Lowes closing 20 stores

[Rich Engelhardt]

Los Banos, CA
Biddeford, ME
Old Bridge, NJ
Westminster, CA
Ellsworth, ME
Batavia, NY
Denver, CO
Ionia, MI
N. Kingstown, RI
Aurora, IL
Rogers, MN
Emporia, VA
Oswego, IL
Claremont, NH
S. Tacoma, WA
Chalmette, LA
Hooksett, NH
Brown Deer, WI
Haverhill, MA
Manchester, NH

Hate to see it happen,,even to a borg..
Maybe Lowes should look real close at how Menards operates.

[Chen-Tin Tsai]

Well, it was bound to happen. Every time I walk into Lowes, I feel like I'm walking into the toy section of a department store. Everything was "prettied" up, but there wasn't any real quality to their products or their sales people.

We don't have any Menards in this area, so I'm curious. Would you shine some light on how Menards operates?

[Stephen Cherry]

Well, it was bound to happen. Every time I walk into Lowes, I feel like I'm walking into the toy section of a department store. Everything was "prettied" up, but there wasn't any real quality to their products or their sales people.

We don't have any Menards in this area, so I'm curious. Would you shine some light on how Menards operates?

Frome Wikipedia
"Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/wiki/North_Wilkesboro,_North_Carolina), the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/wiki/Canada)."

Lowes has been around for a long time, and they have a lot of stores. It is normal to close a few as part of running a business, particularly in the economic situation that we are in. Their products need to be looked at individually, but it is safe to say they have many fine products. I have boght from Lowes on many occaisions and was happy with what I bought.

As far as the quality of the people? Do you really want people to judge you that harshly? Would you prefer that they go on public assistance? As far as I am concerned, as a country, we need to start building each other up, rather than cutting each other down. Just my opinion though.

[Jerome Hanby]

Since the Lowe's in the wide view of the area where I live always seem to be in the middle of areas with lots of construction, it makes sense to me that they would close older stores after the construction boom had passed in that particular area.

[Ted Calver]

I think Lowe's is doing some restructuring and closing under performing locations makes sense. As a shareholder I'm happy with it. There are areas where there seem to be consistent differences in product quality between Lowe's and competitors (Home Depot in our area). In my experience, sheet goods like plywood are consistently better quality at HD, while pressure treated lumber and molding selection seems consistently better at Lowe's. I'm grateful we have both in our area, because what one doesn't have the other usually does. Regarding quality of help, I think the stores compete within the labor pool of the local economy and I've found equally good/bad cashiers at each and equally good/bad section (electrical. plumbing etc. assistance at each). I was pleasantly surprised to find excellent electrical advise yesterday at a very small Lowe's in upstate NY,,,and I learned about 'knob and tube' wiring in the process.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Menards is simply amazing in terms of what a retailer does.
They hold onto their employees. IIRC, average length of employment is over ten years.
They operate an enormous amount of square footage with an incredble number of employees. If memory serves me, it's something like 75.
Typical for a store that size w/the number of hours that need covered is over 100.
Despite the low head count, there's always help on the floor & short check outs.

I've read some reports that say top store managers earn over $250,000.00 a year. $150,000.00 a year is not uncommon.
Much of that is no doubt due to their rather unique bonus structure.
Bonus money is allocated at the beginning of the year. You don't really earn the bonus money, you keep it. Subtractions from the yearly bonus occur when some sort of infraction takes place. Typical infractions are - carts in the lot, long checkout lines, unstocked shelves, running short staffed.
The owner of Menards is supposed to have a closed circut TV system installed in each store so he can do random spot checks of the store's operations.
If it sounds sort of creepy and "big brother", the general attitude of the employees (everyone at my local Menards always seem to be pleasant, cheerful and happy to help) and an unusually long time in service (and low turnover) - say that it's ok with the employees.
It's been my experience in the working world that a "tough" boss is fine w/people, as long as that boss is fair about it.

I believe Menards owns all their own property and buildings, as opposed to leasing them.
That gives them somewhat of a stake and "roots" in the local area/economy.
That translates into Menards doing a lot of homework as far as locations.
Weekly ads.
Menards has a 24 or so page ad every week. It runs Sunday to Saturday.
On Saturday, they put out the sale prices that are supposed to take effect the next day.
That gives us shoppers an extra bonus of sale merchandice. It's a nice touch.

