My day at a BORG

[Bob Weisner]

Hi:

Well, I went to the "local" BORG today to get a new sensor light , lightbulbs , carpet and a couple of other items. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!!:rolleyes: I get there and of course, there are a TON of people there looking for Christmas presents for their family members. The tool department was packed with people. I first looked for a carpet for the front entryway. I had never been there before , so I did not know where the carpet would be. I asked one of the workers where I could find the carpet mats. He had a full display of them on sale right up front. GOOD!! Don't have to go search for that!:cool: I then asked where the sensor lights are. He said isle 48. I paused, :confused: I asked, " was that isle 4 or 8 ?" He said again " isle 48." I scratched my head and said "OK" . So I go searching for isle 48. :o I got down to the end of the building and the last isle was "24". I went down that isle and came upon another row of isles and the counting continued :-) Finally, I got to isle 48. I checked out the sensor lights and compared them to the price I found on their website. Well, the item number was the same but the price was $7.00 higher in the store!!! I bought the sensor light knowing that if I did not come home with EVERYTHING!!! ON THAT LIST, I WAS GOING TO BE IN THE DOGHOUSE!!!!

Next , came the search for the smoke detectors. I asked another worker, " Where are the smoke detectors. He said "isle 16". So, from isle 48 I travel from one end of the BORG , through one isle and back down the other end of the store. I found the smoke detectors. GOD!!! WHAT A PRICE!!! $17.95 FOR A SMOKE DETECTOR!!!! AND I WAS TOLD TO BUY THREE OF THEM!!!. After much grumbeling (SP?) I bought the cheapest ones they had.

Next , came the search for the lightbulbs. I saw something bright up ahead in the distance and thought "There is a white light, go towards the light, go towards the light!!:D " I get there and I saw the light!!! A whole bunch of lights. Kitchen lights, bathroom lights, ect, ect. But NO LIGHTBULBS!!! I asked another worker, " Where are the lightbulbs?" He said isle 26. So, again I go search through the BORG looking for the elusive lightbulbs. I get to isle 26 and there were the lightbulbs. I thought to myself "FINALLY". Then it hit me, these were all indoor lightbulbs, nothing for sensor lights. I found another worker and he said next isle over. I found them !!

I then asked where the carpet cleaning stuff was, they pointed me towards another isle. I get there and all they had was huge buckets of cleaner when all I needed was a small bucket.

I finally gave up. I get to the check out counter and they ring up the items. The price seemed kinda high, so I showed them the advertisment that I pulled up from the store's website. They said "Oh, the internet prices are much cheaper than the store prices."


When I got home , I found out that the lightbulbs for the sensorlight were not the right one's. They were indoor instead of the outdoor lights that I wanted. So, instead of driving all the way back to the BORG , I decided to go to my local hardware store. The lightbulbs at the hardware store were CHEAPER THAN AT THE BORG!!!

[Jason Roehl]

Look on the bright side (no pun intended :D ), Bob. You got your exercise for the week! :D I have a very obese friend who says his knees hurt just looking at a borg. Needless to say, he tends to frequent the smaller hardware stores.

All kidding aside, I don't mind the borgs so much for a couple of reasons. They have lots of choices in many things, and they typically have what I need. That means fewer special orders and less waiting if I want/need to get something done. I've also learned to not rely on the internet presence of the borgs very much, as I've pretty much always been disappointed in one way or another (claimed availability, lack of info on availablity, lack of specs or good pictures, etc.)

[Frank Hagan]

When I got home , I found out that the lightbulbs for the sensorlight were not the right one's. They were indoor instead of the outdoor lights that I wanted. So, instead of driving all the way back to the BORG , I decided to go to my local hardware store. The lightbulbs at the hardware store were CHEAPER THAN AT THE BORG!!!

My boss used to own his own wholesale plumbing business, competing for the wholesale dollars with the Borg for things like water heaters, fittings, etc. He shopped them continuously to find out how they made money with all the loss leaders they had.

He found that if the water heaters were on sale, the dielectric fittings for them were twice what they were when water heaters were not on sale. At this time, back about 10 years ago, Home Depot continuously changed prices on things, and he found they had about a 10 day pricing strategy. 1" copper fittings would be "reasonable" for one period, but then they would be high and the 1" pipe would be "reasonable" 10 days later.

I'm not sure they still do that, but I do know that many things are cheaper at an Ace or True Value Hardware store than they are at Home Depot.

[Bart Leetch]

I have a home Depot 5 minutes from home & an ACE 7 minutes from home. It's come down to buying products at Ace & using HD for walking exercise on rainy days. I went to Lowes over the weekend with a friend 60 miles round trip it was a much better experience. There is just something about Lowes. I had not been to Lowes since HD came to town in April this year & was surprised at the difference etween the 2 stores..

[Vaughn McMillan]

Bob, your "Day at the BORG" title shows where you went wrong. I always go the the BORG at night...the distances seem shorter in the dark. :p

- Vughn