Local branch finally closed last night, another area branch the day before.
I couldn't believe how bare the shelves were, even considering the 50 to 80%
discounts. Grabbed a few bargains, but it definitely sucks to see the stores
gone. They had some older guys working there who knew their stuff and
weren't vultures.

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 02:54:48 GMT, "ATP"
wrote:

Local branch finally closed last night, another area branch the day before.
I couldn't believe how bare the shelves were, even considering the 50 to 80%
discounts. Grabbed a few bargains, but it definitely sucks to see the stores
gone. They had some older guys working there who knew their stuff and
weren't vultures.

Yeah, I know how you feel. Except all you lost was a place to buy
tools. I lost my job! And it was a job I really enjoyed!
(
Terry

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 06:06:55 -0500, Terry Sumner
wrote:


Yeah, I know how you feel. Except all you lost was a place to buy
tools. I lost my job! And it was a job I really enjoyed!

Any new news on the new stores?

Barry

"Terry Sumner" wrote in message

Yeah, I know how you feel. Except all you lost was a place to buy
tools. I lost my job! And it was a job I really enjoyed!
(
Terry

Losing a job is always sad. Good luck with your future.
The Norwich store was OK but I hardly ever got down that way. I hope the
Auburn MA store re-opens under a new name and better setup. It wad dingy,
cluttered, and not inviting at all.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 12:44:58 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r .
wrote:

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 06:06:55 -0500, Terry Sumner
wrote:


Yeah, I know how you feel. Except all you lost was a place to buy
tools. I lost my job! And it was a job I really enjoyed!

Any new news on the new stores?

Barry
Should know more in the next couple of weeks. Gonna have a meeting
soon.....I hope! )

Terry

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 13:50:22 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:



"Terry Sumner" wrote in message

Yeah, I know how you feel. Except all you lost was a place to buy
tools. I lost my job! And it was a job I really enjoyed!
(
Terry

Losing a job is always sad. Good luck with your future.
The Norwich store was OK but I hardly ever got down that way. I hope the
Auburn MA store re-opens under a new name and better setup. It wad dingy,
cluttered, and not inviting at all.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

I was told that it will probably be a year or so before a new one
opens in Auburn. At least that is, for the new ones of the Western
Tool Supply chain. Who knows who else might be lurking out there? )

Terry

Sorry if I'm jumping here late, but are some of the stores going to be
re-opening under a different name? I always used to go the Manchester, CT
store and would love to see something there.




"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. com...


"Terry Sumner" wrote in message

Yeah, I know how you feel. Except all you lost was a place to buy
tools. I lost my job! And it was a job I really enjoyed!
(
Terry

Losing a job is always sad. Good luck with your future.
The Norwich store was OK but I hardly ever got down that way. I hope the
Auburn MA store re-opens under a new name and better setup. It wad dingy,
cluttered, and not inviting at all.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:47:56 -0500, "GSX"
wrote:

Sorry if I'm jumping here late, but are some of the stores going to be
re-opening under a different name? I always used to go the Manchester, CT
store and would love to see something there.


No not really. Woodworkers Warehouse is dead...totally. However, the
fellow who was my area manager has set up a partnership of some kind
with the guy who owns a string of stores in the northwest called
Western Tool Supply. He plans on opening around 11 stores right away
with hopefully 30 in all within a year or so. There won't be one in
Manchester as far as I know. What I was told was that the first ones
would be in Old Saybrook, Ct., Hyannis, Mass., and Port Chester, NY.
Also about 8 other locations that I wasn't told specifically which
ones. I believe he kind of took a look at the top performing stores in
the WWW operation and is trying to obtain the leases of those former
WWW stores. Some he got and some he wasn't able to get.

We'll see how this goes. I sincerely hope it all works out!

Terry

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 18:02:49 -0500, Terry Sumner
wrote:
What I was told was that the first ones
would be in ... Hyannis, Mass., and Port Chester, NY.
Also about 8 other locations that I wasn't told specifically which
ones. I believe he kind of took a look at the top performing stores in
the WWW operation

Yahoo, yippee, huzzah, bravo, thanks to (insert favorite deity/force),
wheeee. Cape Cod, Cape Cod, Cape Cod YAY.