Rebates.
Menards has very generous rebates. They are in the form of a store credit,,but,,,since they have a lot of stuff I need @ fair prices, that's a non-issue.

Menards does seem to stock wood products that are well above Lowes and Home Depot in quality - and - usually at a lower price.
I know for sure, the Menards construction grade 2x4's are 30% lower than either Lowes or Home Depot. They are also much, much, much better.
I can dig through a whole bunk at Lowes and come away with 4 or 5 decent 2x4's and pay $2.59 ea for them
or
I can just take what's on top of the pile @ Menards and pay $1.59 ea for them.

The hardwood at Menards is S4S and packaged in cellophane. It's about the same price (on sale) as what my local yard sells S4S for.
If I need some for some future planned project, I've been happier with the wrapped stuff from Menards. It stays cleaner.
Lowes and Home Depot?
Yeah - they sell "stuff" that sort of, kinda, maybe if you look at it right and ignore how it's all twisted - is supposed to be hardwood. Their Poplar sells for quite a bit more than Menards sells Red Oak for. Thier Red Oak sells for about the same price as Menards charges for Cherry.

Plywood?
I have yet to see warped and twisted plywood at Menards.
I'm not saying it doesn't happen - I just haven't seen it.
That tells me they either buy better stuff, store it better, or get it the heck out of the store if/when it does warp.
Lowes and Home Depot?
They pile the most warped of their warped on the top, then tell you you have to buy that junk before they'll break open another.

Dislcaimer - I'm not an employee of Menards, nor is anyone I know.
I am a fan of them though. I just feel Menards does it a lot "righter" than Lowes or Home Depot.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Perhaps there are just too many of them. It seems like wherever there is a Home Depot, there is also a Lowes nearby. Sort of like McDonalds and Burger King.

Also, as property values decline, folks are less inclined to fix their home...at least the majority of folks that seem to treat their home as an investment. And then there is job insecurity and less disposable dollars for improvements.

With both of these consideration, it is probably a simple matter of over-saturation.

Jeff :)

[Rich Engelhardt]

Also, as property values decline, folks are less inclined to fix their home...at least the majority of folks that seem to treat their home as an investment.
Jeff,
It's been my experience that it's just the opposite.
W/property values down, people are staying put where they are.
That makes them more inclined to redo what they have instead of "upgrading" by buying a new house.

Renovations aren't as extensive &/or "top shelf" - but - there's tons and tons of "bread and butter" work out there right now in each and every market.

Also - a lot of those "all show and no go" gingerbread houses that went went up in the last 10/15/25 years are really starting to show their deficincies.
Our house - which is 26 years old an built by Ryan - hasn't aged well in the grand scheme of things.
Matter of fact, our entire neighborhood is in the same boat.

Some enterprising person could really make a bundle doing small scale renovations &/or "fix-up" type work.
Stuff that's too small for a contractor - but - too much for the average Joe.

Believe me,,,I've given this a whole lot of thought the last couple of months.

[Jerome Hanby]

I think you are both right. The fixing up to get ready to sell (revamping kitchens and other things to make the house more saleable) would be down. The fixing up to make the house more liveable (finishing the basement for family rooms or more bedrooms, additional bathrooms, and so on) should be up.


Jeff,
It's been my experience that it's just the opposite.
W/property values down, people are staying put where they are.
That makes them more inclined to redo what they have instead of "upgrading" by buying a new house.

Renovations aren't as extensive &/or "top shelf" - but - there's tons and tons of "bread and butter" work out there right now in each and every market.

Also - a lot of those "all show and no go" gingerbread houses that went went up in the last 10/15/25 years are really starting to show their deficincies.
Our house - which is 26 years old an built by Ryan - hasn't aged well in the grand scheme of things.
Matter of fact, our entire neighborhood is in the same boat.

Some enterprising person could really make a bundle doing small scale renovations &/or "fix-up" type work.
Stuff that's too small for a contractor - but - too much for the average Joe.

Believe me,,,I've given this a whole lot of thought the last couple of months.

[Neil Brooks]

As far as I am concerned, as a country, we need to start building each other up, rather than cutting each other down.

