Harbor Freight visit....

[smokey0810]

Went to our local HF in Amarillo for the first time since all this **** hit. Looks kinda like the grocery store did when people were hoarding toilet paper. Was going for the $49 impact gun, but they were completely out...and wasn't gonna upgrade to the Bauer for something I will rarely use....

 

[hdlg_zhangyu]

Same here, I was there several time during the pandemic. Was trying to pick the carpet installation kit (BTW, this thing works amazing), and some finishing nail guns. All of the items are completely out, nothing on the shelf. But both times the manager was nice enough to tell me not only their next truck delivery date, but also if the item I was looking for are actually on that delivery. Both time I got lucky and was able to pick the item!

 

[JP Chestnut]

I swung by today to try to buy a toolbox - basically every color and size was out of stock. I also wanted a socket tray - every one out of stock.

 

[DFB]

I went into our local one yesterday about 2pm, And first time since the pandemic. Store wasn't overly busy for a Sat afternoon but had a steady flow of customers. Had to return a set of recalled jack stands was quick and easy enough got a gift card credit and promptly spent that putting it against a purchase of 3/8" locking extension bars and a 1/4" drive roto ratchet. Added a 20% coupon at the checkout so cost me like $7.00 out of pocket and back out the door.

I did see Icon stuff this time including the big tool box display. Has been maybe 6 month since my last visit. I didn't pay much attention to any of it and really didn't linger around the store any just took care of my business an left.

They did have stacks of boxed tool carts against a wall by the register...noticed the blue right off

 

[JP Chestnut]

Did they have any ICON hand tools?

At mine? They have tons of the ICON hand tools, which were pretty nice looking and reasonably priced. They don't have a lot of sizes of wrenches and sockets though. It's a very limit selection of sizes.

They also have a huge display of the giant ICON tool box with all the extra bolt on lockers and stuff. The tool box is incredibly nice. The USG boxes look great compared to anything that my HD or Lowes sells. They look like garbage compared to the ICON box.

 

[Fedwrench]

My local Harbor Freight looks like it was a victim of panic buying

Anything that had any type of free or near free coupon is out of stock. The Icon tool section is very sparse aside from the monster sized display box. The Doyle pliers section is empty as is many of the common tool sections.

Perhaps covid disrupted their supply chain and they haven't caught up.

 

[JP Chestnut]

Perhaps covid disrupted their supply chain and they haven't caught up.

For sure. Demand probably went crazy with everybody stuck at home and their entire production is oversees. I also don’t get the feeling that they’re a very logistically sophisticated company -you can’t even buy a tool box and have it delivered to a store for pickup. Other hardware stores have been doing that for a decade.

 

[JP Chestnut]

Do they have any aluminum carabiners? They are these little cheap things I use to hold up netting on a cable.

Mine had tons. I only know that because my daughter was playing around with them.

 

[ChevyEFI]

One of the Mesa locations was short on a few things today but Icon was represented. Those things are properly sized

 

[jmarkwolf]

Deleted by author.

 

[Davefr]

For sure. Demand probably went crazy with everybody stuck at home and their entire production is oversees.

It has more to do with their supply chain then demand. With everything coming in from China, they're starving for shipments. I overheard the store manager complain that they're not getting their stock replenished as often.

 

[JP Chestnut]

It has more to do with their supply chain then demand. With everything coming in from China, they're starving for shipments. I overheard the store manager complain that they're not getting their stock replenished as often.

That was their story to me as well. I pre-ordered a tool box and the manager said they'd have it on the next shipment in usual times. He said that they hadn't had a truck in weeks and the last one showed up shorted a bunch of stuff they were expecting.

Cheap, fast, or good. HF tool boxes are cheap and good.

 

[Tallpilot]

The Icon area was full when I returned my jack stands. Everything else was pretty picked over. Sam's club finally had toilet paper.

 

[Jtels85]

I’ve gone to the Cincinnati location on Harrison Avenue three times in the past week trying to get a new cart and an Icon breaker bar. The f’n line has been backed up to the rear of the store with people social distancing right down the middle of the socket/wrench/tool box aisle. You couldn’t even get in to look for what you needed because people were in the way. I absolutely hate this particular store anymore, it’s so poorly managed. I took my business to Home Depot and got a cart there among a bunch of other items. I spent $300, that’s $300 Harbor Freight didn’t get. I don’t think I’ll be going back. I don’t have this problem anywhere else I shop. I’ve had enough.

 

[anavrinIV]

I’ve gone to the Cincinnati location on Harrison Avenue three times in the past week trying to get a new cart and an Icon breaker bar. The f’n line has been backed up to the rear of the store with people social distancing right down the middle of the socket/wrench/tool box aisle. You couldn’t even get in to look for what you needed because people were in the way. I absolutely hate this particular store anymore, it’s so poorly managed. I took my business to Home Depot and got a cart there among a bunch of other items. I spent $300, that’s $300 Harbor Freight didn’t get. I don’t think I’ll be going back. I don’t have this problem anywhere else I shop. I’ve had enough.

