comedyman809
Well-known member
whats with lows seling the new "southwire" brand and dropping all the green lee, knipex, and channel lock.
wtf????
wtf????
lowes not selling the good tools!!!
- Thread starter comedyman809
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OP
comedyman809
Well-known member
i also heard they wont sell klien either due to home depot selling exclusive klein.
Higher profit margin I'm sure. And their Kobalt line use to be really nice USA made williams stuff. Not so much any more. Lowes is aiming to become a glorified HF. Even HD is now moving in a cheaper off shore line. Can't recall the name off the top of my head, but I have a feeling they will soon try to replace their klein stuff.
Think that's bad, walk into a Target. All they got are a few home repair kits (Chinese made -- hammer, pliers, adjustable wrench, level, measuring tape) and a few loose Chinese tools like screw drivers.
I think it's time for a chain of tool stores to open up in malls and strip malls. They can sell the good USA made stuff. I actually thought of this the other day while sitting on a bench inside the mall drinking a coffee while the wife was shopping for baby clothes for an upcoming baby shower. I was bored out of my skin.
I think it's time for a chain of tool stores to open up in malls and strip malls. They can sell the good USA made stuff. I actually thought of this the other day while sitting on a bench inside the mall drinking a coffee while the wife was shopping for baby clothes for an upcoming baby shower. I was bored out of my skin.
scaron
Well-known member
yeah the hand tool situation at lowe's is a joke especially in electrical since they dropped ideal and knipex. i go to HD since i know i can get klein there, or order my ideal and klein over the web. but i've felt that way for some time, that lowe's is a fairly lousy place to get hand tools, but a better place to get power tools, than HD. but with all the great online retailers out there, who needs these stores for anything but building materials anymore?
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Where have you been hiding? Did you miss all of the hot deals as Lowes got rid of Knipex? It's been bitched about already but, some people (not me) got some great deals as the yellow stickers showed up.
It's Basic economics, supply and demand. The average target, Lowes, Wal Mart, Sears, fill in the blank customer, doesn't want to pay what quality tools cost. Granted many people here want snap on quality at a harbor freight pricing.
So the fill in the blank store sells cheap ****. It's a sad but, true state of affairs today
It's Basic economics, supply and demand. The average target, Lowes, Wal Mart, Sears, fill in the blank customer, doesn't want to pay what quality tools cost. Granted many people here want snap on quality at a harbor freight pricing.
So the fill in the blank store sells cheap ****. It's a sad but, true state of affairs today
kippieland
Well-known member
Agreed. The prices Lowes wanted to much for that stuff to begin with. I think they are all getting there butts kicked by Amazon.
Brownsfan
Well-known member
I used to buy a lot of tools at lowes. Not anymore. The imported tool at Home Depot are now nicer than the lowes offerings. And they have USA made Klein USA made screwdrivers. If I need something fast I now go to Home Depot or Sears hardware.
I don't either. I just mentioned it because at the mall waiting for the wife, I walked over to Target hoping to browse their tool aisle.
It's just a sad trend to see stores trimming their tool lines. Had Target existed in the 60's/70's, as a general goods store, they probably would've carried a line of USA made basic hand tools.
THIS. Lowe's number one responsibility is to their share holders. The margin and volume of the name brand stuff does not justify the square footage it takes up. The off brand stuff does.
You say that, then why is the new southwire stuff the same price if not MORE expensive than the channellock and knipex stuff that they replaced?
Again profit margin.Everything sold at Malls is high margin items. Heck the Mall takes 6 or 7% off the top. A name brand tool store would never survive at the Mall.
FrankTheTank88
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2012
- Messages
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I did get some smoking deals on knipex stuff when they went on clearance. I bought the whole stock as they had linesman pliers for 9 bucks, 1'' emt bender for 19 bucks..i bought so much stuff I didn't need but couldn't pass the deal
You say that, then why is the new southwire stuff the same price if not MORE expensive than the channellock and knipex stuff that they replaced?
Because the name brand tools at the prices were low margin and low volume items. The off brand stuff will still be low volume but with high margins. As Fedwrench stated it is all economics.
Not necessarily. In order to survive in a mall, you need high profit margins. You certainly can't make that on cheapie Chinese junk tools, so maybe what's needed in a mall tool store would be higher margins. In other words, sell better stuff. Not saying it all should be one brand like SO or Mac. SO or Mac probably wouldn't even go for that. I mean offer SK, Williams, Knipex, etc..