Put that on a T-shirt, and I'LL surely wear one !!!

If Menard's keeps their people longer, they're either using stricter hiring criteria, paying and treating them better, training them better, or some or all of the above.

[I guess Menards COULD be breeding employees, somewhere near the Ural Mountains, but ... I doubt it ;)]

By and large, though, they're still hiring from the same basic pool of employees that all the other BORGs do, meaning ... it probably IS a bit unfair to judge the employees for what the company could probably be doing better.

[Neil Brooks]

Some enterprising person could really make a bundle doing small scale renovations &/or "fix-up" type work.
Stuff that's too small for a contractor - but - too much for the average Joe.

Believe me,,,I've given this a whole lot of thought the last couple of months.

I've talked with my brother about doing this, too, but ... my gut tells me ... you'd be competing against a HUGE pool of contractors who ALSO lost their jobs/don't have work.

Sadly.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Neil,
Quality and at an affordable price would trump whatever the competition has to offer.

BTW - I just started a post in Off Topic about this.

[Cody Colston]

I'm sure Lowe's is closing underperforming stores. It's called exercising financial discipline and Lowe's is a business, not a benevolence society. A look at the tax rate in the areas of closure also offers some insight into the reason behind the move. Just saying...

Here in Tyler, we have one Lowe's and one Home Depot...Lowe's has been here the longest. I go to Home Depot simply because it is the closest. Occassionally when I'm on the other side of town, I'll stop by Lowe's. I think the CS in both has improved since Home Depot began competing with Lowe's here.

I, for one, like the Borg's. Their employees aren't the most knowledgeable and they don't have the personal touch of the local hardware. What they do have is a broad selection of products available in one location. I usually know what I want and even where it is located when I go to Home Depot. I also don't like a sales person hovering over me while I'm selecting stuff. The Borg suits me fine.

About the only thing I don't like is having to load lumber onto a cart and then wheel it to my vehicle. That's why I go to a lumber yard for most of my lumber needs.

[Bobby O'Neal]

In my town we have a Lowes and a Home Depot. I have found it to be true as well that whatever one is missing, the other will likely have. That's true for lumber, tool brands, etc. I think the service is going to be a shot in the dark. The employees who have some tenure tend to have a proportionate amount of knowledge. Every now and then you'll catch the kid on his first day who doesn't know his section or it's craft. That's ok, give him time and be like the others. Every now and then you'll have the seasoned vet who used to be a career painter and is now the department head and knows his stuff. After enough visits it is easy to feel these different things out. Frankly, I try to know what I'm after before I go in and do not expect much help from the staff unless it's a trusted relationship. At my Lowes they carry Bessey clamps and some other woodwork friendly items. They don't have the Milwaukee tools I'm starting to love, so you win some lose some.

[Gregory King]

Bangor /Maine store opened last fall, I think. Plan to drop in this November to check it out. Judging from the new Home Depot store in our area [5 years ago] and how well it caters to home renovations, I don't think any other business can touch them. One thing I noticed was that all the floor people can tell what section you are looking for, even if it is not their particular section. Awesome service. Greg

[Mark Ashmeade]

If you own 1700 stores, closing 20 of them is nothing more than aligning yourself with the market. Walmart do much the same. They close older stores and build new ones. Refit some of them etc. Where I live (metro ATL) there's a stretch of US-41 of say 5 miles. In that 5 miles, there's a closed Walmart, now a nightclub, a newly refitted regular Walmart that used to be a Supercenter, only about 10 years old, half of it closed down in the refit and downgrade from Supercenter, and a Brand spanking new Supercenter at the end of the 5 mile stretch. They just aligned themselves with the market.

HD did much the same a year or so ago. Closed a few stores, announced a few new ones.

Of course ATL is HD-ville. I must have 10 of them within 10 miles, so don't go to Lowes much, but they have a store right in the middle of the 5 mile stretch I was talking about.

[Joe Scharle]

We must have a dozen Lowe's around here; some are a driver and 9 iron apart. Lots of Home Depots as well. Hate to see any closings of anything.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Lowes might be closing 20 stores, but they're opening 15 so it's not like they are throwing in the towel.