Terry Sumner wrote:
the first ones
would be in Old Saybrook, Ct., Hyannis, Mass., and Port Chester, NY.
Also about 8 other locations that I wasn't told specifically which
ones. I believe he kind of took a look at the top performing stores in
the WWW operation and is trying to obtain the leases of those former
WWW stores.

You've got to be kidding me. Port Chester was one of the top performing
stores??? I used to go in there once in a while. As often as not, I'd
be the only customer in there. Sometimes there would be one or two
other customers. Hard to see how they made any money at all with that
kind of traffic.

There's no doubt Port Chester has the potential to be a good location.
Between Westchester (NY) and Fairfield (CT) counties, you're probably
looking at the two highest per-capita income counties in the US. The
store is 2 minutes off the interstate, and right next to a Home Depot
(which serves to attract people to the location, but doesn't really
compete for the same business). And for all that, the store was empty
most of the time.

On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 05:47:47 GMT, Test Tickle
wrote:



Interesting. The store in Avon Mass. was a stone's throw from the Borg
as well. I often wondered if it helped or hindered.

tt

DId you ever notice how few of the products carried by Woodworker's
Warehouse were carried by BORGs? You could hit an Orange BORG with a
rock from the Wallingford, CT WWW store as well, but the Wallingford
store did a terrific business.

The Manchester, CT WWW store was across the street from a very well
run Woodcraft. After a few visits to both, it was obvious that even
those two stores had a lot of product that didn't overlap.

Barry

..

Interesting. The store in Avon Mass. was a stone's throw from the Borg
as well. I often wondered if it helped or hindered.

tt
I'm not privy to any documented info on this, but other managers and
middle manager types have told me that research showed that when WW
stores were placed near the Borgs, they did very well. Even better
than the ones which were situated far away from a Borg. (if that's
possible anymore nowadays! LOL)

I was told they felt it was the knowledge of the WW staff in addition
to the items we carried that the Borg didn't. Folks would go into the
Borg and find a young kid working there who didn't even know what a
sawhorse was. So they went to the WW and found an older staff who
(hopefully) actually knew what they were talking about.

Well anyway, that's what I was told. And it makes sense to me in view
of my own visits to my local Borg. Geez, there was a fellow in there
who was asking the clerk how you rip with a SCMS. The clerk was
fiddling around the saw and couldn't figure it out! Gee...no kidding.
Finally he said, "I dunno, there must be SOME way to rip with it! I
shook my head and explained to the hapless customer about the saw,
etc. Unbelievable!

Terry Sumner

Barry Burke writes:

Interesting. The store in Avon Mass. was a stone's throw from the Borg
as well. I often wondered if it helped or hindered.

tt

DId you ever notice how few of the products carried by Woodworker's
Warehouse were carried by BORGs? You could hit an Orange BORG with a
rock from the Wallingford, CT WWW store as well, but the Wallingford
store did a terrific business.

The Manchester, CT WWW store was across the street from a very well
run Woodcraft. After a few visits to both, it was obvious that even
those two stores had a lot of product that didn't overlap.


Years ago, I wrote an article for Pop. Wodoworking that I don't think ever ran.
Mail Order woodworking stores. At that time, I wasn't too surprised to find
that each store had its niche. Rockler, for example, doesn't carry any large
power tools--and not many small ones--but carries a LOT of hardware. Lee Valley
was smaller then (they all were, except Trend-Lines), with a smaller selection,
but had a really solid rep for great customer service and good tools. Woodcraft
had the largest selection of carving and turning tools of the general
woodworking mailorder houses. Still does, I think. Also the largest selection
of books, while Rockler emphasized plans.

There is plenty of overlap, but plenty that doesn't overlap. If properly run,
it would probably be possible to make a liviing with a Rockler store within a
few blocks of a Woodcraft, and vice versa, if the overall market were large
enough. I think Woodcraft has until recently insisted on 350,000 as a base for
their franchises, though I know they're about to open a Roanoke, VA store,
after opening an Albany, NY store last month. Two great small cities (each is
about 95-100,000) by the way, though Albany feeds a larger market
(Troy-Schenectady-Scotia-Latham-Colonie and more).


