Lowes is closing 51 stores in the US and Canada

[SSOWorld]

No HDs in Dubuque or surrounding.  That Lowes you speak of might be the one in Dubuque.

The problem with Menards is the insistence on the mail-in rebate and retail credit cards...

[froggie]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now,

Despite all the time you say you've spent in Minnesota...?

many of which used to be True Values, who seemed to pull operations out of New England about 15 years ago.

Southern New England, perhaps.  Many of the town stores across northern New England are still aligned with True Value, including my local store here.

-----------------

Regarding the OP, noticed only one store closing in all of New England (Quincy, MA), but several aligned stores across the border in Quebec.

[LM117]

I have to disagree with those who claim a big difference between Home Depot and Lowe's.

Though I generally don't prefer to support national big box category killers, I've been in several Home Depot and Lowe's stores in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania when I was in need of something I couldn't get at a local store or picking up supplies at a late hour when smaller independent hardware stores are closed. And in my opinion, I'd be hard pressed to find two retail chains that are more similar than Home Depot and Lowe's. From the product assortments to the layouts of the stores to the indifferent and often incompetent service, they're virtually identical.

That's been my observation too. Here, there's a Lowe's and a HD and if it wasn't for the signs, I wouldn't be able to tell which store I was in. Unlike eastern NC where they couldn't coexist, both seem to do good business here.

[DaBigE]

No HDs in Dubuque or surrounding.  That Lowes you speak of might be the one in Dubuque.

Delavan. Oddly, the Dubuque store doesn't even show up in the search list unless you type in a Madison and areas south or west of Madison.

The problem with Menards is the insistence on the mail-in rebate and retail credit cards...

I loathe their rebate system. They do it because they know a good percentage of their customers are lazy and/or frustrated and therefore won't go after the "free money".

[abefroman329]

Employees are interchangeable idiots for the most part...3-way tie in my book. If you want any real advice, go to a neighborhood hardware store.

Agree 1000%

[Flint1979]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now, whereas Home Depot and Lowes are both nationwide.

That is not to say Menards can't be as good as the other two... it probably is as good, or better (just like Wegmans is superior to all other grocery stores even though much of the nation has never heard of it  )

Menard's is Midwestern regional. They have about 300 locations in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Kentucky. Kind of surprising that there reach goes as far as Wyoming but they are headquartered in Wisconsin.

[mgk920]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now, whereas Home Depot and Lowes are both nationwide.

That is not to say Menards can't be as good as the other two... it probably is as good, or better (just like Wegmans is superior to all other grocery stores even though much of the nation has never heard of it  )

Menard's is Midwestern regional. They have about 300 locations in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Kentucky. Kind of surprising that there reach goes as far as Wyoming but they are headquartered in Wisconsin.

HQed in an unincorporated township area right adjacent to Eau Claire, WI.

Mke

[Flint1979]

I'm not totally sure about other parts of Michigan but at least in my part of the state Home Depot seems to have the top spot between themselves, Lowe's and Menard's. There are two HD's in Saginaw, one each in Bay City and Midland and 5 in Genesee County which is where Flint is located. Now for Lowe's, Saginaw and Midland both have one location and Genesee County has 2 locations. Now for Menard's Saginaw and Bay City both have one location, while Genesee County has 2 locations.

So in the area's I mentioned:
Home Depot has 7 locations
Lowe's has 4 locations
Menard's has 4 locations

For Genesee County, the Home Depot's are in Burton, Flint (Corunna Road), Flint (Hill Road), Flushing and Fenton. The Lowe's are in Flint and Burton (both of which look like they'll be closing) and the Menard's are in Clio and Davison. Menard's obviously has locations where HD and Lowe's do not.

[Flint1979]

Out of the two Michigan Lowe's locations closing both are directly across the street from a Home Depot. And Menard's doesn't have a huge presence in the area only having a location in Clio and Davison.

[Flint1979]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now, whereas Home Depot and Lowes are both nationwide.

That is not to say Menards can't be as good as the other two... it probably is as good, or better (just like Wegmans is superior to all other grocery stores even though much of the nation has never heard of it  )

Menard's is Midwestern regional. They have about 300 locations in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Kentucky. Kind of surprising that there reach goes as far as Wyoming but they are headquartered in Wisconsin.

HQed in an unincorporated township area right adjacent to Eau Claire, WI.

Mke

I'm pretty sure I've been past it before. Is it near the US-12 and I-94 interchange? If so then I've been past it before.