I have 1 lowes nearby and 3 home depots all within about 2-5 miles from house. I go to Lowes still because they have better clearance and it just seems less chaotic. However Home Depot has a better price with Southwire products so It's not like I want HD to close. :)

Lowes was clearancing out ALL of their sandpaper for 50% off in the tools dept last time I went. Looks like I'll have to check out Lowes Westminster if they arn't already closed and see if they will be closing out anything.

[ian maybury]

I can't speak for Lowes as I'm not US based, but depreciation/the cost of servicing capital already spent must introduce a significant overhead issue for these box stores - given the amazingly high rate at which most of them (over here anyway) have expanded.

My sense is that this business model must be very heavily growth dependent - it's all fine if each store makes its sales numbers, but the house of cards could quickly come down if they don't. They probably don't really have the option of just cutting back their costs and hanging in there like say a family business that's long since paid for would.

Another indication of this sort of thing is probably the way (again over here anyway - it's scary how expensive most are now. Sneakily so - a main item gets put up at a decent price, but the accessories you need to run it turn out to be scarily expensive) they have shown a strong tendency to trumpet about price reductions, but to actually raise prices when sales volumes drop. The hope is probably that those buying in a weak market really need the stuff, and are not so price sensitive - but another view might be that the first response forced by a reduction in revenues as a result of reduced volume and high depreciation costs is to up prices and hope for the best.

If that doesn't work you look for a way out from under the overhead cost....

ian

[Anthony Whitesell]

I think you are both right. The fixing up to get ready to sell (revamping kitchens and other things to make the house more saleable) would be down. The fixing up to make the house more liveable (finishing the basement for family rooms or more bedrooms, additional bathrooms, and so on) should be up.

Almost right. According to the articles I've read, they're closing the stores because sales are down because people don't have the money to do the renovations even though, as you mention, the time is right. Stuff is cheap and prices are down. If you do an improvement now, the cost of the improvement will be low and the value improvement as well as the value of the home will rise. Almost a three for one...if you have the money to do it.

[Von Bickley]

I have 2 Lowes and 1 Home Depot that I use. I have been well pleased with all 3 stores and I am always treated very nice. Some of these employees recognize me and always take care of what ever I need.

[Gary Benson]

The Denver store is only about 4 miles from my house, and until now, I did not know that it existed. Odd place, no access, not a surprise that they would close this location and rely on the 4-5 other retail locations in town.

[Dave Lehnert]

For a chain of over 1700 stores, closing 20 is nothing. Many places go under trying to keep stores open that are not making money. Lowe's is also opening 25 stores by year end.

[Ken Cohen]

I live near one of the closed stores and used it regularly in addition to my nearby HD. Relative to the HD it was better stocked, neater, brighter -- and empty. Even on weekends, I always wondered how they survived with so few customers. I guess the answer is now clear.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I definately rank my nearest Lowe's as neater, brighter, cleaner. Come the weekend...packed. During the week, not so much.

[james bell]

I had a summer place in the country of va, and it was pain to work on weekends -local hardware stores, 20 miles away, closed at 1pm sat and not open Sunday's. So a lot of multi-weekend projects. Lowes opened three years ago about 35 miles away - opened sat late and Sunday - down her full time now and I do support them as much as possible, whole also trying to support the local stores whenever possible.There is a place o "big box" stores.

[John Fabre]

I must be lucky, I have four Lowe's, two Home Depot's and 40 church's (one every block) in a 20 mile radius.

[Peter Kelly]

I'm sure Lowe's is closing underperforming stores. It's called exercising financial discipline and Lowe's is a business, not a benevolence society. A look at the tax rate in the areas of closure also offers some insight into the reason behind the move. Just saying...

3 of those 20 stores are in New Hampshire where there is neither sales or income tax. Just saying.


Twenty more empty strip malls to further scar the landscape :(

[Don Bullock]

Perhaps there are just too many of them. It seems like wherever there is a Home Depot, there is also a Lowes nearby. Sort of like McDonalds and Burger King.

Also, as property values decline, folks are less inclined to fix their home...at least the majority of folks that seem to treat their home as an investment. And then there is job insecurity and less disposable dollars for improvements.

With both of these consideration, it is probably a simple matter of over-saturation.

