Box Stores

Z's dad

Hello to all my fellow tradesman!!!

I've been reading a lot of posts that sort of bad mouth the box stores. Namely HD or Lowe's. I guess it depends on your type and size of business but I think these stores are getting a bad rap.

I sell myself as a handyman. I do things from fix its to remodeling. I have to say that 90% of my materials come from one of the two stores. I just don't have the time to go searching for stuff. Between the two stores, I can usually find what I'm looking for. There are specialty things that I do have to order from other stores or online, but for the most part I visit HD once a day. I can pick up some romex, thinset, a new faucet, and order re-facing materials, all in one stop. I don't know what I would do if I could'nt get it all from the same place.

Service in either place just plain sucks, but that's the nature of the beast. Big store, lots of customers, few employees.

Anyway, enough rambling, what are your thoughts????

mahlere

i think second to box stores, handymen are complained about most on this site

slickshift

If you think you and your customers are getting the same quality stuff as you and they would from a contractors supply or lumber yard, or most hardware stores and the so-called "over-priced" home centers, you and they are sadly mistaken

As one who delves into many areas, you could easily find out where to get good items

Easier doesn't necessarily make it right, or good for your business

Besides, I can name 4 places off the top of my head that you could get all those items from around here...and I don't have a lot of choices out here
All of the places I'm thinking of are much better quality than the HD crap

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Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

MKamis

Try getting a lot of delivered materials from one of these stores.... I just love when 40% of the order is wrong, and then you get to spend all day sorting out someone else's mistakes!

Smaller stores/lumberyards are much better about this.

SuperiorBuilt

I have found that if you shop local, about 50% of the time its cheaper than going to the big box store. When I recently did a basement, I found that studs from the local lumber yards were 25 cents cheaper per stud + delievery was included in the price.
The local lumber yard wants your business. He is more interest in help you with your project. The big box store just wants your money. They don't care about helping you. It shows in their stores (Fewer people to help you, the self check out line) These are all things that show the big box store exists because of the mighty dollar not service.Yes there are a few exceptions.
The big box store is convenient but most times more expensive .

liltrainerboy

i dont really care to stick up for the box stores but i have an account at menards and lowes.... hd sucks but the reps that i work with there are great. if i forget 1 bundle of shingles the guy will drive them out and carry them up the ladder......

the people there make the difference. if u have an account the delivery is always free for me and the same day if not the next day, and it could be on sat or sun.....

price wise on lumber and tools u cant beat the price unless u are doin alot of business i guess....

Tom R

The box stores have their uses but let's face it, - - their products are dumbed down.

A few extra bucks can be money well spent when you don't have to return to a job one year later because the big box product has failed already, - - not to mention, - - I wish I could count the times I've bought things there that had obviously already been 'returned' once.

Yep, - - you got it, - - they go right back on the shelves . . .

thom

OK, now you guys are just going to have to tell me how romex from HD is different than romex from the electric supply house. While you're at it, explain the difference between Square D breakers, panels, etc from HD and Square D breakers, panels from the supply house.

And, when I need a box of screws, I can pick it up 3 miles from the job at HD or drive 20 miles to the supply house.

How about kwikset locksets. I could get them from the door supplier 30 miles away or drive 3 miles to HD. Are you telling me kwikset makes different locksets for HD?

How about 3M masking tape? Is it different from HD? My vaughn hammer? Stanley Fat Max? PVC pipe fittings, glue, primer? Electric Receptacles? Hardi Backer? Grout? NuTone Fart Fans? Shelf Brackets? Closet pole brackets? Shims? Nails? Drywall Mud?

I'm with the guy who started this thread, and I'm not a handy man. I've been a GC since 1979. I build spec houses. It's pretty normal for me to pick up things from HD or Lowes that would require 3 stops or more if I went to the supply house. Driving 20 minutes round trip sure beats 3 hours. And if I pay a little more? Still a lot cheaper when my time is considered.

I do buy a lot from supply houses. Lumber, shingles, drywall, but, I buy a lot from HD and Lowes too. Probably $100,000+ annually. I for one am glad they're around.

Now for all you guys who whine about competing against them, it's no different than competing with Sears 30 years ago. Enough people have had enough bad experiences with home improvement contractors that they are looking somewhere else. HD is just filling a demand that was created by shoddy contractors, or maybe just contractors with attitude.

slickshift

I can't address all of those thom
But I can tell you...