[Flint1979]

I think this is just closing a few poor performing stores, rather than something about a changing retail market.

Many of the things HI stores sell are "internet proof".  For example if you need a small part to repair your sink, you are going to buy it locally and fix it today, not order it in the mail.

The two Michigan locations closing are located directly across the street from a Home Depot. Both are in the Flint area across town from each other.

[thenetwork]

Lowe's is really the third-place home improvement store of its type, behind Menards and Home Depot.  Around here, if there's a Menards, Home Depot, and a Lowe's, it's the Lowe's that closes.  Granted, Menards is privately-owned, but I get the feeling that the rankings are as follows:

1. Menards.
2. Home Depot.
3. Lowe's.

Menards isn't even #3, dude...

I would put an asterisk on Ace and have to put them on par with True Value's level of hardware store.  Ace Hardware can vary from store to store for size and the goods on hand.  For example, not many Ace's have full lumberyards, some will repair, but not sell windows nor window screens.  Some do home/business delivery, some don't.  Some offer free popcorn, some don't.

It is true that there are more Aces than Lowe's/Home Depots, but they don't come close to the complete size or scope of the latter two.

[briantroutman]

I would put an asterisk on Ace and have to put them on par with True Value's level of hardware store.  Ace Hardware can vary from store to store for size and the goods on hand.

I think it's also noteworthy that Ace and True Value are examples of an entirely different class of business.

Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, 84 Lumber, and several other regional home improvement retailers are chains of corporate-owned locations–with locations sited, designed, and managed by a single corporate parent that's steering the company.

On the other hand, Ace, True Value, Do It Best, and probably a few others are not corporate-owned chains but instead retailer-owned cooperatives. Essentially, your neighborhood "Mabel's Ace Hardware"  is a local business, likely owned and operated by someone who lives in your community and would be operating her store independently as "Mabel's Hardware"  if co-ops like Ace didn't exist. Mabel buys into the Ace cooperative, and Ace in turn provides Mabel with lower prices on inventory of hardware and other products, support with marketing and management of her business, and other benefits. But Mabel is still an independent business owner, and within certain limits specificed by Ace, she can set her own hours, plan her own store layout, decide what products and services she wants to offer, and so on.

[kphoger]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now,

Despite all the time you say you've spent in Minnesota...?

I was thinking the same thing.

[kphoger]

HD is said to be the top hardware/home-improvement chain, with Lowe's at #2, but it's not the case around here at all. There are far more Lowe's stores than HD locations. I'm not sure if that has to do with our proximity to their HQ state (North Carolina) or what, but one would be hard-pressed to drive through Kentucky and think HD was bigger than Lowe's.

They're usually country-wide or world-wide numbers...rarely do they compare relatively small areas.  Lowes definitely is bigger around their headquarters; I'm sure Home Depot probably has the same distinction around theirs.

Speaking internationally, I don't think I've ever seen a Lowe's in Mexico, but I've seen several Home Depot locations there.

[kevinb1994]

HD is said to be the top hardware/home-improvement chain, with Lowe's at #2, but it's not the case around here at all. There are far more Lowe's stores than HD locations. I'm not sure if that has to do with our proximity to their HQ state (North Carolina) or what, but one would be hard-pressed to drive through Kentucky and think HD was bigger than Lowe's.

They're usually country-wide or world-wide numbers...rarely do they compare relatively small areas.  Lowes definitely is bigger around their headquarters; I'm sure Home Depot probably has the same distinction around theirs.

Speaking internationally, I don't think I've ever seen a Lowe's in Mexico, but I've seen several Home Depot locations there.

Distance-wise Home Depot is closer to Mexico than Lowe's so it makes sense to have locations there.

[webny99]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now,

Despite all the time you say you've spent in Minnesota...?

Now that you say that, I might recall seeing one... maybe... but I think it was at least 10 years ago in North Dakota. I'm very diligent in trying not to do any shopping when I'm away from home. I know Minnesota has Cub Foods, and I have been in there a few times, as well as to MOA, and a few different gas stations and restaurants, but that's literally about the extent of it.

Just for interest, I searched "Menards near Lakeville, MN", and "Menards near Minneapolis, MN" on Google Maps. I found a few results, but none of them are in specific areas I've been to with any frequency. If I saw Menards off a freeway exit or in passing on a road trip, I could have easily seen it and had no idea it was in the same realm as Home Depot and Lowes, possibly even thinking it was a grocery store.