Have a model where they have low monthly payments on the tools. Most mall stores offer credit cards for in store credit. Have some basic tool packages along with individual tools and tool storage, power tools, so on. Supplement it with selling home garage/workshop installations, perhaps. Basically a man's store. There are way too many kids and women's stores.
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Yeah, I was told months back by a lowes employee that lowes is gearing more towards home owner do it yourself types of people...but I never imagined they would drop the few good things they had. The thing I don't like about lowes is first they sell klien, then ideal, then greenlee, all of which have warrenties that a lowes employee told me they would honor. So now if I walk in with an Ideal brand tool that is broken, I get a southwire tool? Lowes is the only supplier in my area that carried name brand electrician tools, so my made is usa tool would get replaced by a chinese tool? Why does that procedure sound familiar 
Nope. Their would be virtually zero volume and the margin on name brand would **** too because the manufactures want to make an arm and a leg.
scaron
Well-known member
oh yeah that was nice i got the five-piece insulated set (and so timely, i've been using that #2 robertson driver a lot lately, lol), the linesman's pliers, a control cabinet key, that's all i could grab from the ones near me. just missed the mini bolt cutters but i found em at sears for < $10 over what lowe's was clearancing them out for by me, so, no biggie. good times.
Yeah, I was told months back by a lowes employee that lowes is gearing more towards home owner do it yourself types of people...but I never imagined they would drop the few good things they had. The thing I don't like about lowes is first they sell klien, then ideal, then greenlee, all of which have warrenties that a lowes employee told me they would honor. So now if I walk in with an Ideal brand tool that is broken, I get a southwire tool? Lowes is the only supplier in my area that carried name brand electrician tools, so my made is usa tool would get replaced by a chinese tool? Why does that procedure sound familiar
Try Graybar.
O no, I know the reason was profit margins, I'm the one that brought it up in the first place. I just wanted to hear the reasoning behind the tangent of people want cheaper tools. If I was a betting man I would probably wager that in the end they will either have to reduce the cost of the south wire stuff or it will not be worth the switch. Yea they will make more per sale, but the average homeowner is not going to go in and purchase a pair of southwire linsmans for $25 when a $8 pair of kobalts from the tool section will work just fine for them.
Then those that are professionals will either **** it up and purchase the southwire stuff, or recgonize that they can purchase higher quality USA or german made tools for the same price elsewhere.
Only time will tell.Have some basic tool packages along with individual tools and tool storage, power tools, so on. Supplement it with selling home garage/workshop installations, perhaps. Basically a man's store. There are way too many kids and women's stores.
I have heard about a store like that. A guy could go in a purchase some nice tools, yard equipment, even a few guns, and a few departments over his wife could pick out some stuff she liked. I think at one point in time they called themselves something like "SEARS"
O no, I know the reason was profit margins, I'm the one that brought it up in the first place. I just wanted to hear the reasoning behind the tangent of people want cheaper tools. If I was a betting man I would probably wager that in the end they will either have to reduce the cost of the south wire stuff or it will not be worth the switch. Yea they will make more per sale, but the average homeowner is not going to go in and purchase a pair of southwire linsmans for $25 when a $8 pair of kobalts from the tool section will work just fine for them.
Then those that are professionals will either **** it up and purchase the southwire stuff, or recgonize that they can purchase higher quality USA or german made tools for the same price elsewhere.
Quite possibly. Their market will be the Pro or homeowner that needs a specific tool to get a job done and ones who are not brand/price concious. Many people equate high price with high quality. Bring in a new name at a high price and many will assume it is high quality. As for buying elsewhere there are very few other local choices. I think Lowe's will do well money wise with their strategy and HD WILL follow.
scaron
Well-known member
^^ that's how you build profit margin these days. take high quality stuff that's made in the US. offshore the production and use lower quality materials. they get a tool that is maybe like 10% the cost of the original offering, wholesale (numbers?) but none of the savings in cost are passed on to the consumer; the replacement tool costs just as much or more than the tool it replaced. they trade 100% on label, brand identity. that differential in wholesale cost goes into the company's pocket completely as PROFIT.
personally i'd rather not support that business model and hunt out the good stuff... but i do acknowledge that sometimes you're in a pinch and you need it RIGHT NOW and it would be nice if you could count on at least one brick and mortar chain to sell something decent. at least for now, for electrical tools, there is HD. i'll be really annoyed if they go cheapie too.
personally i'd rather not support that business model and hunt out the good stuff... but i do acknowledge that sometimes you're in a pinch and you need it RIGHT NOW and it would be nice if you could count on at least one brick and mortar chain to sell something decent. at least for now, for electrical tools, there is HD. i'll be really annoyed if they go cheapie too.
