[newsgroups trimmed]

Banty wrote:

In article . com,
Carpenter says...


[snip]

What's wrong with going to local HW stores and lumber mills? I get
better service and a better price there


Hours.

I might need the box of nails (or the extra can of paint, or the
screw that needs to be longer than the ones I had bought, etc.
etc) at 4:00 pm on a Sunday, or at 7:00 pm on a Saturday in the
middle of my project, and only hte big box stores are open. A lot
of the local places around here close at 3:00 pm Saturday. The
*largest* local outfit, which recently franchised with a hardware
chain, has only a few Sunday hours.

So, if the big box store is the closest that is open, or the only
one that is open, the big box store it is.

IMO the big box stores out-hour their competition as much as
under-price them.

That's my experience as well. There's a local mom-and-pop hardware
store about a mile from my house, with a Home Depot a block or so
away. I would prefer to go to the mom-and-pop store, but they close
at 5:00pm on weekdays, noon or 1:00pm (I think) on Saturdays, and are
closed on Sundays. In other words, whenever I'm indulging my hobby
or doing home repairs they're almost always closed.

It's a shame, because I can walk in the mom-and-pop store with only a
vague idea of what I need, describe my problem, and they'll say, "Oh
yes, we have that right here" and lead me straight to it.

My usual (but not invariable) experience with the large chain stores
is that I can walk in knowing exactly what I want, ask a store
employee where it is, and they don't even know what I mean. "I don't
think we carry that...."

Sometimes I am certain that they do indeed carry such an item, so I
spend too much time searching until I find the paint scrapers with
the doors, or the 1.25" dowels (minus 0.02" or more) right next to
the toilets.

"darkon" wrote in message
...

That's my experience as well. There's a local mom-and-pop hardware
store about a mile from my house, with a Home Depot a block or so
away. I would prefer to go to the mom-and-pop store, but they close
at 5:00pm on weekdays, noon or 1:00pm (I think) on Saturdays, and are
closed on Sundays.

Factory town, maybe? Rochester NY used to have lots of businesses that
closed too early, thinking that everyone worked shifts at Kodak and got out
at 4:00. Not very smart. Even Boy Scout and sports leagues used to start
activities at 5:30 or 6:00, not giving 9-5 workers time to get home and eat.
Tell the mom & pop that 6:00 on weekdays would be a smart move.

Doug Kanter wrote:

"darkon" wrote in message
...

That's my experience as well. There's a local mom-and-pop
hardware store about a mile from my house, with a Home Depot a
block or so away. I would prefer to go to the mom-and-pop store,
but they close at 5:00pm on weekdays, noon or 1:00pm (I think) on
Saturdays, and are closed on Sundays.

Factory town, maybe? Rochester NY used to have lots of businesses
that closed too early, thinking that everyone worked shifts at
Kodak and got out at 4:00. Not very smart. Even Boy Scout and
sports leagues used to start activities at 5:30 or 6:00, not
giving 9-5 workers time to get home and eat. Tell the mom & pop
that 6:00 on weekdays would be a smart move.

I live in northern Kentucky, basically a suburb of Cincinnati, so yes,
your guess of a factory town is pretty good, although it's not as true
as it used to be decades ago.

In article , Doug Kanter says...

"darkon" wrote in message
...

That's my experience as well. There's a local mom-and-pop hardware
store about a mile from my house, with a Home Depot a block or so
away. I would prefer to go to the mom-and-pop store, but they close
at 5:00pm on weekdays, noon or 1:00pm (I think) on Saturdays, and are
closed on Sundays.

Factory town, maybe? Rochester NY used to have lots of businesses that
closed too early, thinking that everyone worked shifts at Kodak and got out
at 4:00. Not very smart. Even Boy Scout and sports leagues used to start
activities at 5:30 or 6:00, not giving 9-5 workers time to get home and eat.
Tell the mom & pop that 6:00 on weekdays would be a smart move.



Our biggest business around here is IBM, but there are a lot of other things,
universities, etc. The old fasioned hardware stores tend to close at 6:00, Boy
Scouts and stuff like that tend to 7:00. I don't know if that's your Kodak Park
effect shifted by an hour,though..

