Hardware stores... Is it just me?

Delphinus · #1 01-04-2006, 04:06 PM

I dunno, I find myself looking for, say, a 1" 45 PVC bit and a 1x1x3/4" T (or whatever) and find myself having to buy half the bits at Home Depot, half the bits at Rona. Then discovering what I really wanted is a union (or whatever), but hey, I remember seeing one at the (insert "HD" or "Rona" here, depending on whether current position is "Rona" or "HD", respectively), so I go back, only to discover that the union that I saw was really only HALF of a union, who knows where the other half is, so I ask the dude with an apron, do you have any others of these (mood getting somewhat sour by this point), no, no idea sorry; well when will you get more in, not sure sorry but maybe next Wednesday? (mood getting somewhat more sour by this point) so I say, man, I should have just gone to Western Pump in the first place, but oh yeah they close at 5:00pm and it's now 7:30pm (mood VERY sour by this point). So the next day, I go to Western Pump at lunch break, grab $3.00 of PVC bits, then wait at the counter for 23 minutes while the person in line in front of me endlessly discusses pump options for their spa or whatever, and how do you solvent weld this piece to that piece, and, in my impatience I decide to wander the aisles looking for more interesting PVC bits (never in my life did I imagine I would ever say something like, "interesting PVC bits", thank you reefing hobby!!!), meanwhile, the guy endlessly discussing pump options has finished, and the other guy who was in the store has bellied-up to the bar so-to-speak, and I've just lost my spot in line. So I decide, no I will not let this happen again, I stand there stoicly waiting my turn this time. Pay for the $3.00 PVC bits (and take some small solace in the fact that I have a "customer account file" at this place despite never having spent more than $17 in a single shopping spree, they must just love me) and then when all said and done, head back to work, but 1/2 hour late now, so of course I can't stop somewhere and get a quick bite. So I work the afternoon away, kind of hungry. And by 2:30 I have to get a bag of chips to help alleviate the groanings of the tummy, despite me promising myself I was "not going to snack as much this year." At 4:30 I find myself wondering if Big Al's got a new shipment in.

Or is it just me for whom it's like this???

muck · #2 01-04-2006, 04:42 PM

Sounds exactly like me Tony.. (except for the Big Al's thought)

christyf5 · #3 01-04-2006, 04:43 PM

Bwahahah, that sounds like my trips to home depot. Sadly we don't have a Rona so if they don't have it, I'm pretty much screwed. I love the chips at 2:30 comment. Nice

LostMind · #4 01-04-2006, 06:53 PM

That's why I pack my own food to the office

rickjames · #5 01-04-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christyf5

Bwahahah, that sounds like my trips to home depot. Sadly we don't have a Rona so if they don't have it, I'm pretty much screwed. I love the chips at 2:30 comment. Nice

Just as a FYI we are getting a Rona in Duncan (the Home Hardware got bought out or something) and the home hardware in cobble hill has already changed hands and is now a Rona. So hopefully they will have some more plumbing goodies!!

Sometimes I feel like taking a picture of the PVC fitting section so that I know what each store carries instead of having to go there and not find what I'm looking for!

outtafocus · #6 01-04-2006, 10:40 PM

I am in no way speaking on behalf of Rona and I am not representing the company in any way.
Having worked in that Rona store (9630 macleod tr) for more than 7 years, there is still items which I have no idea where they are. When a store has almost a million sku's (item id #'s) in its computer system and just about the same amount of product, it becomes difficult to find things sometimes.

A big problem in Calgary is the shortage of people to do jobs. A company like Rona which pays on the lower end of the pay scale is forced to hire basically two kinds of people, old retired guys, who have nothing better to keep them busy and who dont know how to or care to use computers. And young high school kids who dont know much about the building industry. It is tough to learn where product is in the kitchen department when you work in lumber and vice versa.

As for light diffuser, its exactly where it should be. Just like BMWrider said, it is a ceiling product and thus sold with all other ceiling accesories.

When I go into Home Depot stores I am completely lost. HD organizes their stores quite differently than Rona. Im not saying one way is any better than the other just quite different.
Its interesting to see how each Rona store carries different product also. I perfer to shop at the sunridge Rona for my PVC stuff, I feel they carry more than the Macleod store. Totem (now a part of the Rona family) doesnt carry PVC stuff at all, from what I have found in the two stores I have visited.

AndyL · #7 01-05-2006, 12:37 AM

My usual shopping is rona behind sunridge, but the eggcrate really is in the ladder aisle. Or at least so it seems - when you're facing the display, behind you are ladders, to your right is ladders... (left is the front aisle). Could be the rest of the suspended ceiling stuff is farther down...
I figured it was just there because it was probably easier for product placement, the aisles bigger than the one down the lighting aisle.

I find it amusing to compare pricing between home despots and rona even on the silly pvc parts. 90s, 45s, ball valves are cheaper at HD, but there's not as many bits and pieces (for those make it work DIY projects), Sunridge Ronas great for having things like unions in stock (one of the few I've found in town that carries them).

All I can say is it's a good thing they're about a 5 minute drive apart - I've learned to shop both to save on bigger plumbing projects.

Andy

muck · #8 01-05-2006, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyL

All I can say is it's a good thing they're about a 5 minute drive apart - I've learned to shop both to save on bigger plumbing projects.

Andy

I guess we are lucky up here in Edmonton, Andy. The closest Rona and Home Depot (and the second closest) to me are right beside each other. You can walk back and forth..

AndyL · #9 01-05-2006, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muck

I guess we are lucky up here in Edmonton, Andy. The closest Rona and Home Depot (and the second closest) to me are right beside each other. You can walk back and forth..

This is the bad part about living in the 'inner city' I need to move to the burbs so I can have such luxury.

Funky_Fish14 · #10 01-05-2006, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muck

I guess we are lucky up here in Edmonton, Andy. The closest Rona and Home Depot (and the second closest) to me are right beside each other. You can walk back and forth..

Haha, Ryan, you must frequent the stores at Terra Losa? Those two are great! HD doesnt carry white PVC stuff though, but Rona does. Rona doesnt carry silicon(that is ok for tanks) but HD does. Its rather convinient!