Ever get home after doing retail business with a retail giant...

[herr_oberst]

...and say to yourself "If this is how they treat their paying customers, by god, I'm glad I'm not someone they don't want around!!"

Lowes.
Used to be ok, now they are starting to put the capital "S" in "Sucks."

[john70t]

Gutter guard: 15 in stock from three different brand boxes.
#10 pan head screws: Out of stock.
Exactly one white fan or sink faucet out of hundreds which is also the wrong style.

[Vipergrün]

Doing a bathroom remodel, including some new doors. Tried Lowes, screwed up the order twice, Hope Depot, 6-8 weeks out for stuff. Local door company and plumbing supply, got what I needed. A bit more expensive, but well worth it. I'll be buying paint from the local Ace down the street. And the guys at Ace will gladly shoot the breeze all day if you let them.

[legion]

If you have Menard's in your area, it's how a hardware store should be. It's the third largest chain in the US, but it is still owned/controlled by the founder (who also happens to be the father of NASCAR driver Paul Menard).

I only set foot in Lowe's or Home Depot on the rare occasions I can't find something specific at Menard's. It basically means I only go to one of the other two once every other year.

[Bugsinrugs]

My area has various hardware stores. Overall they are well stocked and the people knowledgeable. The kicker is the prices. I needed a nail cutting sawzall blade and paid $22 at the local Ace. When I was recently at Home Depot the exact same blade was $11. I’d rather shop local but not at twice the price.

[Jeff Higgins]

Here in the Puget Sound area, we grew up with Pay'n'Pak. They even sponsored an unlimited hydro, the Pride of Pay'n'Pak. They ran into trouble and closed, with the old, original management starting the Eagle Hardware chain. They didn't last long before the giant came bullying their way in and bought them out - none other than Lowe's. So, around here (to us old timers) "Lowe's" stands for "less of what Eagle stocked". They well and truly suck in every conceivable way, and many I have never thought of. If my day is ever going too well, if I find myself just too damn happy, I just stop by Lowe's to try to find something. They never fail to set me straight.

[Ayles]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Here in the Puget Sound area, we grew up with Pay'n'Pak. They even sponsored an unlimited hydro, the Pride of Pay'n'Pak. They ran into trouble and closed, with the old, original management starting the Eagle Hardware chain. They didn't last long before the giant came bullying their way in and bought them out - none other than Lowe's. So, around here (to us old timers) "Lowe's" stands for "less of what Eagle stocked". They well and truly suck in every conceivable way, and many I have never thought of. If my day is ever going too well, if I find myself just too damn happy, I just stop by Lowe's to try to find something. They never fail to set me straight.

I’m old enough to remember going to Alderwood Manor hardware with my dad and the Lynwood Pay n Pak...

Come south a bit! Stone hardware is fantastic! They seem to have everything.

[gchappel]

Lowes.
I need 6 light fixtures for a garage remodel. They have 2 in stock.
I need 6. But, they cannot order more as it is a "floor item".
They have no idea when more are coming in.
They cannot hold them for me, I would need to come buy every couple of days and buy what they have in stock.
There are 40 in a store an hour away, but they will not ship stock from one store to another.
I did ask to speak to the manager, got the same story.
Ordered them online. Delivered in 2 days, and saved money.

[OldSpool87]

I went to order an end cap for a Formica countertop from Lowe’s. Price = $17. Shipping = $75. The piece is Formica and about 18” long and 2” wide. Went to Lowe’s. They didn’t have it. Yay Lowe’s!

[David]

I think it all comes down to the store manager. Being in a big city, I frequent several different Home Depot and Lowes stores and even stores only a couple miles apart can be vastly different.

The neighborhood matters too. The Home Depot I frequent most often has all the power tools locked up and are frequently out of items. The next closest Home Depot that's farther off the highway doesn't lock up tools and when I go there it's usually because they have something the other one is out of.

I do really like the Home Depot app. I went in yesterday to by 12 sheets of plywood. The rack was empty and the Home Depot employee standing right there said they're out. I pulled up the app, scanned the bar code of the tag in front of me and it showed 38 sheets. Sure enough they was a fresh bundle high above on the rack.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by OldSpool87

I went to order an end cap for a Formica countertop from Lowe’s. Price = $17. Shipping = $75. The piece is Formica and about 18” long and 2” wide. Went to Lowe’s. They didn’t have it. Yay Lowe’s!

That shipping is absurd.

I do remember several years ago asking if they had taps to thread a hole. Not a chance.

[LWJ]

My favorite? I bought some hose pieces from lowes for a rental house 45 minutes from my house.

Didn't need it.

