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Obviously people prefer one over the other and just wondering if there are huge differences in them?
My husband prefers Lowes,he says they are cleaner,brighter and easier to find things in.
Is there a difference in the quality/brands of products sold ? is one considered to have better quality over the other?
I have both within 2 mi of my house. I use both and would agree with your husband on lighting and ease of finding things at Lowes. As far as quality goes I don't see much difference. Personal preference on most things.
i buy electrical stuff from both of them occasionally. i have found that HD carries more of the everyday stuff you need, and lowe's has a lot of odd parts that can be hard to find, but not enough of the everyday parts. as for price, they seem to be close on everything.
i know the managers of the electrical departments of each, and i catch them in each others store checking prices.
I used to always go to Home Depot. Years back, they had trades people working their departments. They knew eactly what was needed when you had a project. They were very informative and had many good products to choose from. I know they still have trades people to help you, but they don't seem to care much anymore. In the past maybe 6 years or so, I prefer Lowes. They have more products to choose from, their help has gotten better, their prices on some items seem to be better and they just seem to carry more items - such as sprinkler heads or plumbing parts - which didn't use to be the case. And they offer discounts and coupons which I think is smart.
What Janacj said above is true about years gone by HD hired skilled tradesmen. Not anymore. Both stores only hire low wage clerks who if asked what a street elbow or OSB they would run. You still do find semi skilled in what they call Sales Specialists which include cabinets, windows/doors, flooring and so on. But those in the isles only know how to point to the isle where your product can be found.
As a contractor I steer clear of HD mostly because they treat their employees badly. Lowes takes pretty good care of theirs. But if treating employees was a criteria for keeping customers away then Walmart would be void of customers. Most people dont give a damn if it dont affect them.
If you search this thread you will find dozens of comparisons between both stores. One is just a day old so look backwards or do a search.
HD is for the contractor, Lowes is more for the home owner.
They don't have the professional help they used to have, because there are now so many stores, they can't hire enough professional any more. It's also cheaper to hire part time help that a professional who knows the answers, but make more money. The bottom line is important today.
HD personel are extremely friendly lately. I think management told them they better kiss butt the way the economy is going.
Side note: My daughter worked for HD, the last ten years she worked for HD Expo. She just passed her twenty first year with them, and now all the HD Expo stores are closing. 21 years and yesterday was her last day. She is out the door and looking for a job. Life is tough...
HD personel are extremely friendly lately. I think management told them they better kiss butt the way the economy is going.
Yeah, I think Home Depot is doing a major Customer Service overhaul. A few weeks ago when I walked in an HD, I saw sales associates in a huddle with managers and within minutes, associates were asking "Can I help you?" constantly everywhere I went in the store. It actually became a little annoying. I remember prior to this that you couldn't even find anyone to assist you.
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
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Originally Posted by southgeorgia
i buy electrical stuff from both of them occasionally. i have found that HD carries more of the everyday stuff you need, and lowe's has a lot of odd parts that can be hard to find, but not enough of the everyday parts. as for price, they seem to be close on everything.
i think i have the same opinion. I need both. For PEX/plumbing/tanks Lowe's got them in stock, so as the stones/blocks you use for decorating your garden. also the etching/staining supply is better than HomeDepot's . They also have the cheap plastic designer crown moulding.
HD seem to have a better supply of lumber and building materials. I go there for Plexiglass and Ryobi tools.
HD is slightly cheaper per roll of the radiant barrier I'm using. Same item at Lowes. But in general the people at Lowes seem to know just a tiny bit more than at HD. I get commodity-type stuff there but for things that really matter I go somewhere better.
I used to shop more in Home Depot, but I can't take the over aggressiveness of the employees anymore. It is a little over the top. It gets rather old having to respond to every employee that passes you by continuously asking you "how are you doing and do you need any help?" I was in there on Saturday and I was asked by 7 employees within 5 minutes and it was getting rather annoying. I understand they are trying to please the customer, but give it a rest already. I'm the type of person that likes to go into a store, do my own thing and be left alone, if I need help I'll ask. The constant badgering is too much. I left there and went into Lowe's and I felt more comfortable in there. It's more laid back. I think Lowe's has a wider and better selection and their garden center is nicer too.
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