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

[Car Doc]

I think people are brain washed into believing the big box lumber stores always have the best prices jmho. I check the local store also when making decisions. The service can suck at all of them imo.

fwtw I checked Lowes recently on 4x8 8" on center smart panels for a shed I was building and they wanted $38 each and my local store sells them for $26, the 4x4 treated was cheaper at my local store also. They got the business that would have cost me a bunch of money plus an 80 mile one way trip had I not did my homework.

Service pretty much sucks everywhere.

 

[300UGUY]

Home Depot and Lowes around here say that they will match prices with any competitors. That's probably why there are no lumber yards in the county. There were a dozen or more 25 years ago, but they are all gone. There are still a few hardware stores around, but they are having a tough time. There used to be some independent IGA stores here - grocery stores. After Wallmart, Kroger's, and Meijers moved in, they are all gone now. Retail seems to have become dominated by a few big corporations, little guys don't stand a chance against them.

 

[dmccarty]

If I need PT wood for a major project I go to a family owned plant. It is not local to me but I work close enough to the plant that I can swing by to buy the wood. Their service is ok, not bad, not great, but nothing to complain about. The product quality is MUCH better than Lowes or HD. Price is about the same or a bit less. There is a PT plant in our county but he is far enough away that I have never been there but I need to make a visit to check them out.

Forget building supplies for a second but I will tie hardware and lumber back into this in a second. :laughing: Lets talk PIZZA! :licking:

When we first moved to the country the nearby town had a locally owned pizza place and Pizza Hut. If you wanted pizza those were you two choices. Since we can get Pizza Hut anywhere we went to the local store quite a bit. The pizza was ok. Nothing to complain about but nothing to rave about either. Pizza Hut was just as good. The problem with the local pizza place is that the owner was never there and she hired people who could not speak ENGLISH. EVERY order we placed was messed up. We went through this maybe a half dozen times until New Years Eve. The wife ordered the pizza on the phone and was very careful in the order. When I picked up the order I checked the pizzas to see if they were done correctly. Because of some many mistakes we had to check every danged pizza which is something we had never had to do at the pizza places we used over the years or today. Of course the pizza order was wrong. Surprise! NOT! They had put meat on a veggie pizza for goodness sake! I politely pointed out the problem and the guy who took the order, who could barely speak English, and obviously could not understand English, proceeded to lecture me on how to order a pizza.

That was the last visit to the mismanaged local business.

We went to the Pizza Hut for a few years and they managed to get EVERY order correct. Amazing. They had employees who could speak English. Local people who where polite and could take an order. The employees would recognize us when we called and knew what we were ordering! :thumbsup: Amazing concept for a business! Hire people who understand the local language! People who stay around, are polite, friendly, and get to know the Customer. Do you need an MBA to figure out that business model? This is from the big, bad, Corporate Company. :thumbsup:

Now we have three more pizza places in town. Two new chains and a local place. The local place has The Best Pizza and the service is excellent. They have never messed up a pizza order. The new chain we have been using as a change of pace and they have gotten every order correct. The one time the new local place made a mistake it was in giving us a cannoli. We called up the store, of course the owner answered and knew who we were. She apologized profusely for the mistake, and over our protests, DROVE the cannoli to our house! :thumbsup: We just wanted a credit for the next vist. :shocked: This lady is an awesome person and a great addition to the community. Oh yeah, she is in the place working almost every night.

What does this have to do with Lowes and HD?

The horrible local pizza place is on the main drag in town. Behind it, on a side street, is the Great Local Pizza Place. How the horrible place stays in business is beyond me especially when people can go a few feet and get the best pizza in town. The Great Local Pizza Place is in a building that used to be a local fuel supplier and hardware store. The fuel and hardware store had been a fixture in town for a couple of generations. However the fire code changed and they could not afford to bring the fuel part of the business up to the new code so they had to stop that part of the business. Hardware was not doing so well by itself and then Lowes came to town so they closed up the hardware business. The Great Local Pizza Place rented the building and the people who owned the building opened up a florist shop which is doing very well.

I told you I would bring it back to hardware. :laughing:

For us, service trumps local vs not local.

Later,
Dan

 

[DAY]

As anyone in business- especially an OWNER of a business- will tell you it is far, far cheaper to KEEP a customer than to GET a customer. That is the root of the "Service with a Smile" meme.
Before the "do it yourself" movement caught on, it was mostly professionals that bought the raw materials. Now it is the other way around, and the smart operators- aka Big Box Stores- know this. The hire retired plumbers and carpenters and electricians, and they will do everything to help you out, short of coming home with you, and doing the job. They even have classes on weekends, teaching both men and women how to wire a fixture or shingle a roof.
That said, I do miss the old hardware stores, back in the days when blister packs and credit cards were unknown!