Jeff :)

I think Jeff has the right idea here. While I prefer Lowes over HD there are times when I can't find what I need. In our area many of them are on opposite sides of the freeway which makes it very convenient to compare stock and prices. I'm sure that it's starting to hurt both stores since fewer people are remodeling and there is much less construction. I know in the case of the two California stores that are closing one is in an area where new construction has dropped dramatically. The other store is in an area that has had a big transition in the population's socio/economic conditions. Many large well established chain stores in that area have disappeared.

As for Menards, I've never been in one. We don't have any in Southern California.

[Carl Beckett]

I consider Lowes/HD as a subset of Consumer products as a whole. The disposable income is definitely a factor. The housing market is a factor - a lot of people were financing improvements via equity withdrawals on their home. Thats harder to do with home prices off 25% - 30% and a shocking number under water still.

Any retailer will turn over a certain number of locations on a regular basis. Sometimes they just dont work out profitably. I hear Best Buy is really struggling (because people arent buying the uplift accessories). I hear Sears is in trouble (even after Kmart bought them, which seemed upside down to me anyway from a brand perspective but I dont think they are doing so well).

In the long run, you want your suppliers making money because guess what - if they dont make money then its a short term supplier to you (they go bankrupt). You can take advantage of a store closure, but these days even this has become big business (read the articles about 'going out of business' sales actually marking items UP, not down)

Overall I find retail/consumer to be a tough business.

[george wilson]

Even in the fairly small community of Williamsburg,we have a Lowes and a few blocks away a Home Depot.

[Kevin W Johnson]

3 of those 20 stores are in New Hampshire where there is neither sales or income tax. Just saying.


Twenty more empty strip malls to further scar the landscape :(

Well, sales tax has nothing to do with the descisions anyway, stores and businesses don't pay it. It's paid by the customer. As for income tax, states may or may not have matching payroll taxes, but all employers have to pay federal payroll taxes. Heck, some cities (New York) have income taxes.

The taxes that Cody are likely referring to, would be property taxes and anything else imposed by the locality. Such as taxes on inventory.

[Kevin W Johnson]

Locally, i have 3 Lowes stores, and 2 HD's. All of which are with in 20-25 minutes of my house. 2 Lowes, and 2 HD's are real close to each other, which is uber convenient. What one doesn't have, the other likely does. However, i do find myself looking at times for alternatives to the "big box". Mainly for localized offerings that the big stores don't have. The big stores have "people" in far away places determining what they carry, the small store do a better job of whats right for the location. The knowledge is typically better at the smaller one off stores, but the lack of it at the big box isn't a big deal to me. I know what i want, and what i need when i walk in. So long as its not on a pallet rack 25ft off the floor, im good.

[Paul Steiner]

Lowes closing 20 stores does not really mean too much. They will definitely open new stores in the near future. The lowes in my area has closed and reopened 3 times with in a 5 mile radius to get the best location. It is now right across the street from HD.

[Jerry Bruette]

One advantage Menards has is that they manufacture some of their own brand name products...Midwest Manufacturing...

If you'd like some interesting reading about Menards look them up on Wikipedia.

Aside from the Wiki article they're the only Borg choice I have without an hour of travel. I've gotten plenty of good advice and CS from the local and Green Bay stores.

Only thing I don't like is the grocery department they've added, I'm thinking beer would've been a bigger seller.:)

Jerry

[Jason Roehl]

In the Greater Lafayette area, there are 2 Menard's stores, 1 Lowe's and 1 Home Depot. Of those, I have been in the HD maybe a couple times. I'm not impressed, and I will likely never darken their doors again for various reasons. Lowe's is the closest to me, so that is generally my go-to store. Menard's is okay for a lot of supply-type items, but they went through a period where they pretty much didn't sell any quality tools. They've brought back a few name brand tools lately, but they still sell a lot of junk tools that probably won't last through the first use. I won't mention where they are manufactured.

I do think the grocery stuff in Menard's is over the top and out of place. The other thing I've heard from many in this area (and I tend to agree) is that Menard's used to have a smaller, centrally-located store in Lafayette (the original). Then they built one of the large stores on the SE edge of the city, and when they built the second large store on the NW edge of the city, they closed the small store. Now their stores are inconvenient for quick trips during the work day for little things one might need in the course of a job.

