Home Centers

Employee morale
The following is a response to the article, “Unhappy employees are staying put.”

“[Unhappy employees are] soon to be going, or at least when the economy improves — that’s when they will leave in droves because of extreme low pay and lack of respect from employers. Why wouldn’t they? No one likes being used or abused. Do you?”
— Rick Heath

Home Depot is closing the oldest store in its western division and moving into a new building down the street, according to an article in the Orange County Register.

The original Fullerton, Calif., location, now 27 years old, is having a close-out sale, as the Atlanta retailer plans to open its replacement on Oct. 23 with new merchandise.

An article in the Wall Street Journal reinforced the notions that many shoppers have always held about the nation’s leading home-improvement retailers: one caters to women, and the other prefers a gender neutral atmosphere. 

Home Channel News selected 50 hardware stores -- one from each state -- for inclusion in the second annual Hardware Store All-Star list. The stores distinguish themselves with strong customer service, innovative approaches to retail, and a connection to community and customers.

The alphabetical listing of All-Star stores, one from each of the 50 U.S. states, continues here with Virginia and Washington:

The ground has been broken for a Menards store in Cheyenne, Wyo., according to an article in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. The 202,948-sq-ft. megastore will become the Midwestern retailer’s second location in the state. Menards' first store in Wyoming opened in Casper.

Menards is building the store on 24 acres it purchased from the city of Cheyenne for $5.35 million. The targeted opening date is in the spring.

Police Chief William Bilinski had just purchased some brown outdoor carpet on July 24 when he noticed something suspicious going on in the parking lot of Lowe’s, according to a story in the Times-Tribune of Scranton, Pa. Four people were sitting in a vehicle just outside the store; after they moved the vehicle in front of the garden center, two of the occupants went inside.

The Associated Press and The Aiken Standard reported that 100 air conditioners were given away to needy seniors at a Lowe’s parking lot in Charleston, S.C. The yearly event took place on July 9, and was sponsored by Project Cool Breeze, a non-profit organization founded by Rep. Wendell Gilliard.

Home Depot’s top merchant spelled out the category gainers during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.