I just can't take it anymore

[ltlvt]

they were put out of business by HD. HD wasn't happy with killing the comp, so where I worked in the late 80s, they put a Hometown in right across from the hardware store. In a year the hardware store was out of business. I was p i s s e d. You know those guys in the hardware store were making a living wage, the guys in HD were not making as much. The guys in the hardware store had knowledge, the guys in HD some had, some didn't. When the housing bubble burst, many contractors worked for HD for a time, and knowledge was good. Then things went back to normal and most don't have knowledge. These days it's tough to get in a dedicated plumbing store. They don't want my business, only pros.

The exact same reason I refuse to do business with Walmart. I loved the idea of having a Walmart Super store within 7 miles of me when they first built it about 25 years ago. Then I started realizing how they put everyone out of business including the grocery stores. There is a town between me and Childress Texas that had a privately owned grocery store for about 50 years. Everyone in the town bought their groceries there especially the elderly folks. Walmart moved in and built a small store and put the man out of business. A couple of years the Walmart decided to close the store and now folks have to drive all the way to Childress (about 50 miles) to buy groceries.

There is a neighborhood here in Wichita Falls that is an older neighborhood with a large population of elderly that do not drive or do not have a car. Kings Grocery was their place to buy groceries for many years. Walmart put them out of business also. Closest Walmart is at least 15 miles from them. As the man sang "Its a Damn Shame" I consider this to be communism with a mask. When I lived in Mexico Walmart even charged to park in their parking lot.

 

[ltlvt]

I have lost my patients with both of them, bad service, crappy product and a maze of a store and web site. Our Lowes has tools in their tool section for display that look as though they were left in the weather for months, if they do not care enough to at least maintain the appearance of tools on the shelf which they want to sell me for hundreds of dollars what will their customer service and warranty response be like? Home depot is much like Many of the Auto parts stores now, handling items the yuppies are looking for, floor mates and air fresheners.... My default is Ace as much as possible, locally owned with customer service and many of the small items I need cuz that is what breaks.... What ever became of the local hardware stores that had steel traps and number 10 wash tubs hanging from the rafters?

Yep I drove at least 10 miles out of my way yesterday to avoid both HD and Lowes. Drove right by them to get to Southerland's.

 

[woodchucker]

I consider this to be communism with a mask. When I lived in Mexico Walmart even charged to park in their parking lot.

it's not communism, it's capitalism at it's worst. There's the greed part, that says I want it all. I have to kill all the comp.
My dad owned a business. He always said to me, I would rather have 100 customers, than 1 big customer. And he had no problem with the comp down the block. As a matter of fact they became friends over time. He eventually sold to someone else and went to work for that guy. Not worried about killing the competition.

 

[mmcmdl]

Ace is 200 yards away from me . Tractor Supply 6 miles . 84 Lumber 7 miles .HD 10 miles . Lowes maybe 15 . They all get my business although Ace is the place . When I need something I need it quick and don't mind the extra few $$$$ they charge . ( this is also why I counted 17 oil filter wrenches in the past )

 

[woodchucker]

( this is also why I counted 17 oil filter wrenches in the past )

 

[verbotenwhisky]

it's not communism, it's capitalism at it's worst. There's the greed part, that says I want it all. I have to kill all the comp.
My dad owned a business. He always said to me, I would rather have 100 customers, than 1 big customer. And he had no problem with the comp down the block. As a matter of fact they became friends over time. He eventually sold to someone else and went to work for that guy. Not worried about killing the competition.

It is crony capitalism, attempting to for a monopoly, my Great Grandmother use to have a cart the Piggly Wiggly's provided her so she could walk the 1.5 blocks to do her grocery shopping once a week and if the manager didn't see her for an extended period of time he'd ask an employ to check on her, it was pretty much her exercise routine and I knew many others in Sulphur Springs and many small businesses that did the same, they knew their customers, we use to refer to that as the community. Wal-Mart came is and wiped out a large number of those businesses, very sad.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Ace is 200 yards away from me . Tractor Supply 6 miles . 84 Lumber 7 miles .HD 10 miles . Lowes maybe 15 . They all get my business although Ace is the place . When I need something I need it quick and don't mind the extra few $$$$ they charge . ( this is also why I counted 17 oil filter wrenches in the past )

Our local Ace knows me when I walk in the door, the employees call me by name and say hello then ask if I need help finding anything....

 

[mmcmdl]

Our local Ace knows me when I walk in the door, the employees call me by name and say hello then ask if I need help finding anything....

They also send me the 5-25 $$$$ off anything from buying there often . So even though they get you upfront , they do give you some deals later on . This was a family owned hardware store in the past . ( Cortland Hardware ) Ace kept the name on quite a few of their stores .

Courtland Ace Hardware & Hearth - Fallston, MD

COURTLAND ACE HARDWARE & HEARTH, 2729 Fallston Rd, Fallston, MD 21047, Mon - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Tue - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Wed - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Thu - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Fri - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Sat - 8:00 am - 7:00 pm, Sun - 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

www.yelp.com

 

[projectnut]

The exact same reason I refuse to do business with Walmart. I loved the idea of having a Walmart Super store within 7 miles of me when they first built it about 25 years ago. Then I started realizing how they put everyone out of business including the grocery stores. There is a town between me and Childress Texas that had a privately owned grocery store for about 50 years. Everyone in the town bought their groceries there especially the elderly folks. Walmart moved in and built a small store and put the man out of business. A couple of years the Walmart decided to close the store and now folks have to drive all the way to Childress (about 50 miles) to buy groceries.

There is a neighborhood here in Wichita Falls that is an older neighborhood with a large population of elderly that do not drive or do not have a car. Kings Grocery was their place to buy groceries for many years. Walmart put them out of business also. Closest Walmart is at least 15 miles from them. As the man sang "Its a Damn Shame" I consider this to be communism with a mask. When I lived in Mexico Walmart even charged to park in their parking lot.

Once again I can’t believe what I’m reading. Walmart never put anyone out of business other than the fact that they bought real estate that housed other businesses

The local businesses that failed were due to the residents of your town preferring the lower prices Walmart was offering. In an effort to remain within their budget they switched from doing business with the higher priced local stores to the lower priced Walmart.

It seems we’re all looking for lower prices. More often than not the lower prices are at the mega stores that can buy in volumn. If a sufficient number of the local residents had chosen to pay the prices asked by the local merchants those merchants would still be in business and Walmart would have failed.

 

[mmcmdl]

Kind of like why 99% of our members purchase off shore tools . They're cheap , but no one cares about what the end game will be .