[Darrell Bade]

I have a Lowes 15 miles away, Menards 35 miles. I have been on a major building spree for the last 4 years and spent a bunch of money at Lowes. They have quite carrying a lot of stuff that I have bought there over the last 4 years. Ex.

They sell a twist lock 220 receptical but no plate to fit it. Why. Menards carries both.

They sell 220V reciptical in light almond, but no plate. I bought plenty of these a couple of years ago there when I built my shop. Menards still carries them.

Looking for some aluminum nails for my soffet, they used to carry different colors, now just white. My soffet is not white.

Sheet goods. There is no comparison. Lowes stuff is so warped it is hard to cut. Menards is nice and flat. It is the same brand for BC plywood. Lowes either buys junk or stores it badly.

Maybe my local store is just too small and has stopped carrying some stuff, I have no way of knowing that. I have started buying a lot of stuff at my local plumbing and HVAC store instead. I think it is better quality and it is usually cheaper than Lowes. If I need stuff from the Borg I keep a list going until it is big enough to make the longer trip to Menards.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Now their stores are inconvenient for quick trips during the work day for little things one might need in the course of a job.
Jason,
I tend to think that Menards plans it that way. In my area, there's two Menards. One is in Massillon, Ohio and the other n Sandusky, Ohio.
Both cities are quite a haul from the more populated areas - like Akron/Cleveland/Lorain/Toledo.
My wife and I go to Menards maybe once every other month - more or less - & when we do, we usually spend a bunch.
My best guess would be 10 to 20 times more than we would usually spend at either HD or Lowes.
We figure if we have to make that drive, we're going to make the most of it.

My impression is that Menards builds in a central location & shoots for high dollar checkouts and is content to let HD and Lowes take the quick small dollar stuff.

I never paid a lot of attention before to the quantity of stuff people are buying there. I'll have to keep a sharper eye out next time I'm there.



They sell 220V reciptical in light almond, but no plate. I bought plenty of these a couple of years ago there when I built my shop. Menards still carries them.
Do they still even make Almond plate/receptacles?
HD. Lowes,Menards (last time I looked) and even Wolf Brothers (a jobber supply house) didn't have either in any voltage/style.
We still have most of a gross of plates, outlets and switches in Almond,,,,but,,,they ain't going to last forever.

[Darrell Bade]

Rich

I might be wrong since I am not an electrician but for years we had ivory, white and brown electrical items. I thought the newest color was the light almond which is almost white. Seems that most new houses I have been in have that color choice. I was thinking that the light almond was on its way out based on Loews till I went to Menards a couple of weeks ago and they had all the choices in that color.

[Kevin Gregoire]

i dont know what it is, but my menards has a full parking lot any time i stop or drive by but lowes and home depot always has a near empty parking lot.
when im shopping i notice at menards they have a lot of diy'ers and the other two has pros shopping.

[Hilel Salomon]

There are no Menards stores East of Youngstown, Ohio, so it's either Lowes or HD. HD was started by a disgruntled employee of Lowe's and for a long while, he would build one very close to a Lowe's. When the economy was good, both stores did reasonably well. I have a slew of them in Columbia, and, in VA, w/in 25 miles I have three Lowe's and one HD. I find that the customer service varies incredibly with each store. Depends greatly on the manager(s). The quality of the appliances is pretty good, but you always have a problem buying from either store, when your appliance or tool needs servicing. So far, I've been reasonably lucky with the major appliances I bought at either store. For quality chainsaws and tools, I try to buy from my local hardware or lawn merchandise stores.

[Roy Turbett]

I'm not a big Menards fan. Some things like plywood is better quality than other big box stores, but some of their tools aren't. I bought a pair of "contractor grade" PVC cutters from Menards and the first cut I made bent the blade on the cutter and didn't even dent the cpvc. Home Depot makes returns easy if you use a credit card because you don't need a receipt. If you return something within 60 days they simply swipe your card and can match up the item you are returning with your purchase. At Menards you need to keep all your receipts and a clerk has to manually match the returned item. You can get duplicate receipts printed in the store for credit card purchases, but they still have to do a manual match. And I absolutely detest that stupid theme song they play every two minutes.

