Home Depot and power tools

[Mike Marlow]

[Mike Marlow]

It's a tough economy out there. The average HD or Lowes store runs on about a 7% storewide margin - that's not a lot of margin. Little room for error.

[asmurff]

With-in a few miles of my home I have a Home Depot and a hardware store that has been around since the 50s. If I want to buy a large tool in HD it's in a box, if I want to buy the same tool in the hardware store he has a catalog (picture) and can order it for me. So it is about a horse a piece.

Most tool makers have excellent web sites were you can get a wealth of knowledge on what you're after, which in most cases will be more accurate than the salesperson anywhere. So I have no problem buying that way if I've done my research. At which point it comes down to who has the best price.

[J. Clarke]

Somebody pointed out that they don't have the tools on display unless they are near a Lowes. Well, the HD down the street doesn't have tools on display. The one across the street from Coastal doesn't have tools on display, but sure enough, the one in Manchester across the street from Lowes _does_ have the tools on display.

[Charlie Self]

I have a friend who "borrowed" a PC saw from, I think, HD. The day he was returning it, I asked why. He was done with it. I blew my stack. He still has the saw, a decade later...one of the last U.S. made ones, too.

[Smaug Ichorfang]

"Mike Marlow" wrote in news:545e8$4819af1f$6215af4f$ [e-mail]:

Yuppers. Companies/stores are in business to make money. This same trend can be seen in other markets as well, esp. as economic times make money more dear. Look at the changes at Radio Shack. At one time you could buy a whole wealth of component parts there, and had a good chance of finding someone at the store that knew electronics. Now you can hardly find a fuse, and all you get are blank stares when you ask an electronics-related question. But then that whole market is going down hill. When was the last time you say a TV repair shop? Why fix when it's easier/cheaper to buy a new one. NO ONE does component-level repair on computers either.

[Mark & Juanita]

That, and HD has not been brilliantly managed in the past several years. HD stock prices tanked several years ago (~$50 down to ~$30) and held nearly steady for the past 5 or 6 years. Even when the economy and housing market were doing well, their stock prices were sucking wind, never reaching the $50 post-9/11 price (yes, that is right, after the 9/11 crash, HD recovered to $50, then headed straight south). Lowe's hasn't done a whole lot better, but seems to be more consistent.

Bottom line, HD really can't blame this debacle on the economy, they have a more fundamental problem.

[Bob Alexander]

Wow, and I was just at my local Lowes store and their power tool area seems to be larger than the last time I was in there. Three larger sizes was set up, a Delta, Dewalt and a Bosch were there.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

I've always had a strong preference for Lowes over HD. I've been in HD a thousand times and I still can't just go directly to what I'm looking for. I'm almost always able to do that at Lowes. I have to be desperate to shop at HD these days.... and I've bought some big tools there: my table saw and my floor standing drill press.

[Lobby Dosser]

Lowes has better lighting (nice to See what you're buying), is overall cleaner, and lately seems to have more knowledgeable help. Kinda different having the sales clerk point out the merits of several brands of saw!

[asmurff]

When I comes to HD or Lowes so much of what we see in our local one has to do with the manager and maybe their immediate boss. The HD near me was definitely in bad shape when I moved into my home five years ago. However about three or four months ago it was obvious someone new took over, it is now better organized, cleaner and employees are asking if you need help again. It is one with large displayed tools removed, but I can deal with it.

Meanwhile the local Lowes' which I use to drive the extra fifteen to twenty minutes to has steadily gone down hill, seems to have a huge number of employees all moving briskly somewhere, but actually doing nothing. Reminds me of the Drill Sergeant from basic training who let us goof off one afternoon but told us to "Make sure you mill about smartly!". The tool area looks like a tornado went through and it's the one place you can never find anyone to help. The condition of the tools on display is definitely not making Porter-Cable, Delta and Black & Decker merger any sales, it looks like a swap meet thirty minutes before closing. The placards would be better.

Yet I've been in other ones of both and it varies so much from store to store, you just really have to pick and choose. The number one rule for both is don't go on the weekend especially in the spring.

[EXT]

Around here the returns desk is populated with low paid teenage girls who are too busy gabbing about the party last night or flirting with some teenage boys, to do their job right. At the best of times they don't even know what the item returned does or how it operates. All you have to say is it doesn't work, and they will refund your money, as they couldn't determine if you are right or wrong or cheating.

Again management does itself in.

[Mike Marlow]

To be fair - they are cashiers, not product specialists. I don't expect a cashier to know anything about the product she is checking out.

[Larry Blanchard]

That's why Woodcraft (and others) don't have "cashiers" as such. Whoever is near the cash register does the job.

But I wouldn't expect a big box store to do it that way - too much real estate to cover :-). So in that sense you're right.

[Swingman]

"Mike Marlow" wrote

Used to be a cashier used a cash register as a tool in transacting business; nowadays the cash register transacts the business, and uses the cashier as a tool for data input.

[B A R R Y]

Right! At the bicycle shop, whoever is dealing with the customer rings them out. We don't do commission, so that's not why we do it this way.

We also do the "Nordstom's" treatment, where we walk the customer to the item (or dressing room, service dept., bathroom, etc...), rather than pointing them in the proper direction.

BTW... in the middle of "The Current Recession", the bicycle shop just had the best April in the 12 years of current ownership.

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[clare at snyder dot ontario do]

And try to find one at Home Despot.

All going to self check up here.

** Posted from **

[Lobby Dosser]

Had that happen twice in the local Lowes last week. Sometimes I'll ask them just to point so I can browse along the way.

[Lobby Dosser]

Out here on the Upper Left Coast we are seeing more and more self serve registers. Typically one employee covers 6-8 of them. Instead of a friendly face and maybe some conversation, you get to listen to the guy at the next register bitching about the scanner and he gets to hear you cursing under your breath when yours tells you to take the item out of the bag for the fourth time.

[Swingman]

"Lobby Dosser" wrote

Point well taken. :)