Tried to return it to lowes near my house WITH RECEIPT, they would not take it and told me it wasn't a lowes product.

I'm not a customer any more.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

.... with the old, original management starting the Eagle Hardware chain.

In my rentals, I had a resident who worked for Home Depot.
When Eagle Hardware opened, he said big wigs from the HD corporate office were worried about Eagle eating them alive. A team came up to the Northwest to study how to compete with Eagle.

Then Lowe's bought out Eagle. Quality and quantity both tanked.

Did Home Depot execs try to continue improvement? No. No more Eagle, no more threat.
Continue on with mediocrity!

[Chocaholic]

I’m fortunate to live in a small town with the closest Home Depot or Lowe’s 25-ish miles away. 3 miles away, in the town square is Morgan Hardware. A worn wood floored hardware store that’s been there for almost 100 years. 4 or 5 old timers sit around the wood stove socializing. There’s almost no way to know where things are so one of them is always available to find exactly what you need...and they always have it. Friendly folks, good prices and like stepping back in time.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

I’m fortunate to live in a small town with the closest Home Depot or Lowe’s 25-ish miles away. 3 miles away, in the town square is Morgan Hardware. A worn wood floored hardware store that’s been there for almost 100 years. 4 or 5 old timers sit around the wood stove socializing. There’s almost no way to know where things are so one of them is always available to find exactly what you need...and they always have it. Friendly folks, good prices and like stepping back in time.

Lucky dude!

I used to have the old family owned hardware store close by. Same setup, only they had about a dozen old retired tradesmen that hung out like a social club for the free coffee and donuts. I could go in there and approach the grey haired men of wisdom. They would walk me to the aisle with the parts I needed and tell me how to make it work. My old house was not standard to anything modern. I had to cut a hole in the Sheetrock to remove the bathtub valves. I removed it, and walked in with it. The old retired plumber instantly said something like "wow an old H&B 1542 I haven't seen one of these since the days of pink and green bathrooms". I told him my bathroom was Pink and Green.

Anyway he said there are no modern replacements that fit, so I will need to have it repaired. He told me the name of a guy down the street with a faucet repair place, and said to tell ol' Barney that Frank said high. I went down there, in in short order Barney rebuilt it, and gave me some more parts for next time, and changed me a modest fee.

They too were killed by the big box stores. I sure miss that store. The old guys hung out there and "worked" for free just to help the store buy the coffee and donuts.

[oldE]

I know this doesn't count, as I am in Canada, but yesterday I dropped in to Canadian Tire in Greenwood NS looking for a particular Swiss Army knife to replace one I had lost.
The young fellow at the sporting goods counter was dealing with a lady who wanted to buy an electric trolling motor for her husband's canoe. He was knowledgable and gave her some good advice. When it was my turn, I told him what I was looking for and mentioned I hadn't seen one in the display. In seconds he had his keys out, unlocked the display and pulled out the exact knife I had been looking for from one of the back shelves. Good work, Damian.
I went on to their website when I got home to give feedback on this young man's performance.
I must point out this experience has become the norm in that store over the past decade.
I credit good management.
Best
Les

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

If my day is ever going too well, if I find myself just too damn happy, I just stop by Lowe's to try to find something. They never fail to set me straight.

LOL.

You might try McLendon's--they are pretty good, or used to be, when I lived in Renton. In Everett, I like Martin Hardware--an old school place.

But I still often find myself in Lowes or HD because they are all over the place.

[Porchdog]

I would love to have a Menards in the area.

We have plenty of Lowes and HD. I don't think there is a single person in any of them who can actually help with finding something. The employees don't know a TEK screw from a drywall screw, or how to cut a length of chain.

My biggest complaint with the Lowes nearest me is that they love to pile featured items in the middle of the aisles so you can't get through with a cart.

[VincentVega]

^ I love that too

I often have a lumber cart ~1/2 full of stuff thats hard enough move around w/o the auto-x course of crap stacked up in the middle of the 'aisle'. Clearly they dont design the store for folks like me.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Porchdog

I would love to have a Menards in the area.

We have plenty of Lowes and HD. I don't think there is a single person in any of them who can actually help with finding something. The employees don't know a TEK screw from a drywall screw, or how to cut a length of chain.

My biggest complaint with the Lowes nearest me is that they love to pile featured items in the middle of the aisles so you can't get through with a cart.

Me too.

Our Ace is not too bad, except they play some HORRID background music way too loud. If I wanted to listen to bad mucic I would go to a C&W themed bar. If I go into that store I try hard to remember to bring my earphones to block out there crappy music and listen to classic rock. And Christmas time is the worst. 1960s TV show Christmas music. Barf.