Charlie Self
"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."
Dorothy Parker

http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/m.../business.html

There were many times that the WW staff would send customers to the
Borg for things they didn't carry, which I always considered good
business. You have to appreciate someone that would rather send you
somewhere else than try to sell you something inappropriate.

tt
Oh Geez,

We were doing that daily. There was always someone coming in that was
looking for lumber or hardware that we didn't carry. Also contractor's
items like ladders, pump jacks, pickup racks, etc etc. It was easy
because I know every store around and what they carry and I could send
the customer to the right place for whatever it was they wanted that
we didn't carry. Also like you said, send them to some place that had
something more suited to what they wanted to do rather than sell them
something that woul do a sub-par job or not even work at all. And we
got lot's of thanks from folks who appreciated the honesty on where
the best place was to go and obtain what they were looking for.

Over in Warwick, RI, where the WW was just up the road from Woodcraft,
they used to send customers to each other's stores for items
carried/not carried by each other. You're right again...it's just
good business building a huge amount of good will I think.
Man, I sure miss that job already!

Terry

"Terry Sumner" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:47:56 -0500, "GSX"
wrote:

Sorry if I'm jumping here late, but are some of the stores going to be
re-opening under a different name? I always used to go the Manchester, CT
store and would love to see something there.


No not really. Woodworkers Warehouse is dead...totally. However, the
fellow who was my area manager has set up a partnership of some kind
with the guy who owns a string of stores in the northwest called
Western Tool Supply. He plans on opening around 11 stores right away
with hopefully 30 in all within a year or so. There won't be one in
Manchester as far as I know. What I was told was that the first ones
would be in Old Saybrook, Ct., Hyannis, Mass., and Port Chester, NY.
Also about 8 other locations that I wasn't told specifically which
ones. I believe he kind of took a look at the top performing stores in
the WWW operation and is trying to obtain the leases of those former
WWW stores. Some he got and some he wasn't able to get.

Guarantee he won't be dropping one into the Albany NY area. We just got a
brand new Woodcraft store just as the WWW was folding, and it's within
spittin' distance of the WWW location. Plus there's several new Lowe's
stores popping up around here, and a Home Depot in my town, which has a
population of about 15,000.

Jon E

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...

.....

There is plenty of overlap, but plenty that doesn't overlap. If properly
run,
it would probably be possible to make a liviing with a Rockler store
within a
few blocks of a Woodcraft, and vice versa, if the overall market were
large
enough. I think Woodcraft has until recently insisted on 350,000 as a base
for
their franchises, though I know they're about to open a Roanoke, VA store,
after opening an Albany, NY store last month. Two great small cities (each
is
about 95-100,000) by the way, though Albany feeds a larger market
(Troy-Schenectady-Scotia-Latham-Colonie and more).

A new Woodcraft is also opening on Rt 147 in West Springfield, MA on
February 2, 2004.

John

Anyone else unsatisfied with the new Woodcraft in Albany? The sales
associates have a serious lack of effort and general disinterest in helping
out customers. Am I alone in this thinking? With the WW gone its a real
shame that Woodcraft is the only place left. I was pretty excited when they
came into town but after a few miserable visits in there, I don't even want
to enter the door.



"John Grossbohlin" wrote in message
...

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...

....

There is plenty of overlap, but plenty that doesn't overlap. If properly
run,
it would probably be possible to make a liviing with a Rockler store
within a
few blocks of a Woodcraft, and vice versa, if the overall market were
large
enough. I think Woodcraft has until recently insisted on 350,000 as a
base
for
their franchises, though I know they're about to open a Roanoke, VA
store,
after opening an Albany, NY store last month. Two great small cities
(each
is
about 95-100,000) by the way, though Albany feeds a larger market
(Troy-Schenectady-Scotia-Latham-Colonie and more).

A new Woodcraft is also opening on Rt 147 in West Springfield, MA on
February 2, 2004.

John

I don't feel bad at all. The last time I was in one of these places I looked at
a PC sander. I picked it up to feel the heft, and then asked to plug it in to
get the feel and sound level before purchasing it. They refused saying it was
agains't store policy. I explained that I had purchased a sander in the past
that is very loud and did not wish to make the same mistake. They still
refused. I put it back on the shelf and told them that they, and the sander,
should have a long and happy life together.

A few weeks later I was in the chicago area where I visited Berlands House of
Tools. The prices in here are not for the faint of heart. However, I was
looking for the sander and a couple of other pieces. They had suggestions; they
took the tools over to a bench, put up some scrap wood, threw on a disk, and let
me go at it. Same thing with a Metabo scraper. I walked out with the ROS. A
friend with me also bought a belt sander. We decided agains't the Metabo.