The only reason I'll to back to HF is if I need some picks to destroy our a bulk buy on zip ties. My recent experiences have been bad and after the jack stand issues (I have a pair, not the recalled ones but I still don't trust them anymore) it's not worth my time or money.

 

[seber]

I don't get to them more than once every few months but the two I do get to have never had a single Icon tool on the shelves.

 

[CR888]

This is what happens when you rely on imports to fill the shelves. Once upon a time 95% of the shelf space would have been filled with USA made product, now it's more like 95%+ from China/Asia overseas. It is all great until the system gets troubled & then your options are few. This hopefully is a lesson we should learn and think about the value of supporting locally made tools/product.

 

[Coach James]

I've been to two different HF stores since the virus started. once to 1 store and 3 times to the other. Some items were lower stock than usual, but nothing too bad. Nitrile gloves were low as they donated most of their stock to medical clinics. One store was out of the magnetic power strips, but the other store had a few. Both were fairly busy but no big stress for me.

Coach

 

[zendriver]

It has more to do with their supply chain then demand. With everything coming in from China, they're starving for shipments. I overheard the store manager complain that they're not getting their stock replenished as often.

If the store was empty, wouldn't the demand be higher than the supply?

 

[Handyandy23]

This is what happens when you rely on imports to fill the shelves. Once upon a time 95% of the shelf space would have been filled with USA made product, now it's more like 95%+ from China/Asia overseas. It is all great until the system gets troubled & then your options are few. This hopefully is a lesson we should learn and think about the value of supporting locally made tools/product.

While I like the sentiment, manufacturing and shipping around the globe has been affected by what's going on right now. China got hit first so we're seeing those issues first, but production was shut down for a period here too. I'm guessing supply issues with things made anywhere will crop up as old stock is run down.

 

[Davefr]

If the store was empty, wouldn't the demand be higher than the supply?

Yes obviously, even if demand remained flat from historical levels. The OP implied "toilet paper like" hoarding but I don't think that's driving the shortage.

The worldwide supply chain is abnormal these days.

 

[mikegt4]

I’ve gone to the Cincinnati location on Harrison Avenue three times in the past week trying to get a new cart and an Icon breaker bar. The f’n line has been backed up to the rear of the store with people social distancing right down the middle of the socket/wrench/tool box aisle. You couldn’t even get in to look for what you needed because people were in the way. I absolutely hate this particular store anymore, it’s so poorly managed. I took my business to Home Depot and got a cart there among a bunch of other items. I spent $300, that’s $300 Harbor Freight didn’t get. I don’t think I’ll be going back. I don’t have this problem anywhere else I shop. I’ve had enough.

IIRC the Harrison Ave. was the original store in the Cincinnati metro area and yes it has been very poorly run since day 1. The tri-county location isn't too bad, currently the Hamilton west side store seems to be the best, stocked, organized and clean.
BTW, decades ago I use to go to the HF in Lexington KY, the original HF franchise (circa 1970's), it was more like a bare warehouse with pallets of product scattered around. HF has come a long way.

 

[PugetDude]

I picked up a few small items at the Show Low AZ HF this evening (had to get in and out quickly so I could get off the road before the Statewide 8PM curfew..) The store was empty, shelves were full.

 

[Ton ton]

Puget Dude, that's cool.

 

[Al Borland]

Is the smell still there when the store is empty?
Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[PugetDude]

Is the smell still there when the store is empty?
Enquiring minds want to know.

Still smelled like partially vulcanized Chinese rubber, but it was missing the usual miasma of unwashed laundry, sweaty armpits, methamphetamine halitosis, and taco farts.

 

[Jagmandave]

Man there are some rude, insensitive and just plain stupid remarks in this thread......

I started buying from HF in 1990, they have always been a good resource for me.

As for them delivering a tool box to the store - of course they do - I recently got my compressor that way - came from the warehouse in California. Before that I ordered and picked up at the store my two tool boxes.

Compressor took a month but I wasn't in a hurry for it so it was OK.

As for the smell, it must be a local store thing - my local store smells like any other hardware/machinery type store.

 

[dnschmidt]

How odd. We've had thousands of HARBOR FREIGHT ***** threads and now that availability is an issue. THERE'S PANIC IN THE STREETS. Call out the National Guard. If they **** so badly then why would anybody care if they're out of stock. Something to think about. Could hypocrisy be involved here? Heaven forbid.

If I was the president of China (well let's tell it like it is the dictator of China) I would screw over Trump and shut him up by declaring a one year embargo on all shipments to the United States. Nothing ships from China to the USA. Within a year, with half of our population naked and destitute, and many of our cars without parts since after all most of these come from China there would be a white flag flying over the White House. We think we are a great power because we have aircraft carriers. China is truly a great power because they have container ships and make ****. When's the last time you had anything delivered to you that you needed that arrived on an aircraft carrier? Christ, you people are in a panic because Harbor Freight is out of stock. What about Walmart, Target and AutoZone being out of stock. What about all of our American assembly lines being shut down because all of the parts, which of course come from China, are out of stock. I hope President Xi isn't reading this.

 

[Al Borland]

Been to at least half a dozen Harbor Freight stores in the last few years, and the three local ones for 20+ years..
They ALWAYS smell like burnt rubber/plastic.

