"Leon" wrote
>
> Fortunately I have a mom and pop hardware store relatively close by. They
> have been in business since the early 60's IIRC. Two brothers decided to
> go into that business together and they have been quite successful. This
> store has 4 Home Depot's and 2 Lowe's within about 6 miles and this
> hardware store is always growing. Service is EXCELLENT and no sale is too
> small. For exact same items they are cheaper than the big boxes.
> In the last few years the two brothers have retired but you see them in
> there once in a while. Their nephew now runs the store and I see no
> difference in quality of service or the ability to have what you need.
> They still carry stuff out to the truck or car for you.
>
I have an Ace Hardware about ten minutes away that is great. Lots of
helpful, knowlegable employees. Then a new Ace Hardware opens up just down
the street from me. I thought this was great because it is closer.
WRONG!!!!
The new store is staffed by scowling, nasty people. They treat you like a
criminal. And they don't have the selection the other store has. Needless
to say, I have gone back to the other store.
"Leon" wrote
> If I had to make a guess as to why the store failed it would be because
> merchandise simply was not sold if a certain percentage of GP was not
> obtained on each and every item. While this is a common way to determine
> in general what to charge, not deviating from that rule to keep the
> customer coming back was the big problem. You simply don't penalize the
> customer because you are out of stock or have to order an item special
> order. Any retailer can afford to special order and sell for a smaller GP
> when the item is prepaid by the customer and does not figure into the
> overhead. It's basically an unexpected sale with no cost.
While I was glad to see them support the local PBS. I was ignored as a
customer, had to seek out and wait, then wait some more, for someone to
answer a question, and got the definite impression that you had to be part
of an in crowd (turner?) to be treated right as a customer.
In short, and IME, a customer unfriendly place .... good riddance.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)
"Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>>
>>
>>>
>>> That's why I seldom buy anything from Rockler. Their sales are not much
>>> to talk about. My preferred store, The Cutting Edge is closing. :-(
>>>
>
> Gee,
>
> All I said was is my preferred store is closing and I am sad that it is
> closing.
> I always enjoyed myself in the store.
>
I was not condemning you for shopping there, I myself spent more money in
that store on ww equipment than all other places combined. In the almost 20
years that I was Steve's customer I purchased 6 major pieces + the
accessories for them and the normal other items you need for ww. It's just
that I felt like I was going in to buy a new car and had to haggle over the
prices every time that I did make a large purchase. It was always
something that went wrong with the transaction. For some reason buying
multiple items never totaled up at the cash register correctly. There was
always a loss of advertised or displayed multiple item discounts. I suspect
that I was not the only one that got tired of that.
"DGDevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Nova wrote:
>
>> Sale items and...
>>
>> "* Excludes sale items, power tools, Leigh jigs, Porter-Cable dovetail
>> jigs, Festool products, CNC Shark, Power Sharpening systems, Direct
>> Ship items and Rockler Gift Cards.
>
> Well, good thing I didn't order any of that stuff or I'd be really pissed
> off. Good price on handscrews though, and you can never have too many of
> those.
>
For those in the area of Danvers, MA That store is closing and they are
having a sale starting today
Larry C
"Nova" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> DGDevin wrote:
>> Rockler's website has a today-only sale, 10% off everything except sale
>> items.
>
> Sale items and...
>
> "* Excludes sale items, power tools, Leigh jigs, Porter-Cable dovetail
> jigs, Festool products, CNC Shark, Power Sharpening systems, Direct Ship
> items and Rockler Gift Cards.
>
> --
> Jack Novak
> Buffalo, NY - USA
> [email protected]
That's why I seldom buy anything from Rockler. Their sales are not much to
talk about. My preferred store, The Cutting Edge is closing. :-(
"Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> That's why I seldom buy anything from Rockler. Their sales are not much to
> talk about. My preferred store, The Cutting Edge is closing. :-(
>
I hate to say this about Steve and his son's but the business model there
was fatally flawed. He was absolutely competitive with Woodcraft and of all
the wood working stores in Houston, Woodcraft is probably the most
expensive.
I bought my fair share of equipment from him and tried to do so to support
him. I appreciated having a local supplier.
Having said that however, I always found that if I asked the price of an
unmarked piece of equipment that the price checked and quoted was never the
price at the cash register and then I would have to question the charges,
a big and uncomfortable hassle. Additionally Steve knew that the price he
quoted was what pushed me over the threshold to make the purchase. "Very
Often' I had to wait "months" for an ordered part. I needed a 3 pack of
Fein cut off blades, the price quoted was about $90. 8 weeks later and
after calling about the order a couple of times the blades arrived and the
price quoted increased by $20. Every time that I had to have something
ordered I was told 10 to 14 days. I later deducted that if he could not
order it on a stock order and get the advantages of doing so he would wait
to order the item until he could make up a stock order. My son ordered and
prepaid with his credit card a Festool Vac Garage for $40, he was told 2
weeks maximum. This was going to be a fathers day gift for me, he ordered
in April, about a week before fathers day my son returned to the store for
credit and to cancel the order as the item had not yet arrived. He received
grief from the salesman when asking for credit on his credit card. The
salesman claimed that it was going to cost them another 2% to do so.
