Lowe's Vs Home Depot

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
ACE and True Value hardwares, whenever possible. So support your local region stores too.


Love my local True Value. I go there mainly for bolts and specialty tools that HD and Lowes would never dream of having. They also have a 20 something hottie at the cash register.

Maybe HD and Lowes should take note.

 

[SatinSilver]

At least HD has some good deals on oil every now and then. $10 for a jug of Forumula Shell would qualify. Even at the regular price it's a good deal. Which is a few bucks cheaper than Supertech at Walmart. Plus HD has a nice auto section unlike Lowes.

Hardly ever see any hotties at HD or Lowes working. Complete opposite. I had to return a carpet cleaner at Lowes and the lady was obese. She was bending over looking under the cleaner to make sure the rollers were clean.

May have to check out Ace.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Well, neither would make my Top3 list, but generally I prefer Home Depot over Lowe's as I find the store much easier to navigate to get where I need to be. I don't see much real difference in price ... like most competitive retail, you gain on one item and lose on the other, your total basket is the same, more or less,* so unless you are buying just one thing (and why would you comparison shop for a single 2x4?) it's a non-issue for me.

However I did just purchase a few kitchen pot herbs from Lowe's, prices were the same as the Wall-Mart across the parking lot but everything in Lowe's was in great shape while everything in Wall-Mart looked like they hired Witches to care for the plants.



* There is such a thing as the overall price value of one retailer vs another; put another way one store might be cheaper overall all of the time, but this never comes into play with just one item, as the most expensive of the two can always have a deal. The more competitive the market, the less difference there is in the overall basket. With home improvement in general its a little less price-competitive than other industries (like, say, groceries) because contractors usually only deal with one vendor, due to credit/discount accounts and the selection they need, and they just bill to the customer.

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
I prefer Menard's, even though it is the farthest away from me. I have a HD and a Lowe's that are closer.


Ditto. I had HORRIBLE customer service experiences at Lowes many years ago, So it has only been recently that I could even set foot in a Lowes.

 

[Kira]

Box o' nails bottle of glue....what's closest.

Counter top or window fan? I'm going to look at both because they're so close to me.

CONCLUSION: I'd never think to actually compare them. Maybe millwork or availability of a certain caliber of electrical component.

 

[pandus13]

Walmill/OP,

since you spend so much time (and probably $$$ money), have you thought about talking with the guys at the commercial counter for some discounts?

 

[Tdbo]

For small stuff, I go to our local True Value. I like supporting good service and local business, whenever possible.
In regards to the Big Boxes, it is Menards, HD, and Lowes, in that order. In fairness, that is also the order physical proximity to me. However, that is also the order that I rate them for quality and value.
However, I exclusively go to Lowes for appliances, due to the demise of mom and pop appliance stores.

 

[TheLawnRanger]

I use Ace quite a bit because there are several around and it keeps me from driving to the next larger town. Items are usually higher but I save gas and time. They do send good coupons from time to time that make them competitive if you have an Ace rewards card. If I have to go to one of the stores in the post title, I prefer Lowe's. They do tend to have the things women like closer to the main entrance such as light fixtures and floor covering. However, I go in through the contractor side of the store and get right to what I'm looking for.

 

[pbm]

I prefer Lowe's to Home Depot because the stores are CLEANER....and more orderly....

 

[EdwardC]

I typically go to Menards as my first choice (the furthest away, but just by a mile or so, but also typically the least expensive), then Home Depot, then Lowes. I usually just check online to see which is cheapest and has what I'm looking for. The Lowes closest to me is much smaller than the Home Depot, so more often than not, I end up going to Home Depot since they have the item.

I do remember once I was buying some black pipe to use for pipe clamps. The cheapest way to get the 5' lengths I wanted was to buy 10' pieces and have it cut/threaded, no big deal. I believe Lowes would cut and thread it for free, while Home Depot wanted to charge per cut, which ended up as significantly more expensive.

 

[MNgopher]

Menards, Home Depot, then Lowes. In fairness, Lowes isn't next door to me. The others are...

And the individual store can make or break it. I have two menards about the same distance away, but I greatly prefer one over the other...