 

[PugetDude]

As for the smell, it must be a local store thing - my local store smells like any other hardware/machinery type store.

Dave, you’re in Johnson County where everyone thinks their sh*t doesn’t stink.

 

[lardy1]

How odd. We've had thousands of HARBOR FREIGHT ***** threads and now that availability is an issue. THERE'S PANIC IN THE STREETS. Call out the National Guard. If they **** so badly then why would anybody care if they're out of stock.

I try not to openly bash Harbor Freight. Not because I personally like them or agree with their business practices. I try not to step on those that rely on them. I fully understand that where someone else spends their tool money is none of my beeswax.


As for caring if they're out of stock.......I couldn't care less. I've only been to a Harbor Freight store four times in my 66 years of life that I remember and only bought one item there. If I never spent another penny there they wouldn't notice. If they dried up and blew away, I wouldn't notice.

 

[vavet]

I went yesterday and tried to buy one of the trailer kits. They were out, even though they had the ticket on the display.
To my surprise they had a limited inventory of nitrile gloves. They had the blue gloves in size small and the white gloves in medium and small. My wife uses them when she cleans the litter boxes or chops up a hot pepper in the kitchen so I was able to get her a box. At least it wasn’t a completely wasted trip or wait in line.

 

[Jtels85]

IIRC the Harrison Ave. was the original store in the Cincinnati metro area and yes it has been very poorly run since day 1. The tri-county location isn't too bad, currently the Hamilton west side store seems to be the best, stocked, organized and clean.
BTW, decades ago I use to go to the HF in Lexington KY, the original HF franchise (circa 1970's), it was more like a bare warehouse with pallets of product scattered around. HF has come a long way.

I believe you’re right, it has been there for a very long time. Unfortunately, I have to drive to the Tri-County location if I’m really serious about buying something just because I know I’ll get in and out without a hassle. I don’t know why I waste my time going to the one up on Harrison Ave. Whoever runs the place couldn’t manage their way out a nut sack. I haven’t been to the one in Hamilton yet but I did see when I made a trip to Rural King not that long ago.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

I've been to 4 separate stores in my area in the last month or so and none of them had particularly empty shelves. Although it took me visits to 3 different stores to find an air compressor (8 gal. Chicago Pneumatic) but it was on clearance and in pretty high demand according to the manager at the Terre Haute, IN store where I found it. I work in retail and manufacturing in every part of the world, including North America, has been affected. Demand for certain items has also been way higher than normal because people are home and taking on projects that they normally don't have time for.

 

[Jagmandave]

Dave, you’re in Johnson County where everyone thinks their sh*t doesn’t stink.

What did I do to you to deserve such abuse?

I've lived all over the world, and all over this city and I don't find JoCo people to be any worse than those from Jackson, Clay or Wyandotte......or anywhere else. There are jerks everywhere, and nice people too.

I was in the Shawnee store today, many things out of stock or down to very little, toolboxes all gone.....seems like the higher dollar stuff is what's selling.

Still didn't stink in there.....

 

[MarineScott]

I swung by today to try to buy a toolbox - basically every color and size was out of stock. I also wanted a socket tray - every one out of stock.

I talked with a clerk and he said they are having a hard time shipping things to the stores.

 

[Higgins]

Stopped by several times during the past weeks for small misc. stuff. All three visits were during the work week and the stores were mobbed with folks. All purchasing lots of stuff, full carts !!

 

[PugetDude]

What did I do to you to deserve such abuse?

I've lived all over the world, and all over this city and I don't find JoCo people to be any worse than those from Jackson, Clay or Wyandotte......

Lighten up, Dave... No offense intended.

I grew up in KC, JCo always thought of themselves as the Beverly Hills of Kansas City. It attracted the affluent, up and coming professionals and the requisite wannabes-even today many of the neighborhoods are rooted in that demographic.

And I'm sure the HF stores in KC don't smell any better (or any worse) than the HF stores anywhere else. You can't pack 20 metric ****-tons of Chinese cardboard, paint, rubber, plastic, cosmoline, and a wide slice of local humanity into 10,000 ft2 of retail space without it taking on a unique funk (that nearly everyone on the GJ recognizes)

 

[JerryC]

I went yesterday and tried to buy one of the trailer kits. They were out, even though they had the ticket on the display.
To my surprise they had a limited inventory of nitrile gloves. They had the blue gloves in size small and the white gloves in medium and small. My wife uses them when she cleans the litter boxes or chops up a hot pepper in the kitchen so I was able to get her a box. At least it wasn’t a completely wasted trip or wait in line.

I got an email from HF at the beginning of Covid that said they were donating all nitrile gloves except for the black (thick) ones to local hospitals.

 

[M635_Guy]

I got an email from HF at the beginning of Covid that said they were donating all nitrile gloves except for the black (thick) ones to local hospitals.

I think they have been - my local HF hasn't had gloves since the very beginning, but I think that as the chain has caught up, they've allowed some inventory to be sold. The last time I was in there there were a few types/sizes and a sign that said "1 Box Only" - there was very little stock.