With smaller businesses not making it?

[lappir]

What is your choice for the big box material stores? 

 

Home Depot

Lowe's 

Mennard's

 

I like to try and find the local places but they are getting harder and harder to find. 

Poll? yea or nay

 

 

Rod

[bobsallyh]

Lowes. Unfortunately there is no Mennards in the area of Yuma, AZ. I believe the closest is in Casper, WY. 

[Pat & Pete]

1 hour ago, bobsallyh said:

Lowes. Unfortunately there is no Mennards in the area of Yuma, AZ. I believe the closest is in Casper, WY. 

Manards in pretty much only in the northern midwest .

Menards location map :

I prefer Menards , but , use the others when the need arises .

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, bobsallyh said:

I believe the closest is in Casper, WY. 

Probably the 2 stores in Wichita, KS would be closer, but still a bit far when you just need a 2X4! If not Wichita, then Cheyenne. 

I almost forgot! I shop Lowe's most but do like Menard's when close to one. And I shop Home Depot at times as well. Yesterday I went to Lowe's but they have very little in pressure treated lumber of 1" size so I went to HD where they did have a good selection. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by Kirk W

[brokeboater]

Lowes, but only because they are the closest.  If I were closer to a Menards or a Home Depot that would be my store of choice.  I do have their card to get the 5% off.  Just a bit further down the road is a local lumber I sometimes use but they've gone more guns, clothing and food. 

[Larry Burkett]

Home Depot because it is my store of habit, but when the DW is with me she wants Menards because it has such a variety of stuff women LOVE to look at.

😄 😁😁😁

[Twotoes]

I like Ace Hardware best. I always get personal service the minute I walk in the door and am greater. They usually have what I need at a fair price. 

[Kirk W]

12 minutes ago, Twotoes said:

I like Ace Hardware best.

I don't believe that I have ever been in an Ace Hardware that sold lumber?

[fpmtngal]

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

I don't believe that I have ever been in an Ace Hardware that sold lumber?

I have, bought lumber at the Ace Hardware that was located near where my house was.  They had the regular indoor store and then they had a yard that had lumber, wood trim and such things.

[sandsys]

At my Ace Hardware you can tell them the challenge you are facing and they will help you find a solution. I've never had that happen in a big box store.

Linda

[lappir]

I think of Ace as a Hardware store for sure. I do use it for those items, but have a True Value close to where I grew up that always seemed to have at least one of the things I was looking for where many others would have to say 'We can order that in for you'. So True Value Hardware is on the list too. They don't have a full selection of lumber, but do have project lumber I think. 

If you are ever in S.E. Iowa check out McGriffs in Fremont or New Sharon Iowa or O'Hare Hardware in Ottumwa. 

Rod

[Kirk W]

Ace Hardware is a franchise and while there are lumber yards with a franchise, many are just hardware stores. 

[GlennWest]

I frequent Ace Hardware stores when one is on the area I am in. Actually prefer Home Depot over Lowes. Can't say why though. Have never seen a Menards. 

[ms60ocb]

I like Menards and have been shopper for more 30 years. Second choice is Lowes but I do but do buy paint at Home Depot. On select items I'm a Brand name person so that often determines where I visit.

One thing I always check at Menard's is their frozen food, It seems occasionally they have more than pizza at a real tasty bargain.

Clay Presently Northern IL

[jamtracy]

In Northern California I use Lowes for Barn Door business. Home Depot for paints, stains, and supplies. I also have an Ace that sells lumber and an Ace that does not. I use local lumber yards for my bulk wood. But the lumber I use is super expensive still and had to pass some of those costs to my customers. Never been to a Menards.

I get about the same customer service out of all 3. The lumber Ace I use is nice cause there is usually the same 4 or 5 people who work there so always familiar faces. The Pro desk cashier at Lowes puts my phone number in without asking me as I really do go there 4-5 times a week.

[Dutch_12078]

Lowes, since they usually have everything I need for the current project, and the 10% veterans discount certainly helps the budget. I don't get near many Menards, and Home Depot's veterans discount program is too erratic to be counted on, so I only go there if Lowes doesn't have what I need. I do prefer Ace for my more specialized hardware needs though.

[Pat & Pete]

I use Ace as there's a good chance one will be in most of the small towns we camp in or at least fairly close . 

I find Ace is usually higher priced , but , generally the convenience makes it worthwhile . 

[Ropeshaft]

I do like Menards for many things.  Being mainly regional I have 3 close Menards stores near my Wisconsin home but none anywhere near my Florida home.

[RV_]

Home Depot. I had problems with Lowes for years getting my 10% Retiree military discount. Back then they said they only honored on Certain holidays.

I've used Ace but haven't been in the need of something I can't get at the closer HD store. Lowe's is closest but they are higher than HD and I'm into all Ryobi tools. I did buy my 60 volt Greenworks mower and snow blower at Lowe's because the Greenworks mowers have metal decks. They stopped carrying Greenworks so when I decided I wanted a self-propelled I bought the two blade 25" one directly from Greenworks. HD has always had the help and expertise I needed. And in Louisiana Lowe's was all over the place on Military discounts. I have used Lowe's in Colorado. Here they do the military discount fine too.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, RV_ said:

I had problems with Lowes for years getting my 10% Retiree military discount. Back then they said they only honored on Certain holidays.

I've had that same issue with Home Depot and was told by a local store that it was up to the store manager, as it used to be with Lowe's. Since Lowe's added veteran status to your "My Lowe's" accounts and made the My Lowe's key to a phone number not only is it very easy to get buy my wife can get it too by simply giving my phone number to the cashier. If I use self check a Lowe's I just scan the My Lowes barcode. In our case Lowe's also happens to be closer but neither of them are very far away. You can also order from Lowe's online and by using a My Lowe's account get the veteran's discount there as well. 

[RV_]

As I said above:  . . . "And in Louisiana Lowe's was all over the place on Military discounts. I have used Lowe's in Colorado. Here they do the military discount fine too."

Now they ask for phone numbers here. It works for Lowe's as I said above. But HD just needs me to show my retiree ID card here and back in Louisiana. BTW we have five Military bases here. My hand tools are all SnapOn and Craftsman I bought 40 years ago. So Husky versus Cobalt is not an issue. Our use of air tools is about over too as my 1/4" and 1/2" impact wrenches and angle grinder/cutoff tools are now 18 Volt Ryobi. Our large and small blowers, string trimmers, long range dual power LED spotlight and area work light, Bluetooth AM/FM radio, ten inch fan, our attachment capable big string trimmer with pole saw, tiller, brush cutter attachments are all 18 volt Ryobi. Lowe's doesn't carry Ryobi. Thus HD over all for me. Both stores have from no experience department reps to very experienced with problem solving. I am ordering more online now too.

[hemsteadc]

HD has many RV supplies and ships every bit as fast as Amazon.

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, hemsteadc said:

HD has many RV supplies and ships every bit as fast as Amazon.

I was not aware of that so just for fun I checked with Lowe's website and they carry RV stuff as well.