Local vs. Home Depot

[Rob Tucker]

Not a bad idea - opening a UPS or FEDEX account. That might well smooth the path for a lot of shipping issues with vendors.

Good one.

[TheodoreJay]

Indirectly your support of the local Home Depot will support jobs attached to that store. If everyone on the island stops shopping Walmart, Home Depot, Safeway, etc. those jobs will go away.

However, it does make sense to support local businesses and farmers when possible especially when price and quality are competetive or better.
Nothing like getting fresh fruit from the local farmer down the street vs. the tent poles that could be from the same source with one store or the other merely acting as the local distributor.

[DanielP]

I must admit that Home Depot is often my destination for project materials since I am usually shopping for many different items. Lumber is the main exception. Having to schlep 20-20' wet 2x6's at Home Depot ain't for me. HPM: Plenty of quick service, 2 forklifts at the ready to load my lumber rack. The cost of throwing out my back: a month of hobbling around and whining. No contest.

Dan

[missydog1]

I am hardly a builder, but we did an addition last year where I had to shop around.
I could not find any local vendor willing to match Home Depot or Lowe's, and while I didn't try them all by any means, I struck out with all the lumber companies, doors, windows, and flooring. They just say that their quality is better.

Maybe it is, and maybe it matters, maybe it doesn't.
Home Depot can afford to do something like they did with my sliding doors. Because they screwed up and didn't put the doors I bought on hold, and someone bought the last, HD gave me substantially better sliders for no extra charge. They weren't happy about giving away $400, but they did it. A local vendor doesn't have the margin.

RE the back problems, Home Depot will pull lumber for you. That can happen two ways. One you up to Special Services and buy it by SKU number on a special order, and they send it to will call, you let will call pull it, and then you come in with your order and they load it on the truck (but you have to unload at your end).

Or you can pick out your pieces and get a sales guy to help you, just tell them about your back. You do not need to schlep it yourself. What you do need is patience dealing with their will call system, and that will not be right now and without a wait.

For sparing backs more, you can do either of the above methods and pay $100 and they deliver it to your site with forklift, which is not so bad if you can combine all your heavy stuff. I had no choice but to have my French doors, sliders, windows, sheetrock, and floor tile delivered, and I added on all the heavy cement. (That was two deliveries, as the sheetrock came much later. It was worth it to me. HPM also delivers, and it might be free, can't remember. Still cost less at Home Depot.

I agree that shopping at any of the big box stores supports plenty of local jobs. It doesn't support the businessman, which is unfortunate, if you like the local business. Some of them have been extorting money from us for decades, so my sympathy is tempered.

I don't believe HD could jack its prices if local vendors weren't around, because as was said, their pricing has to be consistent with mainland stores. Their stock inventory items are a certain price in their database. If in doubt, check prices at homedepot.com . They save money by buying in huge quantity. Do I want to pay more money for a board because I'm buying from someone who sells fewer boards than the competitor? Not particularly.

[mdd7000]

quote:

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Originally posted by rbonplaza

Any update on the new Lowe's coming to Hilo?

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Really? Lowe's kicks butt compared to Home Depot! Lowe's used to purposefully only open stores in cities where Home Depot wasn't.
I spent 1.5 hrs in the Hilo Home Depot today and ended up buying ZERO!
Salespeople could care less and knew SQUAT. That doesn't happen in Lowe's as they try to hire retired professionals - electric, plumbing, appliances, etc., not just someone who needs a job.

[missydog1]

well, they opened one in Kona shortly after the HD opened there.
Lowe's Kona doesn't deliver to East Hawai'i, so they know full well they are losing a whole customer base to HD for items that a consumer can't throw on the truck.

I did lots of shopping for my addition in the Kona Lowe's, most of my lighting and I bought most all my lumber there (not very straight, sadly). Because I had to shop on Sundays (that was when I could get over there), I learned that both Home Depot and Lowe's have this weird staffing system where they put their knowledgeable people on during contractors' hours, not tailored to the weekend consumer shopper.

Try shopping in Lowe's on Sunday for building materials. Beyond frustrating, and I called the manager on it after it happened twice, and he told me about the staffing.
There actually are knowledgeable people who work at Hilo Home depot, but same as with Lowe's you have to shop during the right hours and it is not all of them by any means.

I always thought of these stores as consumer, do it yourselfer, owner builder oriented stores, but apparently the contractors use them plenty and are the number one client, so try shopping weekdays early but after the contractors have done their morning business, and you might see a difference. I like to shop late so I have had plenty of chances to see how no one knows squat after 4-5 pm and on Sundays.

[Rob Tucker]

My recent experience with buying a load of lumber involved me faxing the exact same bill of materials to HPM, Home Depot and Honsador. HPM beat Home Depot by $1,000 and delivered it. I will shop which ever store for whatever reason.

My main message is that it does pay to shop around.

[Greg]

I can't afford to pay a lot more for stuff from someone just because they're local. I will pay a little more, though. Especially if they offer better "service".

I was buying white gift boxes by the case from a local packaging store. I was happy with the service, paid a little more, and could get my stuff right away without any wait for shipping. I felt good supporting a local small business.

That changed when I asked for a different color box. They told me they wouldn't order any for me until I bought all the white ones.

Goodby local packaging store, hello internet packaging company.


punatoons

[David M]

Well, it's definitely an adventure and adds to the experience. There is no one solution.
When I was in the market for my Takagi on demand HW heaters, I went local first, but was able to buy 4 units plus valves including shipping from an online authorized supplier versus 3 bare units locally.

Many times, I've found HPM/HD to be a wash on many items. When I was buying sheetrock, price depended on latest shipment, but usually only pennies per sheet. Just last week I bought about 150 pieces of lumber. Free delivery from HPM made it a no brainer. I watched as the driver set it on the ground where I needed it. All I did was cut the bands. The next day I bought 13 sheets of plywood from HD. They helped load it (I ordered it at the desk), but nobody came home with me to unload.

Living 40 miles round trip from Hilo, I will factor that into a purchase decision. If I can buy it on line and the price with shipping is even close to local, I'll opt to receive it at home or make the 5 minute trek to the PO rather than Hilo. Don't know about you guys, but anytime I can do a Hilo trip in less than 3 hours, I marvel. Basically, I lose half a work day.

I do wish we could get the Kona HD management here as that store is vastly better than Hilo. Not sure I understand why they alway have a better selection.

Lowes will deliver here, but I don't know the rules. Neighbors have had appliance deliveries from them.

To comment on Scott's experience - an almost 40% price difference is ridiculous IMHO.

David

Ninole Resident

[missydog1]

>>>Lowes will deliver here, but I don't know the rules. Neighbors have had appliance deliveries from them.

At the time I was trying to work with them (Spring '08), they told me they had discontinued delivery to East Hawai'i. But that was lumber. It's possible they would do appliances. After all, Sears will deliver appliances from Hilo to Hawi, as I know from experience, and that's a long way, so it may be appliances are in a special class.

No question that delivery has value!
Agree there is no one right answer except "shop around" as has been pointed out.