User 189886

Home Depot Slows Down Expansion; Still Losing Customers to Lowes

Todd, sounds like you have a little bias toward Lowe's, possibly even a stock holder trying to sway the market. The only reason one can find any help in a Lowe's is because no one shops there. Yes, Lowe's shows better comp sales because they are still growing. Home Depot has recently taken on a new CEO and is changing direction back to what they know. Home Depot is established, the market leader, and will grow further as they clean up issues created by a prevoius CEO. As for associates on the floor, there is a point of diminishing returns. Home Depot has always put just enough people on the floor to help the majority of those in need and get necessary tasks accomplished. If they were to put one more person in every department, employees would have too much time on their hands, money would be wasted, and stockholders upset. As a customer of Home Depot, when shopping, I try to go in with a good attitude, get to know key personnel, research my project, and above all realize that the sign on the front of the building says, "Do it yourself warehouse". Bottom line, if Lowe's sold product at the rate Home Depot did, one couldn't find any associates on their sales floor. Typically, I've found about one associate per two departments in Lowe's and asked by them if I needed assistance on one in twenty visits. I have also found that many Lowe's associates have been let go from Home Depot. A couple final notes; when shopping either Home Depot or Lowe's, your procrastination is not their problem. Don't wait until the last minute to start any construction project and expect the retailer to perform miracles. Construction takes time and is messy. Mistakes will be made and orders late. Plan ahead and educate yourself.