 

[chad22]

I prefer the local and smaller businesses. But will do most of my plumbing/lumber/ purchases at lowes or home depot.

We have an ace hardware about 20 miles away from here. And whenever you go into that store you get this over helpful/annoying guy that breathes down your neck every second your in that store.

Even after telling him, no thanks I know what I need, where to find it etc. He's still right behind you and won't leave you alone. And he's the only one besides the cashier that's in there.

I don't know, to me he seems to think it's a crime for a customer to go down an aisle by themselves. I guess he considers everyone of the customers a shop lifter.

There's usually not more than a few other customers in the store at the same time. The store is pretty much dead. I guess I know why. lol

I hardly go there myself unless I just have to get a plumbing part and I can't make it the 40 miles or so to the lowes or home depot. (Or it's a plumbing part lowes/home depot doesn't have)

Chad

 

[kootch88]

What the heck is a "blister pack"? n

 

[chad22]

What the heck is a "blister pack"? n

Blister pack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

lol. I wondered that too. So I looked it up on wikipedia.

Blister pack is a term for several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals.

The primary component of a blister pack is a cavity or pocket made from a formable web, usually a thermoformed plastic. This usually has a backing of paperboard or a lidding seal of aluminum foil or plastic. A blister that folds onto itself is often called a clamshell.

Blister pack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chad

 

[George2615]

For many years I preferred the smaller local businesses (Mom & Pop grocery stores/ gas stations, grocery stores, hardware and lumber stores) because they were owned by local people. Sadly over the past 20 years the bigger box stores (Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart etc.) have put the squeeze on so much tha most of the smaller stores could no longer compete and have now closed.

 

[forgeblast]

Dan I have to laught at the Nc Pizza problem. When we were there(nc) we just couldnt belive how bad the pizza was. We grew up on old forge style pizza (from old forge, pa) and had so many good places around us that when we moved it just didnt occur to us that other people didnt make pizza this way.
this describes the white Old Forge White Pizza Recipe | Stephencooks
Craving: Old Forge Pizza | Devour The Blog: Cooking Channel's Recipe and Food Blog shows the red.
Old Forge Pizza Express will ship it to you.

 

[rtimgray]

For my recent lumber/building material purchase, HD was cheaper than either of the local yards. They also kicked in free delivery despite being much further away. One top of that, they were more friendly on the phone and in person, seemed to care about what I was ordering, and quickly called back when I missed them.

Another feature that HD (and Lowes) can offer is the special deferred financing. I have used this multiple times and it allows me to keep my money and use theirs. As long as it is paid in full by the end of their terms (in this case, 24 months), I pay nothing extra. Most of the local yards can't match that.

 

[Car Doc]

We just got a Menards its 80 miles away same as HD and Lowes for me, but that store has an amazing selection of wood. Their prices so far while its new are waaay better than HD or Lowes or my local yard time will tell who stays and who goes in that war for consumer dollars. fwtw

 

[Lady Tonka]

From a lady's perspective, just for grins:

I spent decades in various careers that were all service-oriented and had the advantage of being raised by Southern parents who taught and expected strict adherence to manners ("Yes, Ma'am, No, Sir, Please, Thank You") and graciousness. So, when I worked as a stew for TWA, for instance, their training to "keep a smile on your face if it kills you" was a cinch for me, and boy, could I tell you stories about airline passengers who viewed the (now-politically-correct term) CABIN ATTENDANTS as dirt under their feet.

Knowing how great service can turneth away wrath and charm a smile out of some of the meanest grouches, I tend to gravitate towards Lowe's and Home Depot for the same reason some of you mention, mainly the ATTEMPT to make eye contact and to be pleasant and helpful (even if they don't have a clue). Locally owned building supply places in my area fall short in that regard, at least in my experience. Price and selection, of course, are still a close second to my decision to patronize an establishment and purchase the goods.

One thing I could add that always works for me is to involve the manager on duty in a constructive and non-threatening manner. I ask to speak to them when I can't get the information on what I need to find or get my questions answered. I say something like, "Look, I chose your store today and would really like to do business with you, but I need (fill in the blank)." Most managers I've encountered take the extra steps to make sure I'm taken care of, and many have thrown in a discount when I ask.

How I wish more people serving the public understood the importance of ATTITUDE and trying to help. Customers have long memories when they're dissed (or feel that they have been) and there go additional profits for your employer and possible longevity for your job position.

