On 7/10/2014 3:59 PM, FrozenNorth wrote:
On 7/10/2014 2:13 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/10/2014 12:02 PM, wrote:

Sure, that ratio is about right, even high. The point was that they
have the same site selection criterion. In fact, I only know of one
Lowes (Essex, VT) that doesn't have a HD within sight.


We have a Lowe's 7 miles from us. In every direction, the HD is 20
miles from us so they have them surrounded.

In Toronto Canada, Lowe's is a relative newcomer, but they seem to be
locating as close as possible to the HD stores.



Zoning may require them to build in those designated areas.

On 7/10/2014 9:19 PM, Leon wrote:
On 7/10/2014 3:59 PM, FrozenNorth wrote:
On 7/10/2014 2:13 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/10/2014 12:02 PM, wrote:

Sure, that ratio is about right, even high. The point was that they
have the same site selection criterion. In fact, I only know of one
Lowes (Essex, VT) that doesn't have a HD within sight.


We have a Lowe's 7 miles from us. In every direction, the HD is 20
miles from us so they have them surrounded.

In Toronto Canada, Lowe's is a relative newcomer, but they seem to be
locating as close as possible to the HD stores.



Zoning may require them to build in those designated areas.

Probably, zoning and building requirements here are brutal.

--
Froz...


The system will be down for 10 days for preventive maintenance.

wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jul 2014 17:01:27 -0400, FrozenNorth
Ok, I am on the outskirts of the city, but the Lowe's near me is
always busy, and the staff are fabulous, much better than the nearby
HD.

Yeah, I agree with the staff being better. The Lowe's I went to (the
one that closed down not too long ago) was located in Kennedy Commons.
I went shopping at Kennedy Commons because of the Metro and Petsmart.
I always allowed time to wander around the Lowe's to see what was new.

Kinda hard to believe Lowe's would close down a store that really had better
staff - after all - wouldn't that translate to better sales?

--

-Mike-

On 7/10/2014 9:01 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jul 2014 17:01:27 -0400, FrozenNorth
Ok, I am on the outskirts of the city, but the Lowe's near me is
always busy, and the staff are fabulous, much better than the nearby
HD.

Yeah, I agree with the staff being better. The Lowe's I went to (the
one that closed down not too long ago) was located in Kennedy Commons.
I went shopping at Kennedy Commons because of the Metro and Petsmart.
I always allowed time to wander around the Lowe's to see what was new.

Kinda hard to believe Lowe's would close down a store that really had better
staff - after all - wouldn't that translate to better sales?



Not all store managers are created equal.

On Thu, 10 Jul 2014 20:17:40 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 7/10/2014 3:59 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jul 2014 12:47:25 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 7/10/2014 11:02 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jul 2014 08:01:36 -0500, Leon wrote:

"Mike Marlow" wrote:
wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jul 2014 18:15:12 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 7/9/2014 5:26 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jul 2014 06:48:54 -0500, Leon
wrote:

wrote:
...

In almost every case I consider the big box stores to be in a far
worse location. I absolutely hate having to navigate and dodge
speeding traffic to get into or out of their prime high volume
traffic locations. I much prefer accessing the mom and pop
location located on a side street and or a much less traveled
major through street. FWIW in the example I mentioned above,
proportionally the mom and pop hardware store has a smaller
percentage of open parking spots than the local Borg. Some times
you have to circle the block to give someone time to leave and
open a spot to park. Like the Borg, the parking lot is probably
bigger than the store

I rather like having a traffic light, rather than have to negotiate
uncontrolled intersections.

I don't know where you are at but in Houston most all of the Borgs
are on a feeder road to a freeway typically not near a traffic
light. You might have a stop sign when leaving the parking lot.

Atlanta (home of Home Depot), but they're pretty much the same
everywhere I've lived. They're close to an interstate interchange
(necessary for the trucks) but there's always a light right by the
store. There's usually other big box stores nearby, for the same
reasons. The only place I've lived where there aren't lights right at
the BORG, they're once removed (at the entrance to a large big box
shopping center).

I have to agree from my own experiences - across the country. If any of the
major retailers are not serviced by some sort of traffic control, that's a
reflection of the local ordinances and not of the retailer. I can't think
of a lot of the majors that are not controled by lights. And... it is
common knowledge that HD and Lowes (or insert other competing name...)
locate near each other, just like McDonalds and Burger King do. That is
simply their location strategy.

I

In Houston it mat be a lack of zoning thing but none of the Borges are
close enough to an intersection to matter. And for that matter, HD probably
out numbers Lowes man 2 to 1. Well I just counted. 24 Lowes and 43 HD's
in the Houston metro area.

Sure, that ratio is about right, even high. The point was that they
have the same site selection criterion. In fact, I only know of one
Lowes (Essex, VT) that doesn't have a HD within sight.



Come to Houston, LOL, you will find that to not be true. You cannot see
one from the others parking lot. I sure wish that were true here
though. I have 3 HD's withing 6 miles of my home the closest Lowe's is
probably 8 miles away.

I didn't (mean to) say that there was a Lowes for every HD, just that
they have the same siting policy; they have the same requirements. In
addition, there is almost always an HD within sight of a Lowes (but
the reverse is not true).

Understood, but in the Houston area if you are at Lowe's or HD and want
to go to the other, you might have to ask directions to get to the other.

I imagine if I was in houston and needed to go anywhere from anywhere
I'd need to ask directions.

Here in KitchenerWaterloo we have 1 Lowes, 4 Home Depots, 2 Home
Building Centers, and 2 Ronas. Then a few more of each in Cambridge
and Guelph and another Home Building Center in Elmira/ They are spaced
a few miles apart across town. Then we have a handfull of Home
Hardware Stores - about half a dozen in KW and one in pretty well
every town of any size around. Add to that a good half dozen or more
Canadian Tire stores and the building supply and hardware retail
market is pretty well filled up. And that doesn't count the bolt and
nut supply places of several stripes, the wholesale hardware
distributors, electrical distributers, plumbing distributors (at least
3 of each) and the electrical and plumbing DIY shops (at least one of
each)

I don't have to buy from Home Despot or Lowes or Rona, but if I choose
to, they are never more than about 20 minutes from wherever I might be
in town. And the supply houses are just about as close. Only need to
buy from the big box stores if I need something on a weekend or after
5PM.

On Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:01:15 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
Kinda hard to believe Lowe's would close down a store that really had better
staff - after all - wouldn't that translate to better sales?

I'm guessing that the average person views Home Depot as the pinnacle
of the home building product companies and that's where they'd head
for first.

Whatever the reason, better customer service or not, if a store isn't
making enough profit, its life span is limited.