ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Where do you shop and what do you pay?

99.9% of my supplies come from my wholesale supplier. The service is unmatched by any home store in my area. I call them up and ask for a box of doo-hickeys, a case of thing-a-ma-bobs and it is at my door by noon the next morning. Of course, some items are pricier but most are not. I shop HD when I need it that day and for the most part I have to go to two different stores to get it. When I ask them for a left handed gizmo they ask me for a SKU number. I've been doing business with my suplier for 20 years.
Just my two cents.
Mark

Most of our work is commercial so we use three local supply houses as well as 1 in Houston.The service is great with all of them.Getting bids on materials from 4 different supply houses keeps them more competitive.One thing I've noticed over the years,is the difference in price if you just walk in and order it at the counter or if you call or fax first for pricing.The latter method will result in lower prices 99% of the time.

I am a small company that normally buys 100,000 a year in materials. I live in a big city, nost of the small supply houses are over priced. The supply house I use always has better prices than Lowes or HomeDepot. It took me a while to get the prices down, but they seem to be better than average. I also order some stuff like wirenuts from mail order places. Buy in bulk save alot over one or 2 bags at the supply house.

Houseof power
Just a suggestion, buy everything you can from that one supplier and keep reminding them that you buy such and such every month and keep telling them that their prices are too high to be competitive.
When you do that kind of volume they owe you something as a good steady customer, and should get Premium Prices.

WOC

wocolt, I tried jumping around from supplier to supplier for the first 3 years. I have been with the same one for 5 years now. They do take care of me, although I would like my prices to go down some more.LOL

Eagle - you're right - I can only speak for my neck of the woods I suppose...here is Columbus there are 4 HD's and a BLOWES (I liked that reference LOL!) everywhere you look...

Happi-man;
I like the reference, but is that B-lowes or just as it is spelled ? LOL
I have found also if you get to know the people at these places they will try to get better prices for Contractors, but also what I have found is there is a huge time delay, from placing the order and actually picking it up. On the other hand I can be on my way to town and phone in my order to my supplier and it is waiting for me when I get there.
All I have to do is to sign for it and load it and go.
But as I said keep at them, regardless what I buy I will tell them , well how much is it and the guy behind the counter says $xx.xx and I say Aw C'mon cant you do a little bit better, and usually they do.
Also it depends who I talk to, if I ask for 'Louie' Not his real Name, he will try to give me a price that beats anyone else is willing to give, especially on say a not so often used item like 4 or 5 gang meter/socket disconnect.
I have been going there so long, I just 'beat' better prices out of them.
You have to Us small guys have to stick together, because the biggers guys get good prices you can believe it, so how else can we stay competitive.

WOC

I have found the parts house to be superior to HD in that I can be in and out in a short time, they have EVERYTHING and they will get it all together and even carry it out to my truck. In most cases the prices are better or about the same. But your most valuable resource is your time so you need to figure that in as well. HD brings you in with a low price on the big stuff then they stick it to you on all the little stuff you need to go with it. Think about this: If the big box stores succeed in putting all the little guys out of business then we will be at their mercy then watch the prices go up.

Also being in the Commercial field, most material comes from the Wholesale House.

Home Desperate and similar are great for purchasing Hardware (Screws, Nuts, Bolts, Paint, etc.), and the odd stick / bundle of Conduit + devices in a pinch.
They also have better prices on Wire (most of the time!).

Scott35 S.E.T.

Guys:
First off, I don't have a "war" going with the big box stores, and like I mentioned, yes, I do shop there, for "pinch" items, and things for my home.
Here in New Jersey, HD came in, and most of the neighborhood hardware/lumber stores went bye-bye. Now, Lowes is "moving in".
My point was and is:
HD killed the competition when they moved in.
No competition=higher prices for everyone.

It's good that some of you guys can save $$$ by going to the big boxes. That's what we all are in business for; to make $$$.

I did not voice my opinions in the other thread to start a war, or bad mouth the big boxes, and guys who shop there. Hopefully, you all will read this posting, and understand my view.

BTW, in Union, NJ, we have two HD's, about 2 1/2 miles apart. I would venture a guess that I could drive to at least 12 within a half hour.
In Bricktown, NJ there is a HD, a Lowes being built, and HD wants to build another on the same side of the Highway that the Lowes is on, to get people from both directions. THat would be 3 big boxes within 1 mile!!

In the event that I pixxed off anyone with my post, please accept an apology!!

John