[DaBigE]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now,

Despite all the time you say you've spent in Minnesota...?

...I could have easily seen it and had no idea it was in the same realm as Home Depot and Lowes, possibly even thinking it was a grocery store.

You're partially correct there...the newer/larger/remodeled Menards do carry a selection of food somewhere between the level of a convenience store and small grocery store. Fleet Farm, another midwestern chain, has recently adopted an expanded grocery section in their newer stores as well.

[abefroman329]

I had never even heard of Menards until just now,

Despite all the time you say you've spent in Minnesota...?

...I could have easily seen it and had no idea it was in the same realm as Home Depot and Lowes, possibly even thinking it was a grocery store.

You're partially correct there...the newer/larger/remodeled Menards do carry a selection of food somewhere between the level of a convenience store and small grocery store. Fleet Farm, another midwestern chain, has recently adopted an expanded grocery section in their newer stores as well.

Home Depot has a selection of snacks that would match what you would find for sale at a small gas station.  I assume Lowe's is similar, I honestly hadn't noticed on my handful of visits.

[hbelkins]

I would put an asterisk on Ace and have to put them on par with True Value's level of hardware store.  Ace Hardware can vary from store to store for size and the goods on hand.

I think it's also noteworthy that Ace and True Value are examples of an entirely different class of business.

Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, 84 Lumber, and several other regional home improvement retailers are chains of corporate-owned locations–with locations sited, designed, and managed by a single corporate parent that's steering the company.

On the other hand, Ace, True Value, Do It Best, and probably a few others are not corporate-owned chains but instead retailer-owned cooperatives. Essentially, your neighborhood "Mabel's Ace Hardware"  is a local business, likely owned and operated by someone who lives in your community and would be operating her store independently as "Mabel's Hardware"  if co-ops like Ace didn't exist. Mabel buys into the Ace cooperative, and Ace in turn provides Mabel with lower prices on inventory of hardware and other products, support with marketing and management of her business, and other benefits. But Mabel is still an independent business owner, and within certain limits specificed by Ace, she can set her own hours, plan her own store layout, decide what products and services she wants to offer, and so on.

You beat me to it. Ace and True Value are basically franchisees. I was working at the newspaper in the town where I now work for KYTC 30-plus years ago when some local business owners opened a True Value hardware store. That store recently changed to an Ace. I haven't been in it since they were making the switch, so I'm not sure what may have changed other than the store layout. Not sure if there are any TV- or Ace-specific store brands or not.

[roadman65]

Closing even some stores of the might Lowes that is one of two of the top home improvement stores in the nation is something to notice.  Yes they are not closing all of them, but an action like that seems like the upper management is worried due to some low numbers.

[Flint1979]

With both locations in the Flint area that are closing for example there is a Home Depot directly across the street from both of them and on the west side of Flint there is another Home Depot about 5 miles from the one that's across the street from another Home Depot so Home Depot has two locations on the west side and one on the east side. There is yet another Home Depot on the south end of Flint on Hill Road. Menard's only has a presence in Davison and Clio and with the two Lowe's closing that leaves four Home Depot's as the only national home improvement store of it's kind in Flint, Michigan. Davison and Clio are suburbs of Flint but are further out in Genesee County from Flint so most Flint population won't shop at these stores. Clio's is next to a Walmart near an exit off I-75 and Davison's is right next to I-69 at an exit so they aren't hard to get to really.

[DaBigE]

Closing even some stores of the might Lowes that is one of two of the top home improvement stores in the nation is something to notice.  Yes they are not closing all of them, but an action like that seems like the upper management is worried due to some low numbers.

Yes, management's concerned that their bonuses might/will be slightly smaller than before. Lowes is still healthy and profitable. They are still seeing increases in same-store sales. Hardly a Sears fiasco by any stretch. Mainly, they're correcting store overbuilding that occurred previously.

[roadman65]

Well I am glad of that.  Hate to see a good thing come to an end.

[DJStephens]

Quincy, MA? Good riddance. I had a terrible customer service experience there around this time last year when purchasing a new washer and dryer.

No kidding.  Boo hoo for Lowes.  No sympathy for either them or THD here.  Worked for both them and HD in Las cruces for 10 years over a 14 year span.  A major beat down.  They take advantage of individuals that actually work, while promoting and protecting favorites and the lazy.  Should have stayed in geotechnical that whole time, would have been in far better shape today.  Only buy from Ace and small independents today, and will until day I die.