Banty (former daughter of Great Yellow Father)

"darkon" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

"darkon" wrote in message
...

That's my experience as well. There's a local mom-and-pop
hardware store about a mile from my house, with a Home Depot a
block or so away. I would prefer to go to the mom-and-pop store,
but they close at 5:00pm on weekdays, noon or 1:00pm (I think) on
Saturdays, and are closed on Sundays.

Factory town, maybe? Rochester NY used to have lots of businesses
that closed too early, thinking that everyone worked shifts at
Kodak and got out at 4:00. Not very smart. Even Boy Scout and
sports leagues used to start activities at 5:30 or 6:00, not
giving 9-5 workers time to get home and eat. Tell the mom & pop
that 6:00 on weekdays would be a smart move.

I live in northern Kentucky, basically a suburb of Cincinnati, so yes,
your guess of a factory town is pretty good, although it's not as true
as it used to be decades ago.

It takes forever to change. I don't expect my local hardware store to be
open till 9 every night, but they received applause when they changed from
5:30 to 6:30 on weeknights. I thanked them and the owner said
"Yeah....everyone's telling us that".

If you are speaking of the one in Florence, Ky....and I assume you
are...Lowe's is less than 1/4 mile from there. Did they apologize to
your satisfaction...if not, you know our newspapers around here are
more than happy to slander any business that screws over the
customer....contact Howard Ain or Michelle Hopkins.

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article , Doug Kanter says...

"darkon" wrote in message
.. .

That's my experience as well. There's a local mom-and-pop hardware
store about a mile from my house, with a Home Depot a block or so
away. I would prefer to go to the mom-and-pop store, but they close
at 5:00pm on weekdays, noon or 1:00pm (I think) on Saturdays, and are
closed on Sundays.

Factory town, maybe? Rochester NY used to have lots of businesses that
closed too early, thinking that everyone worked shifts at Kodak and got
out
at 4:00. Not very smart. Even Boy Scout and sports leagues used to start
activities at 5:30 or 6:00, not giving 9-5 workers time to get home and
eat.
Tell the mom & pop that 6:00 on weekdays would be a smart move.



Our biggest business around here is IBM, but there are a lot of other
things,
universities, etc. The old fasioned hardware stores tend to close at
6:00, Boy
Scouts and stuff like that tend to 7:00. I don't know if that's your
Kodak Park
effect shifted by an hour,though..

Banty (former daughter of Great Yellow Father)


Well, like I said, it's changing here. Kid activities, especially, took a
long time because so often, they're run by little committees (and I say that
with the utmost in derogatory intent). We had a Boy Scout troop run by women
who thought "everyone should be able to get here by 5:00 if they're really
committed". Nonsense. When hardly anyone showed up, they interpreted it to
mean nobody was interested. When they moved the hours later, the meetings
were packed, which they interpreted as unrelated to the time change. Duh.
:-) These ladies were later made to go away and never come back, except to
drop off and pick up their kids.

In article , Doug Kanter says...




Well, like I said, it's changing here. Kid activities, especially, took a
long time because so often, they're run by little committees (and I say that
with the utmost in derogatory intent). We had a Boy Scout troop run by women
who thought "everyone should be able to get here by 5:00 if they're really
committed". Nonsense. When hardly anyone showed up, they interpreted it to
mean nobody was interested. When they moved the hours later, the meetings
were packed, which they interpreted as unrelated to the time change. Duh.
:-) These ladies were later made to go away and never come back, except to
drop off and pick up their kids.



Yep, we have a few of those type organizers too. The "everyone in the
troop/pack must (in the head of the organizer) go by my family's work schedule,
and they must all (again in the head of the organizer) belong to the same parish
too". So, they'll insist that xxx time is the *only* time things can happen,
this weekend in May can't have plans because of their confirmations (and insist
on a date which coflicts with another parish's confirmations).

But we've had various luck as far as making them go away

Banty

"darkon" wrote
Sometimes I am certain that they do indeed carry such an item, so I
spend too much time searching until I find the paint scrapers with
the doors, or the 1.25" dowels (minus 0.02" or more) right next to
the toilets.

LOL, ain't that the truth?
I think I know the inventory at the Borgs better than the employees,
including the managers!