,With lights, to give it the 'security' image.
This is just how it is in my neck of the woods.

You have described where I live to a 'T'. City 'transients' that come in, try to make a big splash, run for city council and school board, then one day you notice you haven't seen them in a while and you are told "they moved back to the city."

I try to avoid WalMart (and anybody else selling Chinese junk) if at all possible, but sometimes it can't be done. And I have to wonder if all I am doing is throwing my money away because my one-man boycott doesn't seem to be having the desired effect.

I am old enough that I won't live long enough to see how this 'global economy' BS plays out but my hunch is that it the middle class won't survive it.