After being a customer since the store opened in Sharpstown I eventually
learned that if the store did not have the item in stock, order it from some
one else. If the item was not marked with a price be prepared to cancel the
purchase at the register.
I am sorry to see the store go but I cannot say that I am at all surprised,
whether Woodcraft had moved in across the street or not. Woodcraft always
has more customers that The Cutting Edge ever did.
If I had to make a guess as to why the store failed it would be because
merchandise simply was not sold if a certain percentage of GP was not
obtained on each and every item. While this is a common way to determine in
general what to charge, not deviating from that rule to keep the customer
coming back was the big problem. You simply don't penalize the customer
because you are out of stock or have to order an item special order. Any
retailer can afford to special order and sell for a smaller GP when the item
is prepaid by the customer and does not figure into the overhead. It's
basically an unexpected sale with no cost.
DGDevin wrote:
> Rockler's website has a today-only sale, 10% off everything except sale
> items.
>
>
Sale items and...
"* Excludes sale items, power tools, Leigh jigs, Porter-Cable dovetail
jigs, Festool products, CNC Shark, Power Sharpening systems, Direct Ship
items and Rockler Gift Cards.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]
Interesting stories. I love hearing business tales. Yes, retail is a
hard fricking business. We bitch and moan about the big box stores (or
even Rockler or Woodcraft) but retail is all about having the critical
mass of available inventory and enough customers to support that level
of investment, a real chicken and egg. To be succesfsul you have to
have many of every size of drill bit, etc. Studies show that on
average the third time you visit a store and they don't have the exact
item you want, you won't be back. Stores like Home Depot can afford to
have more than one of everything on the shelf.
The other interesting thing about these mom and pops is it seems
pretty easy for them to get into a real bitter place. We have a small
independent in my area and if you read any online reviews, they read
much like this but also say what a dick the owner is. I found that to
be very true. I was an outsider and really given a cold shoulder when
I visited to take a class. Same problem with prices not displayed and
my biggest issue was only Festool power tools. They are nice but I
can't afford to pay $1500 for a CMS.
On Feb 24, 6:23=A0am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
> > That's why I seldom buy anything from Rockler. Their sales are not much=
to
> > talk about. My preferred store, The Cutting Edge is closing. :-(
>
> I hate to say this about Steve and his son's but the business model there
> was fatally flawed. =A0He was absolutely competitive with Woodcraft and o=
f all
> the wood working stores in Houston, Woodcraft is probably the most
> expensive.
> I bought my fair share of equipment from him and tried to do so to suppor=
t
> him. =A0I appreciated having a local supplier.
>
> Having said that however, I always found that if I asked the price of an
> unmarked piece of equipment that the price checked and quoted was never t=
he
> price at =A0the cash register and then I would have to question the charg=
es,
> a big and uncomfortable hassle. =A0 Additionally Steve knew that the pric=
e he
> quoted was what pushed me over the threshold to make the purchase. =A0"Ve=
ry
> Often' I had to wait "months" =A0for an ordered part. =A0I needed a 3 pac=
k of
> Fein cut off blades, the price quoted was about $90. =A08 weeks later and
> after calling about the order a couple of times the blades arrived and th=
e
> price quoted increased by $20. =A0Every time that I had to have something
> ordered I was told 10 to 14 days. =A0I later deducted that if he could no=
t
> order it on a stock order and get the advantages of doing so he would wai=
t
> to order the item until he could make up a stock order. =A0My son ordered=
and
> prepaid with his credit card =A0a Festool Vac Garage for $40, he was told=
2
> weeks maximum. =A0This was going to be a fathers =A0day gift for me, he o=
rdered
> in April, about a week before fathers day my son returned to the store fo=
r
> credit and to cancel the order as the item had not yet arrived. =A0He rec=
eived
> grief from the salesman when asking for credit on his credit card. =A0The
> salesman claimed that it was going to cost them another 2% to do so.
>
> After being a customer since the store opened in Sharpstown I eventually
> learned that if the store did not have the item in stock, order it from s=
ome
> one else. =A0If the item was not marked with a price be prepared to cance=
l the
> purchase at the register.
>
> I am sorry to see the store go but I cannot say that I am at all surprise=
d,
> whether Woodcraft had moved in across the street or not. =A0Woodcraft alw=
ays
> has more customers that The Cutting Edge ever did.
>
> If I had to make a guess as to why the store failed it would be because
> merchandise simply was not sold if a certain percentage of GP was not
> obtained on each and every item. =A0While this is a common way to determi=
ne in
> general what to charge, not deviating from that rule to keep the customer
> coming back was the big problem. =A0You simply don't penalize the custome=
r
> because you are out of stock or have to order an item special order. =A0A=
ny
> retailer can afford to special order and sell for a smaller GP when the i=
tem
> is prepaid by the customer and does not figure into the overhead. =A0It's
> basically an unexpected sale with no cost.