Service does make a difference!

I will return to Berlands and I won't miss Woodworkers Warehouse.

Len
--------------

ATP wrote:
Local branch finally closed last night, another area branch the day before.
I couldn't believe how bare the shelves were, even considering the 50 to 80%
discounts. Grabbed a few bargains, but it definitely sucks to see the stores
gone. They had some older guys working there who knew their stuff and
weren't vultures.

Len,

You can indeed blame the company for that one, but not the store
workers. A while ago, it was indeed against company policy to plug
tools in and run them. They wouldn't even use tools in the store for
demos. Their feeling was that they weren't in the "used tool"
business. Then new people were placed in the top positions and all
that changed. So much so, that WW started installing demo areas and in
some stores, outright full-fledged workshops to teach classes in.

So you can say what you want about the former management of the
company, but don't rap the store personell...it wasn't their fault.

Terry Sumner


On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 11:04:36 -0600, lopez wrote:

I don't feel bad at all. The last time I was in one of these places I looked at
a PC sander. I picked it up to feel the heft, and then asked to plug it in to
get the feel and sound level before purchasing it. They refused saying it was
agains't store policy. I explained that I had purchased a sander in the past
that is very loud and did not wish to make the same mistake. They still
refused. I put it back on the shelf and told them that they, and the sander,
should have a long and happy life together.

A few weeks later I was in the chicago area where I visited Berlands House of
Tools. The prices in here are not for the faint of heart. However, I was
looking for the sander and a couple of other pieces. They had suggestions; they
took the tools over to a bench, put up some scrap wood, threw on a disk, and let
me go at it. Same thing with a Metabo scraper. I walked out with the ROS. A
friend with me also bought a belt sander. We decided agains't the Metabo.

Service does make a difference!

I will return to Berlands and I won't miss Woodworkers Warehouse.

Len
--------------

ATP wrote:
Local branch finally closed last night, another area branch the day before.
I couldn't believe how bare the shelves were, even considering the 50 to 80%
discounts. Grabbed a few bargains, but it definitely sucks to see the stores
gone. They had some older guys working there who knew their stuff and
weren't vultures.

Terry,

I did not intend to blame the store personnel. They clearly stated it was
company policy (I see that I mistated it and said "store policy" in my earlier
post - mea culpa ). That's why I didn't go back to ANY of the WW stores.

Len
-----------

Terry Sumner wrote:
Len,

You can indeed blame the company for that one, but not the store
workers. A while ago, it was indeed against company policy to plug
tools in and run them. They wouldn't even use tools in the store for
demos. Their feeling was that they weren't in the "used tool"
business. Then new people were placed in the top positions and all
that changed. So much so, that WW started installing demo areas and in
some stores, outright full-fledged workshops to teach classes in.

So you can say what you want about the former management of the
company, but don't rap the store personell...it wasn't their fault.

Terry Sumner


On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 11:04:36 -0600, lopez wrote:


I don't feel bad at all. The last time I was in one of these places I looked at
a PC sander. I picked it up to feel the heft, and then asked to plug it in to
get the feel and sound level before purchasing it. They refused saying it was
agains't store policy. I explained that I had purchased a sander in the past
that is very loud and did not wish to make the same mistake. They still
refused. I put it back on the shelf and told them that they, and the sander,
should have a long and happy life together.

A few weeks later I was in the chicago area where I visited Berlands House of
Tools. The prices in here are not for the faint of heart. However, I was
looking for the sander and a couple of other pieces. They had suggestions; they
took the tools over to a bench, put up some scrap wood, threw on a disk, and let
me go at it. Same thing with a Metabo scraper. I walked out with the ROS. A
friend with me also bought a belt sander. We decided agains't the Metabo.

Service does make a difference!

I will return to Berlands and I won't miss Woodworkers Warehouse.

Len
--------------

ATP wrote:

Local branch finally closed last night, another area branch the day before.
I couldn't believe how bare the shelves were, even considering the 50 to 80%
discounts. Grabbed a few bargains, but it definitely sucks to see the stores
gone. They had some older guys working there who knew their stuff and
weren't vultures.