As of the writing of this article, the trends are primary when do-it-yourself consumers tell us where they shop and where they honestly make their purchases especially for larger label items relative to Home Depot, Lowes and Menards.
Menards, a house owned Midwest chain of Big Box stores, continues to have the highest ratio of those consumers who indicate they not only shop the store, but also honestly purchase the items they shopped for.
LOWES DRYWALL
When the other two giants in Big Box building materials retail, with more of a nationwide presence, customers are studied, it is clear Lowe's is the place shopped and Home Depot is the purchase venue.
These trends were first uncovered about 8 years ago, and seem to be holding in the same trend more recently.
There could be a amount of reasons for the indicators, but presented are a glimpse of this author's newer on-site, in-store observations. Actual goods estimation acquisition and shops were conducted for this process in the departments listed. All opinions expressed are those solely of this researcher and not statistically relevant, since not every location of each retailer was shopped. But, in this researcher's opinion, the shops further solidified the quantitative, statistically relevant trends gathered in previous studies. Shops were conducted from coast to coast over the past 9 months.
1) The level of in-store customer assistance is higher in many visited Lowe's locations than in the same visited city Home Depot locations. When visiting those cities with all 3 retailers, together with Menards, the population employed by Menards, especially in lumber and other building materials used in construction, were easier to find, more helpful and easier to ask questions of than both Home Depot and Lowe's. Wait times for help in this class were more favorable at Menards. Technical questions were answered more times correctly at Menards, then Lowe's, then Home Depot in the structural building materials class of goods.
2) Merchandising and in-door procurement of structural building materials was best at Lowe's than whether Home Depot or Menards, in this researcher's opinion. Adjacent displays for selling and finding connected needed items to accompany the main purchase class was best at Lowe's, worse at Home Depot. The self serve yard at Menards for lumber and structural building materials is cumbersome, and the layout continues to be confusing.
3) When it came to designing decks and supplying material lists to consumers, there seemed to be less help at Menards, but the process at all 3 retailers was cumbersome, even with deck designing software - used directly by consumers and / or in case,granted by in-store personnel. In this researcher's opinion, the plan of folks making appointments to fabricate decks or leaving building lists behind and only being given a lump-sum price annoys potential customers.
4) In the cabinetry area, Home Depot and Lowe's are similar in help and understanding of the customer's needs, any way Home Depot seems to respond direct technical questions and understand lay out and fabricate slightly best than Lowe's. Menards in this class seems to lag, both from an assortment and a "friendly, we can help you" position. Few designers were customary with formaldehyde off gassing specifically as it connected to their lines of cabinetry.
5) The most knowledgeable sales company for doors and windows are at Menards, then Lowe's, then Home Depot. Many technical questions were incorrectly answered by all three retailers at every store visited. Fenestration is an area where all three could use some training. Only in-stock or displayed items were tested in this category.
As part of this series, the shops will continue into the future, with sporadic articles as they become available in all departments of all three Big Box retailers. The opinions expressed in this description are the author's opinions only and should not be construed as an endorsement of any retailer.
Where Diyers Shop - Where They Buy - Home Depot, Lowe's Or Menards LOWES DRYWALL
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