[Greg Cuetara]

3 of those 20 stores are in New Hampshire where there is neither sales or income tax. Just saying.




If you take a look at the tax structure in New Hampshire you will see that most of the taxes are taken on by businesses rather than consumers...it has a very high business tax rate.

I think the weird thing around here is how they closed the stores. They were open saturday and sunday then the workers showed up monday morning at 6am and the Lowe's sign was down off the store and there was a post on the front just saying they were closed and giving the other nearby locations. It was like someone came in the middle of the night and just stripped the store down and it was gone in 12 hours....again like i said just kinda weird.

[BOB OLINGER]

We have a Lowes in town. Closest HD and Menards are 30 min away. In terms of knowledgable employees, Lowes clearly is superior in our area as they have a very well trained employee (at least one) in every department. HD is next, followed by Menards. Menards is great, but their strategy seems funny - they've started stocking a lot of food items, for example; evidently trying to be everything to everybody. Personally, I like all the borgs; just depends on what I'm looking for.

[Wade Clark]

I'm happy to see they didn't close the one near me. I like it alot, and the 2 home depots not much further away... but if I buy treated lumber I go to a local lumber yard and save a consistent 15%, and any other lumber I go to Amish sawmills and save 60%. I can buy Kiln dried black walnut and cherry for $2 a BF and air dried/green of either for $1, lots of other woods for $.40 a BF. I can get kiln dried black walnut for you for just $2.50 a board foot. :)

[Rick Fisher]

I am in the building supply business and have been my whole life.

There are two facets to the business, New construction or renovation's and retail.

The money is in the renovation and retail business. New construction builds volume but is an expensive business to be in .. Lower margins, big delivery costs, shrinkage, credit losses.. etc.. etc.. its profitable, but heavy on the cash flow.. you need it but never want it to be your core.. Lots of stores in the US are gone because they relied on it too much ..

There is nothing as good as a fella dropping $150.00 on sandpaper, drill bits, plumbing fittings and paint.. If a store can get that business and do it all day, they are golden.

Builders and professionals make up about 1/2 of the sales at a well balanced store.. In our store, we will sell hardwood plywood for 10% over cost, and have someone add up all the invoices after a month to see how much accessory items we sold with the plywood.. In other words, if invoices with that plywood as part of the sale add up to $20,000 .. and only $10,000 of it was low margin plywood.. that's awesome.. if a sale item consistently goes out alone.. its a dog ..

In our store, its all about the customer.. Today I had a fella who was screwing and plugging a stair case.. Basically hiding the screws behind plugs.. He wanted a short auger.. We ended up with the " service counter cordless drill " a chunk of wood, and 3 different drill bits.. he drilled a short hole with each and took a Freud forstner bit.. A bit of dust and a bit of time and we had a really happy customer..

We deliver lattice, vanities or whatever to little old ladies for free, most often on the way home from work.. I have 4 employees with over 20 years, 2 of them over 30 .. the average is about 10 years..
Our lighting girl will drop by someone's home and help them install a fixture about twice a month, we did $80,000 in lighting in October...

If you work at the store, you had better have that attitude towards customer service. If there is something you wont do to help a customer, it had better be immoral or illegal.. lol

Tonight, I had a builder bring over 2 pieces of 3" x 8" x 72" Douglas fir timbers .. They are for fireplace mantles.. and where rough.. the client saw them and changed her mind to smooth.. lol .. I jointed them, planed them and ran them through my wide belt.. The contractor left 40 minutes later after a bit of a chat.. he was happy, and that service is always no charge..

I have watched store after store disappear in this recession, it could happen to us too, but we are trying our best. To compete with a box store is pretty easy, you simply have to treat each customer like they are the most important person in the store.. Get to know their name and let them know yours.. After a few trips to the store, they should be rooting for you to compete with the big box retailer..

Lowe's closed the stores because they where losing money.. plain and simple.. it will cost them millions just to close them.. could be all sorts of problems, but likely they just could not see the stores being profitable again in the next 4 - 5 years and chopped them off .. A large building supply store can lose $100,000 a month pretty easy.. I would bet a lowes or Home Depot that has gone off the rails could lose triple... Its a business where you can make a bundle or go broke fast.