[Electric_Light]

Anyone else run into this?

Widget is $11.97 in Lowes store locally.
It is $13.07 on homedepot.com, listed as in store as well as online.

When you walk into the local Home Depot, that widget is actually $11.97, same SKU. Probably in order to avoid having to do match + 10%. There must be local store level entry which overrides the price.

 

[jigs-n-fixtures]

Definitely: someone walks in and says they can buy the widget at the stores down the street, and they match plus ten percent.

They put that widget Ina shopping list for their comparison shoppers to confirm, and then adjust the price at the store level.

Prices can vary store to store in one market area. Want to see them turn red: demand a price match of their price across town, so they have to match their own sister store.

 

[electricmanscott]

Nothing pisses me off more than paying more than I expected to pay.

 

[Spunk#7]

The local Lowe's and Home Depot in my area are about quarter of a mile apart and they both do it. Home Depot still has a nice selection of Klein tools,but still no Kraut hardware. Lowe's customer service is pretty crappy!

 

[LGLS]

The local HD by me is horrible. It was their first Long Island store, and not as large as subsequent stores they built. I had to get some plumbing parts. The 3/4 inch elbow bin looked like my kitchen junk drawer, there was a mix of everything and anything in there from toilet shutoff valves to galvanized nipples, nary a 3/4 inch elbow to be found. I probably could have found a sissors and a nail file if I didn't give up when I did.

 

[ibuzzard]

I am so thankful that I've no need to scrutinize every last cent of every single purchase,as some of you so publicly do here. The toll on my mental health would be too great, and my time is far too valuable. My work is my work, not my identity.

Ever been number two or three in line behind a customer that insists on going over the cash register receipt for each of the hundred items in her shopping cart, while fumbling through a wad of coupons?

That is how I feel listening to the petty bickering, in the General Forum of all places, because you worry about a two dollar difference. It is important to your particular situation, I guess. To many of us,though, it is far too mundane and trivial to waste available brain cells.

I am more than happy to work 40, then get my azz to the house.

Why not publicly decry the proposed two-cent increase in the price of postage stamps?

How about thread stretching to 100 posts, about how unfair when your local gas station raises the price-per-gallon by a penney? After all, it does affect your bottom line?

Sorry, but my give-a-shizz is busted. Can't seem to care about these types of posts.

 

[cdslotz]

It sure seems like a lot of wasted time and energy going to box stores for materials.
I know everyone doesn't have reliable supply houses in there area. But I'm pretty sure if your town is big enough to have Lowe's and HD, there are supply houses.
Open an account, preferably several with different suppliers....get an outside and inside salesman with each...negotiate discount multipliers on all products.
If I'm a one-man shop, I'm the project manager. If I'm a 50 man shop, I have project managers, and service managers.
ALL invoices come across my/their desk.
First put everything out to quote...make them compete.
Every day will-call items....hold there feet to the fire when they charge more than your negotiated multiplier..

 

[electricmanscott]

I am so thankful that I've no need to scrutinize every last cent of every single purchase,as some of you so publicly do here. The toll on my mental health would be too great, and my time is far too valuable. My work is my work, not my identity.

Ever been number two or three in line behind a customer that insists on going over the cash register receipt for each of the hundred items in her shopping cart, while fumbling through a wad of coupons?

That is how I feel listening to the petty bickering, in the General Forum of all places, because you worry about a two dollar difference. It is important to your particular situation, I guess. To many of us,though, it is far too mundane and trivial to waste available brain cells.

I am more than happy to work 40, then get my azz to the house.

Why not publicly decry the proposed two-cent increase in the price of postage stamps?

How about thread stretching to 100 posts, about how unfair when your local gas station raises the price-per-gallon by a penney? After all, it does affect your bottom line?

Sorry, but my give-a-shizz is busted. Can't seem to care about these types of posts.

Obviously false :laughing: And what a just plain stupid post.