The GE outlets you get from HD are cheaper than the hardware store ones

The screws, nuts and bolts from HD are cheaper made
(and frankly not that cheaply priced)
They strip on me so bad I won't buy them

Kwiksets...OK, that one I'm not sure...wouldn't be surprised though

Vaughn - dunno
Stanley - most products yup

3M, yup most of their products de-spec'd for HD

Shelf brackets...super bendy

Closet pole brackets...yup el cheapo

nails...absolutely

Mud...I won't touch HD mud

Look, if you buy a spray can of BIN primer, it looks like the same can as in the Paint Store right?
Right
It is...the same container
Now look at the contents
Wha?
That's a 16 oz. can
Why does the HD can say 12 oz.?
So it looks like the can in the Paint Store and HD can sell "the same thing" for cheaper

Have you ever been able to get all the Rustoleum out of an HD spray can?
No
Why?
It's not worth it for them to de-spec the paint mix, but they can add less propellant to lower cost...and look at the added bonus-you have to buy more to paint the same stuff!!!

I'll but stuff from HD
They have their uses
But it's with my eyes wide open, and no delusions about it being the same stuff only less pricey due to "volume"

That is a giant crock

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Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

Teetorbilt

One thing that I have noticed over the years of being on this site is that all things vary. Here the box stores bite, they have a high turnover of inexperienced employees and few of them, most graduate to better jobs like Micky D's. Service in the north and midwest appears to be much better............Why?

Going by what I know here, the good ones are willing to work weird shifts, all departments, unload trucks, stock shelves, work holidays and weekends for near minimum wage. It may be different up north or maybe the people are.

You can't live here at box store wages, even the knowledgeble retirees quit due to the goofy hours.

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Magnettica

I sometimes buy materials from HD or Lowes. In fact, I was just there and bought one of those fancy 1500 Watt heater, fan, light, nite light combination units because my normal supplier was sold out. Box stores are also good for when you're working late and need something at 9:45PM and it cant wait until tomorrow. For that, the box stores rule!

I prefer giving my business to the local electrical supply house because they're competetive with their pricing and because they are good to me on a month-to-month, year-to-year basis. Also, they usually have everything I need that the the box stores won't have, like 1.5 KVA transformers for example.

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Magnettica

All good points. You are spot-on when it comes to romex wire. My supplier knows HD is a choice for wire so his prices are either lower or the same as the box stores. He tells me he checks the prices at both places 3 times per week because he knows his base customers have a choice.

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POOLMANinCT

I miscalculated my pipe run today, so I hopped in my van went to hd to pick up 300 ft pvc sched 40 pipe & basically an orange shopping cart full if fittings & a new mailbox (oops how did that get in my cart??)
paid for materials & dashed back to the job.. while driving back thinking wow, I got hammered on the fittings (at my distributor I have a 40percent pipe discount) anyway, I spent
a good bit more than what I could have... BUT
I WOULDN'T HAVE PRESSURE CHECKED & BACKFILLED TODAY.. over pay on material approx 160$ , pressure check and backfill today..... priceless!!!!
ray

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dougchips

Miscalculated by 300', sounds like you completly forgot about the pvc! How many feet do you use on the average job?

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TempestV

Sometimes I'll buy tools and some supplys for whatever I'm doing at HD. I check around though and see who has the best prices- it is fairly common that HD is more expensive. I remember one time I happened to be at HD, and while I was there, I picked up some sampson strongtie plates for one project, didn't get enough, the next day I swing by the local building supply store since it happened to be closer, and the plates are half the price of HD. at the same time though, I've seen higher priced stuff that is one and a half times the price at the local store as at HD. $40 at HD, $60 at the local store. I guess it pays to shop around.

I wouldn't go to HD for lumber though, unless I happen to be at the store and I need a single sheet of plywood, or less than about 5 2x4s
just not worth dealing with all the HD crap.

Same Old

Do you believe in conspiracies too?

GregS

They are the Walmart of the home reno world. The suppliers despec their products in order to meet the pricing demands of the retailer and therefore maintain 'brand-awareness' by still being on the shelf as opposed to being replaced with a house brand.

Buying a pair of Levis jeans at Walmart will not get you the same quality of Levis jeans from a Levis store.

POOLMANinCT

this job took 740 +/-

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......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....

TNGHomes

CONVENIENCE AND QUALITY RARELY SHAKE HANDS....Handymen included

Mud Master

I have to be in a SERIOUS time constraint to go to home depot. I HATE giving them business, and I HATE contributing to them. Thier lumber sucks, you have to sift through 30 pieces of plywood to find one that isn't warped or full of knots. They always want to deliver my material, but it is all curbside, as where my suppliers will stock the exact amount of material in every room, no matter if its 30 pieces or 3000, and they don't b*tch that it is heavy or thier tired.

I also get discounts, MAJOR discounts on material at my supply house because of the quantity I buy, as where HD you get little or no discount. The guys at the supply house know you, take care of you, help ya out, and are more interested in YOU than the cash register.

Unless it is a life or death situation, I will not send my guys to HD, nor will I go to HD. Lowes, a little better customer service..but still crappy products. Don't have a Menards here.

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