On 4/16/2015 9:36 AM, John McCoy wrote:
Bill wrote in
:

John Grossbohlin wrote:

Home
Depot and Lowe's have got to be making a killing on fasteners!

I think they offer them more as a "convenience" than as a profit
center. Like a "loss leader".

Considering the manpower required to keep the shelves stocked
with all those little bags and boxes, and the losses from the
parts thrown on the floor by people frustrated at finding them
in the wrong bins, they probably do take a loss on them.

I suspect that's part of the reason my local HD replaced an
aisle of hinges, latches, and similar hardware with motor
oil and windshield wipers. Bigger packages, thus less labor
to keep stocked. (that, and random addle-headed thinking by
management - with an auto parts store on the other side of
the intersection, who's going to go to HD for auto parts?)

John



Anyone that goes to HD often will buy those items rather than make a
special trip to the AP store.
Those items are what every one buys. Grocery stores sell the same auto
maintenance items.