I phoned Lowes today to order 3 squares of cedar shingles. I had already priced the local hardware store and it was $76 a square(100 sq ft). I called  Lowes because it is closer to me by quite a bit. They quoted the same price so I ordered them because I could get everything I needed. I happened to phone back to ask about nails and just by chance ask what size the shingles were 24 or 36 inches just to make sure I am not apples and oranges myself. Well if the guy didn't tell me that not only were they a lower grade they also just came to 75 square feet to their square. Because that is how they stock them now.  
I guess the local guy isn't that far away afterall.

I tell people that all the time up here in the mountains-- our local people except for the True Value store are very fair and many times their regular prices are as good as Lowes or HD.

The big box stores will also nail it to you on small items.  Our local Do It Best store is family owned and will sometimes quote special prices on large quantities.

Three pipe fittings at Do It Best - about $2.69   same three at True Value were near $10.00  - I removed them from my trusted site list.

Lowes also told us they would match prices on roofing materials - we got there and they told us those items were excluded from the guarantee because they were losing money at that price.  I had them call the manager and told them it was false advertising and that they had 2 choices - 1. Give it to me for the promised matched price-- they previously told us they would, were closer and the price quote directly influenced my decision to buy there.  Or 2. Immediately remove all the low price guarantee signs from their walls and advertising including the giant one in front of the registers and I would pay the higher price.  We got it for the discounted price.  I was not going to bend --- it was just the principle of the thing.

You go Glenn...I would have been all over that too... ...and by the way, some of my extended family here own and operate a True Value store...and for the record, I do not care for the people, they have treated several of us like we are lower than they, and I will also add, the prices in the store ARE ALOT higher than most other places I shop. I wouldn't even walk into the place...

Odd that that is the attitude that these guys have too.  The other stores are much more family or community like.

Is this some kind of scam? Or is it a way to save a few bucks......

I am totally aware of the saying, "You cant get something for nothing.."

https://www.homedepotmoving.com/sign_up.do?action=SignUp&regMode=10percent

Read the march 2006 fine Homebuilding  page 20 Cross Section ( Are big boxes better for builders?) its not very flattering to big orange or to big blue.

My take on all this is you get what you pay for.  

That is you get a 18year old who knows how to kill 100 men on a x-box but has know idea what a pre cut 2x4 is for!

My father in law went to lowes 2 week ago to get 3 bag of concete he is 72 with a bad heart no one helped him load this is not the first time better than 15 years ago i went to get a load of 2xs and plywood drove around asked a guy were to go  over there pulled over there started to load looked over at 5 lowes employees talking i loaded the truck NEVERgot any help thats been ove 15 years and it stills burn me up.  

If you can allways go to a local owned store you my pay a little bit more but its worth it.

Robert

When I bought Ondura for the treehouse (I'd much much rather tote sheets of asphalt-impregnated paper up the hill along a steep narrow trail than sheets of metal) we got to go to Lowe's 50 miles away in Florence.  It was on the shelf, didn't have to pick through stuff, no broken pieces, etc.

But that's not true of their metal roofing, especially if you need just a sheet or two.  Sometimes it's not even true of the Ondura.  If it's been  in the racks it's going to have been pawed through, bent as someone tries to take it out of the rack, even if they've been careful.  And then there may be problems loading, or even getting it to the counter without damage.

In this case a special order from the local guys to the supplier that comes in banded, and delivered is wonderful.  The price difference almost doesn't matter--if there is one in favor of the big box guys.

Since I've reached old lady-hood, people are always trying to help me get things out to my car.  Even if it's five pounds of groceries.  Every once in a while I take them up on it.

We had it with lowes and HD when we got the exact same trailer thru the farmers co-op for about 150.00 less. Granted where we live and where we are building are two entirely different economic regions but still.

Not to mention the Co-op people were very friendly, while we had to track down help at the big guys.

I moved to a small community in Southern California a few years ago (since have moved) and picked up a change of address pack from the local Post Office.  At that time the pack had a 10% off coupon for Lowe's.  I filed it away thinking I would probably use it for fixtures, fans or tools since there was a Lowe's reasonably close to our new home.  A few months passed and I decided  to add-on a bedroom and laundry room to the existing structure, and do a tear-off of the roof.

When I got to the roof part of the project I began pricing materials with the one local store and the two chain stores down the hill.  The local store was too high, and both Home Depot and Lowe's were close in price and had always matched each other's prices.  Then the memory of my Lowe's 10% coupon struck me.  My filing system ain't that great, so I couldn't find the coupon.  Fortunately the Post Office still had plenty on hand.

I called Home Depot and got their price on 7/16 OSB, which was around $6.00 a sheet.  Drove straight to Lowe's handed over my materials list to the commercial desk, and they started picking my order.  I told them their OSB price was higher than Home Depot, and they matched it.  As I walked around the store I noticed that some corporate Big Wigs from Charlotte were in the store nosing around, maybe an inspection.  

After they rang up my purchase, I then whipped out the coupon.  The clerk did not recognize it, so they called over a manager.  The manager looked at the coupon, and then saw the bundle of OSB that was headed out to my trailer.  He turned nearly white, and then stopped the forklift.

The Charlotte Big Wigs got wind of the deal and came over to watch and listen to the poor manager as he explained his dilemma.  He told me the coupon was valid, and he would honor it for everything BUT the OSB.  Of course I asked why, and then he began to tell how OSB was their "Loss Leader".  They actually lose money on that item.  They price it low to get us into the store, and then recoop the loss on everything else.  I kept pointing at the coupon where it said "any purchase".  He kept on about Loss Leader, and I kept pointing. I told him that he could go ahead and put it all back.   Finally, the Big Wigs called the manger to the side and talked for what must have been 15 minutes.  The manager started to walk towards me, but passed me and went on to the clerk who was waiting to finish ringing up my stuff.  The clerk listened to the manager, and then started punching keys on the register including one or two that gave me 10% off, even on the OSB.

I love it when big corporate stores get a little spankin'!

6.00 a sheet? Boy that's a deal even without the coupon down here. Last time I priced it it was 12.97 a sheet at Lowes.

Guess that's what I get for having to live in snobville SC

But I sure ain't building nothing here.

Yeah, $6.00 a sheet is from two or three years ago.  It runs between $11.00 and $16.00 a sheet these days.  Last hurricane season in combination with a very active new construction market has driven most material prices up.

The local Coast Hardware -Best store has offered several times to drop materials off at my place on their personal trailer or truck after giving me special pricing for large quantity.

QuoteIs this some kind of scam? Or is it a way to save a few bucks......

I am totally aware of the saying, "You cant get something for nothing.."

https://www.homedepotmoving.com/sign_up.do?action=SignUp&regMode=10percent

I don't believe it. Today in the mail I got the 10% off coupon for a single purchase up to $2000.00

I consider 10% a nice bonus if it's something I have to buy anyway, but not enough to buy neat stuff because "It's on sale"

Single purchase?

That might mean one item.

The one thing I hate about the local Menards store here...the pricing is always fair I think, but the employees are young and not very knowledgeable about anything they sell, and they rarely walk with me to find an item, its always the point thing..."its over there in isle 10".....its not a place I go to ask questions...better know what you want and know where it is....