Like most any other man, I love my big box hardware store. The Home Depot Store and Lowes are probably two of the most popular stores in my neighborhood, the Short Pump area. Lowes is by far my favorite, mainly because of service and product availability. Lowes also has a very user friendly website, www.lowes.com, and I have also visited that many times during the past several years. Both the store and the websites have advantages over using the other, and they both compliment each other in this competitive economy.
When visiting my local Lowes I have the ability to buy something that I need right now. They have sales associates that are on hand that can help with product selection and information. I can actually see whatever it is that I am thinking of buying, checking and comparing sizes, brands, weights, and colors. Some products, such as paint (because of mixing), can only be purchased in the store. Sometimes what I want is on sale in the store, and if an item is slightly used or is an open box, I can get a great price. Assuming they have the item in stock, I can drive there in, pick it up, go through check out, and be home in less than an hour. I have the option to pay using cash, check, or credit card. And, if I discover that what I bought doesn’t work or for whatever reason I need to return it, I can doe it quickly and usually without any hassle.
Lowes website has it’s own advantages for online shopping and product viewing. Obviously the biggest advantage that online shopping at Lowes.com is that I don’t have to leave home, get dressed, take the time driving in traffic, or fighting the crowds on busy shopping days. It is much quicker and I can also check online to see if the item I desire is in stock at the store. If the store is out of stock, or if the item is a special order, I can order it right then and there. Lowes.com is very user friendly and the website is easy to navigate. Often they have additional items that are not available at my Short Pump store, and quite often they run specials and sales with reduced prices that are different from store prices. And, as an added bonus, there is a great rebate section that offers manufacturers’ as well as Lowes rebates.
Personally, I often find myself combining the online shopping experience with a store visit. Recently, I purchased a Whirlpool washer and dryer from Lowes. First, I went online to Lowes.com and viewed all the various models until I made my choice. I then checked the link for the local Short Pump store and verified that they had them in stock. Finally, I checked the rebate section and found that not only did Whirlpool have a $300 rebate for the purchase, but also Lowes had an additional $75 rebate for delivery! This turned out to be quite a deal. Lowes has done a great job of providing excellent customer service with both their website and their store.
5 comments
Comments feed for this article
June 19, 2009 at 5:18 pm
sylvianr78
Rick,
I thought your blog on online vs. in-store shopping was really interesting to read and fully captured the pros/cons of both shopping experiences. As someone who *definitely* likes to shop, I felt I could relate to a lot of what you were saying regarding both the conveniences AND the drawbacks to both entities. I am a huge music enthusiast and can recall the first time I made a purchase on Amazon.com – it was a CD single of a band that had been very hard for me to find in any local music stores. Of course, this was before the advent (and surging popularity) of iTunes, so for the longest time I felt that if I couldn’t find what I was looking for *in* the store, I was just out of luck in terms of ever acquiring it. The breadth of selecton, variety and accessibility astounded me … It finally hit me that with the Internet, there truly is a “global” market at your fingertips, just waiting for you to dive in and make a purchase.
July 17, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Rick Vines
Nikki,
You strike me as the kind of person who enjoys her shopping! I have to agree about your comments concerning Amazon.com. I just placed an order yesterday to buy books for my well earned vacation in two weeks. One great thing about most of the internet shopping sites is the large sellection of products. We are both definately on the same page. Thanks for the smiey face.
July 12, 2009 at 11:53 pm
HRManager2b
Rick,
I often do the exact same thing with Lowes.com! If I have a particular item that I’m looking for, I will check the website first to see if they even carry it. At that point, I’ll check to see if it is in stock at any of my local stores. To take it a step further, I will then price compare with Home Depot! If Home Depot has the same item listed cheaper on their website (regardless if it is in stock locally or not), I will print off the page from the HD site which lists the price and take it to my local Lowes and they will often times price match. Only once have they turned me down for the price match and it was because the model number didn’t match exactly. It is not just Lowes.com that this method can be used for. Several other stores like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walmart are great examples of retailers who have websites with online shopping options. I never really stopped to think about how much easier it makes my life to have access to this kind of shopping. Even if the item isn’t available in my local store, I still know that they carry the item and I can order it online!
July 17, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Rick Vines
We men love our hardware stores, don’t we? With the economy being so bad now, one good byproduct is that all of the retail stores are competing for whatever business is out there. I have made many good purchases recently by comparing not only one store to another, but also their on line web stores as well as other on line companies. I have found that on line shopping to be very easy and fast, and the selections are much better.
July 20, 2009 at 4:29 pm
My Comments « HRManager2B
[...] Lowes.com vs. my favorite Lowes Store by Rick Vines [...]