 

[wildleg]

I am so thankful that I've ... happy to ... get my azz to the ... local gas station...-shizz ... post....

your point is well taken.

Seems like the trip to homeboys is a good waste of an hour I could be working or hanging out at the donut shop, if I had put in a will call at the supply house or better yet had the stuff delivered to the job.

Saving money is good business though (if you really are saving money). I used to have a great inside sales guy at R*****, but he got replaced by a drone. I haven't done much work lately, but both my supply houses now do on line will calls (haven't figured out if I'm getting the best price yet), so I guess that they are all in a race to the bottom with the box stores.

FWIW, I'm sure you guys are all aware that the box stores are very crafty with their pricing. they use loss-leaders to draw you in, and then you get screwed by the not so well-priced items. My sister in law used to own a family hardware store, and she was not even able to buy screws and nails from her wholesaler at prices that homeboys was selling them at, because at that time those were the items the box stores were moving to draw in customers and drive the local guys out of business. The only thing that suprises me is that amazon and google aren't trying to sell plywood and drywall (yet).

 

[NC Plc]

The local Lowe's and Home Depot in my area are about quarter of a mile apart and they both do it. Home Depot still has a nice selection of Klein tools,but still no Kraut hardware. Lowe's customer service is pretty crappy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFWeoxrhbE8

 

[99cents]

Material costs are an easy target. I know where my best deals are on "A" items. "B" and "C" items are usually an extra and charged to the customer accordingly plus markup.

The longer I am in this business, the more I realize that time is money and inefficiency is the biggest profit eater, not material costs.

 

[LGLS]

Sorry, but my give-a-shizz is busted. Can't seem to care about these types of posts.

Apparently it's not so busted that you don't give-a-shizz enough about NOT giving-a-shizz to ignore the thread and carry on about your merry way though... :whistling2:

 

[LGLS]

One of the biggest profit-eaters at a box store is TIME. You will NEVER get in and out quickly because retail stores are designed to keep you in there as long as possible. If you're doing a 200a service, you will not be able to find all the necessary components and just waltz on over to the checkout.

 

[RFguy]

Why not publicly decry the proposed two-cent increase in the price of postage stamps?

Their heads would explode if they lived in Canada. This week the price of a letter stamp jumped from 62 cents to $1.00 for a single stamp.

 

[electricmanscott]

Nothing pisses me off more than paying more than I expected to pay.

What a tard.

That's supposed to say "less" not more. :laughing:

 

[RIVETER]

The local Lowe's and Home Depot in my area are about quarter of a mile apart and they both do it. Home Depot still has a nice selection of Klein tools,but still no Kraut hardware. Lowe's customer service is pretty crappy!

Home Depot store will accept Lowes gift cards but Lowes does not accept theirs.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

Their heads would explode if they lived in Canada. This week the price of a letter stamp jumped from 62 cents to $1.00 for a single stamp.

They raise the price of postage, then less people mail letters, so they have to increase the price of postage. I can see where that's going.

 

[Big John]

They raise the price of postage, then less people mail letters, so they have to increase the price of postage. I can see where that's going.

No, no, it's fine. Obviously all that's needed are more advertising campaigns telling people it's cool to mail letters and more lobbying encouraging advertisements nobody wants. It's a perfectly stable business model.

 

[cdslotz]

One of the biggest profit-eaters at a box store is TIME. You will NEVER get in and out quickly because retail stores are designed to keep you in there as long as possible. If you're doing a 200a service, you will not be able to find all the necessary components and just waltz on over to the checkout.

I would have every part delivered to my dock two days prior to install.
Got the cheapest price because I emailed BOM to three suppliers.
Each supplier verifies stock of each part .
I don't get why you would go "gather" parts.
Especially when you know they won't have everything you need for that service

 

[dspiffy]

Going into a storefront definitely takes more time, but there are times when it has it's advantages. Usually when I have to do something unconventional and I havent entirely figured it out yet. "Oh I can use this, this, and this!"