 

[lockhaven]

I do not think there is a difference just because they are a Mom and pop or a chain store. locally the true Mom and Pops are gone. The one true value is owned by the same family that had the mom and pop and still treat people the same and have just about everything. There is a Mom and Pop In Lockhaven Pa. that is close to the old Mom and pops crowded but if you need it they have it. lowes and HD can be good or bad depending on the manager i think. Some getting help is next to impossible others they fall over themselves to help. same as help some have people of knowledge others seem brain dead. A local Mom and Pop did not last long because their son was a real a**

 

[300UGUY]

I used to try to go to the local stores most of the time, but more recently, I've been just going to HD or Lowes. I know that I can get pretty much anything there, and I can get in and out in a hurry. The prices are almost always better. And after dealing with some of the local businessmen, I don't know that they deserve my business. At the end of the day, they aren't doing anything for us locals, and they generally don't practice what they preach - they are just as likely to go to the big box stores themselves. I mean if the owner of a local hardware store goes to HD for kitchen cabinets, when there are several locals in that biz, what does that say about his "buy local" ethic? It looks to me like it's every man / woman for themselves. And when it comes to price, it's usually a no brainer. The local rental yard used to be a pia - they charged thru the nose, enforced time limit penalities religiously, and were pretty arrogant. HD rental rates were less than 1/2 of the locals!! And they are much more relaxed on return times.

 

[bcp]

That said, I do miss the old hardware stores, back in the days when blister packs and credit cards were unknown!

Blister packs:

I would like to see the research they use to put one less item in the pack than you need, no matter how many are in the pack.

Bruce

 

[300UGUY]

Blister packs:

I would like to see the research they use to put one less item in the pack than you need, no matter how many are in the pack.

Bruce

I wouldn't be surprised that it is a very complex algorythm, and they used a Cray supercomputer to crunch the numbers!!!

 

[IslandTractor]

I use a small local hardware store for small things. For most other hardware purchases other than lumber or paint I use Amazon with Prime. Better selection. Nothing like being able to compare details and read other peoples reviews before purchasing at a cheaper price and without needing to drive anywhere. Free 2nd day shipping or $3.99 overnight too (after $70/yr fee). Let your fingers (and mouse) do the walking.

 

[mvwicker]

Forgive my adding more worms to this can.

There is a Home Depot 2 miles from my house. For a while it was open 24/7, perfect for those projects that took a little longer than expected (i.e., past midnight on Sunday) and needed a few more 2 1/2 inch drywall screws to finish. It had notoriously grumpy and ignorant staff, but that was a flaw easily overlooked by those of us who had the whole store memorized after several hundred visits.

Some HD executive decided that 24/7 meant lower profits and the glory days ended. Then a Lowes opened a tiny bit further, and it got all my business as revenge for the HD staff mistreatment. There was a guy in the flooring department who knew all about damp slabs and how to fix 'em. The old guy in plumbing could find a replacement part given the vaguest description. However, their lumber was terrible unless hand-picked (same with HD), so I used a local independent yard (recommended by my most openly Republican neighbor) when I needed to replace the back fence. It cost about 10% more but looked way better and saved me enough aggravation to make it worthwhile.

Two weeks ago I needed a small amount (only maybe $200, sheesh) of PT lumber for a treestand where appearance was irrelevant. It was late so I went to Lowes, but the checkout clerk -- in the contractors lane -- must have been stoned or otherwise impaired, since he double scanned several pieces, insisted he had done it right, and then tried to bribe me with a soda and a bag of chips when I showed him how the receipt disagreed with the lumber on the cart. It took about 10 minutes for a manager to saunter over with the magic key for voiding out mistakes, and I confess to having many evil thoughts while I waited.

No more Lowes for me for a while. The good news is that the HD staff have seen the light, maybe as a result of the Lowes. The local independent yard survives, maybe because it has better quality lumber. 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.

 

[Car Doc]

Lady Tonka makes a good point communication is where things go south it takes training and lots of people these days couldn't fill a thimble with manners.

 

[dmccarty]

Dan I have to laught at the Nc Pizza problem. When we were there(nc) we just couldnt belive how bad the pizza was. We grew up on old forge style pizza (from old forge, pa) and had so many good places around us that when we moved it just didnt occur to us that other people didnt make pizza this way.
this describes the white Old Forge White Pizza Recipe | Stephencooks
Craving: Old Forge Pizza | Devour The Blog: Cooking Channel's Recipe and Food Blog shows the red.
Old Forge Pizza Express will ship it to you.

That looks like some good pizza. :licking: Course it is hard to make bad pizza! :laughing: Never seen pizza like that here though.

When we lived back in the city we bought from local delivery place. When we called they recognized us, knew what we would order and usually remember the address. :laughing: Somehow they went out of business so we had to find a new place which turned out to be owned by a young guy from Italy. HE had some great pizza. :licking::licking::licking:

However, the local place we have has even better pizza. :licking::licking::licking::licking::licking: They have a chocolate calzone. It has cheese, lots of Nutella, and a bit of white sugar on top. That stuff is GOOD! :licking::licking::licking::licking::licking::licking: :laughing:

Beats the Italian Dude's pies which is saying something.

Later,
Dan