 

[JC1]

I use both. Some items are cheaper at one than the other.

I find HD has better offerings on gifts for Dad's etc on Fathers Day and Christmas.

 

[Huie83]

I like the lumber section of Lowes because it's indoors as well as the appliances. The windows doors and kitchen hardware, conuter tops etc at Home depot and everything else at Menards. Home Depot is quite a bit further drive for me so I don't frequent it often though.

 

[raburn2906]

Lowes, I haven't shopped at HD since 2005. Too many mistakes, discrepancies, and poor customer service at HD.

 

[ruhroh]

I prefer Lowe's. Prices-wise, they're typically similar but Lowe's stores have more items on sale or clearance and their website reflects the in-store price. Plus, Lowe's sometimes send $10 off/50 coupons.

More often than not, HD tends to honor their price mistakes though.

 

[shanneba]

Originally Posted By: Triplicate
Just a little story about my local HD:

Being a BITOG lurker/reader, I saw that HD had 5 qt. jugs of Formula Shell marked down to 9.88. I picked up my dad and we went to our local store to pick up a couple jugs each.

The store was laid out by a madman.


When I look at the HD sale flyer online it shows me if an item is in stock and the location of the item at my local store.
The HD app for your phone will also shows the actual store location.

Example: Fram PH3600 oil filters for $3.77 each are located at Aisle 10, Bay 009 and they have 5 in stock.

Lowes also shows the in store location on the web site

Briggs and Statton oil filter at Lowes -
15 available today at Franklin Lowe's!
Aisle 26 , Bay 1

The Lowes Phone app also show in store location.

In all cases the GIGO principle of technology applies, if the store doesn't move the location when the manager decides to put it on an end cap all bets are off.

 

[Bud]

I have a Lowe's and HD within a half mile of each other. I always go to Lowe's. Much nicer store and I get an automatic year around 10% military discount.

 

[BIGJ552000]

I never really thought about it, just go to whichever one has what I need and for the best price too.
BUT I will say one thing..... Lowe's online SUCKS! Just about every time my order gets canceled as it was just sold(their excuse when they call to tell me) !?! Really!?! So for online purchases for me it's hands down Home Depot

 

[BHopkins]

I tend to prefer Lowes. IMHO, Lowes stores tend to be cleaner, items are in place, better, and store layout makes it easier to find things than at HD. I do shop Home Depot for a few items, particularly Milaukee tools and Rigid utility vacuums.

The first home improvement superstore close to me was a Lowes, so I started shopping there. But upon a friend's recommendations, I started trying HD, but on a constant basis, I wouldn't find what I wanted, or was disappointed with the selection or quality, and I would walk out without buying anything. My wife started harassing me, asking why I even bother going to HD, as I always come out empty handed. It is still a standing joke between us.

Another down side to HD is ceramic tile quality. A few years ago I was at a tile store buying tile for a small project. I mentioned that I was going to pick up some of the tile for the pattern I was going to do, at HD, as the tile store didn't have exactly what I wanted. The tile store manager cautioned me that I needed to be aware that the tile sold at HD is thinner, and so when mixing with other tile, it will be recessed a little. They were right. I still used some HD tile on that project, but I no longer shop HD tile.

There are no Menard's in the West. Even if there were, I would still primarily shop at Lowes. I've shopped Menard's with my son, who lives in Kentucky. They are nice stores in some ways. Fantastic selection. But the stores are too big, resulting in having to take an awful long time to fine what I need, get it paid for, and get home to my project. And it's totally unnecessary for Medard's stores to be so big. They are filled with a lot of junk that is unrelated to home improvement. Like books. What the heck are books doing in a home improvement store? In addition to selection, the only other thing I like about Menard's is price. From what I've seen, they tend to be a little lower priced than Lowes or HD. But not enough to make it a preferred store for me.

Oh, and as someone else mentioned, I do love the Lowes phone app. It is so convenient to have it tell me the aisle, shelf, and location to find an item.

And I love buying items online at Lowes for store pickup. It is so nice when they call and tell me that my item has been pulled and is ready for pickup.

 

[hatt]

I like Lowe's better. I can believe HD caters more to tradesmen because the stores resemble a jobsite.