Leon wrote:
>
> Having said that however, I always found that if I asked the price of an
> unmarked piece of equipment that the price checked and quoted was never the
> price at the cash register and then I would have to question the charges,
> a big and uncomfortable hassle. Additionally Steve knew that the price he
> quoted was what pushed me over the threshold to make the purchase.
>
I will walk out of a store that doesn't have prices on the items on the
shelves/displays/etc.
Our local Woodcraft has a giant display case for all their router
bits... which is locked. I understand locking it up, because there are
still people in this world who steal stuff.
What I don't understand is that none of the bits have prices on them.
Every time I go in there to look at bits, I have to get a salesman to
open the case and check every bit I want to compare.
I asked why they didn't have prices on the bits. They said, it's easy to
just take a catalog with you to the case and look the prices up. That
didn't answer my question, so I said, "You know what's easier? Having
prices on the bits."
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
>> Fortunately I have a mom and pop hardware store relatively close by. They
>> have been in business since the early 60's IIRC. Two brothers decided to
>> go into that business together and they have been quite successful. This
>> store has 4 Home Depot's and 2 Lowe's within about 6 miles and this
>> hardware store is always growing. Service is EXCELLENT and no sale is too
>> small. For exact same items they are cheaper than the big boxes.
>> In the last few years the two brothers have retired but you see them in
>> there once in a while. Their nephew now runs the store and I see no
>> difference in quality of service or the ability to have what you need.
>> They still carry stuff out to the truck or car for you.
>>
> I have an Ace Hardware about ten minutes away that is great. Lots of
> helpful, knowlegable employees. Then a new Ace Hardware opens up just down
> the street from me. I thought this was great because it is closer.
> WRONG!!!!
>
I have an Ace very close by. Unfortunately, they never have to lowest
price and their hours don't match that of a musician. :-)
But the average age of staff is probably 55 and every one of them,
including the "wimin," knows his stuff and has actually used the stuff
they are selling and recommending. Not like the nits at HD who don't
know the difference between drywall and cabinet screws.
I try to patronize Ace whenever possible.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
Nova wrote:
> Sale items and...
>
> "* Excludes sale items, power tools, Leigh jigs, Porter-Cable dovetail
> jigs, Festool products, CNC Shark, Power Sharpening systems, Direct
> Ship items and Rockler Gift Cards.
Well, good thing I didn't order any of that stuff or I'd be really pissed
off. Good price on handscrews though, and you can never have too many of
those.
In article <[email protected]>,
"Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Nova" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > DGDevin wrote:
> >> Rockler's website has a today-only sale, 10% off everything except sale
> >> items.
> >
> > Sale items and...
> >
> > "* Excludes sale items, power tools, Leigh jigs, Porter-Cable dovetail
> > jigs, Festool products, CNC Shark, Power Sharpening systems, Direct Ship
> > items and Rockler Gift Cards.
> >
> > --
> > Jack Novak
> > Buffalo, NY - USA
> > [email protected]
>
> That's why I seldom buy anything from Rockler. Their sales are not much to
> talk about. My preferred store, The Cutting Edge is closing. :-(
Yep, chased out by Woodcraft. :(
I stocked my new shop with tools from the Cutting Edge. Not enough,
apparently.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>
>>
>> That's why I seldom buy anything from Rockler. Their sales are not much
>> to talk about. My preferred store, The Cutting Edge is closing. :-(
>>
Gee,
All I said was is my preferred store is closing and I am sad that it is
closing.
I always enjoyed myself in the store.
"SonomaProducts.com" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f293b372-774c-47d7-8786-7b0f6642dc51@w34g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
The other interesting thing about these mom and pops is it seems
pretty easy for them to get into a real bitter place. We have a small
independent in my area and if you read any online reviews, they read
much like this but also say what a dick the owner is. I found that to
be very true. I was an outsider and really given a cold shoulder when
I visited to take a class. Same problem with prices not displayed and
my biggest issue was only Festool power tools. They are nice but I
can't afford to pay $1500 for a CMS.
Fortunately I have a mom and pop hardware store relatively close by. They
have been in business since the early 60's IIRC. Two brothers decided to go
into that business together and they have been quite successful. This store
has 4 Home Depot's and 2 Lowe's within about 6 miles and this hardware store
is always growing. Service is EXCELLENT and no sale is too small. For
exact same items they are cheaper than the big boxes.
In the last few years the two brothers have retired but you see them in
there once in a while. Their nephew now runs the store and I see no
difference in quality of service or the ability to have what you need. They
still carry stuff out to the truck or car for you.
For any one interested, Court's Hardware in Stafford, TX. Located on the
east bound side of HWY 90 east of Murphy road.