I have heard about a store like that. A guy could go in a purchase some nice tools, yard equipment, even a few guns, and a few departments over his wife could pick out some stuff she liked. I think at one point in time they called themselves something like "SEARS"
I call ********! I doubt a place like this ever existed. I shall need some type of empirical data to support this outrageous claim
Sigh, I have a bad feeling you are spot on with that.
What is the name of their off shore line? I was in there a few weeks ago and can't remember. Green something? I call ********! I doubt a place like this ever existed. I shall need some type of empirical data to support this outrageous claim
I've only heard of such place. All that have seen this place in person typically have grey hair, and say "back in the day" with a war story to follow.
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wafrederick
Well-known member
I was in the tool aisle at Lowes a couple weeks ago and saw Kobalt has a 24" 1/2 flex head ratchet now,$69.95 and I looked at it.Looked like it won't even hold up and my Matco version will put the shame to it.Plus the head is too small.
Lowes is a strange place. They will sell socket sets at less than sears price, yet sell the wrenches or ratchets at double sears price. Not to mention you can buy a socket set with ratchet for less that buying just the ratchet, which is hanging right next to the set that includes the same ratchet in the set for less.
netcaretaker
Well-known member
What's a "Mall"????
LOL, the only time I go to the mall is to exchange my broken craftsman tool, so not very often.....
See, people keep saying this...but my Lowe's still stocks a wide selection of Channellock and Knipex in the tool section. Southwire is cramped in a tiny 4 foot or so section in the electrical aisle.
I asked if they were ever going to clearance off the Knipex and Channellock like other locations, but was told that they have high sales on the premium tools due to the large factories in the area...so they're going to keep the lines for the foreseeable future.
Supply and demand.
I asked if they were ever going to clearance off the Knipex and Channellock like other locations, but was told that they have high sales on the premium tools due to the large factories in the area...so they're going to keep the lines for the foreseeable future.
Supply and demand.
928'er
Well-known member
Knipex has been completely gone from the local Lowes for months now. Channelock is down to about three items in the tool section.
There's NO demand for the new (overpriced) Southwire **** - it's just gathering dust in the the electrical section. Apparently the plan to sell chinese knock-offs at a premium price isn't working.
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Same for me. The southwest stuff on the racks are full to the max, unlike when they had greenlee or ideal. The channellock stock is just a few tongue and groove pliers. Everything else is either crescent or kobalt. If I want a volt/ohm meter to trust, I felt comfortable with the greenlee or ideals that they had. From what I can remember, weren't their last electrical tool brands priced about the same as the southwire stuff? If they were priced lower I could understand going chinese, but if I'm gunna pay name brand prices, why would I buy a new brand of tools that no one else carries?
NHBandit
Well-known member
They want to be Sears... 
Pudge87
Well-known member
I hate the Yellow Clearance Look-a-Like Tags. Makes you think you're about to get a deal when its just really a "New Lower Price" tag.
woody 73
Well-known member
All around really sad, back in the day you had your mom & pop Hardware stores selling good quality tools and then bang the big boys started to kill them off one by one. So Today you are at the mercy of whatever the big boys want to sell.
Now don't get me wrong that story is as old as time itself, back about 113 years ago at the turn of the century (a little before my time), my city of Columbus had a trolley system in place; but as time passed the gasoline companies convinced all the big shots to tear up the tracks and take down the lines, pretty darn smart of them, of course now we are at the mercy of the gas companies.
Again we on the GJ are but a dot on the *** of the donkey, just about every lowes or HD customer wants cheap tools...
Now don't get me wrong that story is as old as time itself, back about 113 years ago at the turn of the century (a little before my time), my city of Columbus had a trolley system in place; but as time passed the gasoline companies convinced all the big shots to tear up the tracks and take down the lines, pretty darn smart of them, of course now we are at the mercy of the gas companies.
Again we on the GJ are but a dot on the *** of the donkey, just about every lowes or HD customer wants cheap tools...
OP
comedyman809
Well-known member
sears hardware....whats that, on long island all the sears hardwares are closed.
Nick Danger
Well-known member
Not necessarily. In order to survive in a mall, you need high profit margins. You certainly can't make that on cheapie Chinese junk tools, so maybe what's needed in a mall tool store would be higher margins. In other words, sell better stuff. Not saying it all should be one brand like SO or Mac. SO or Mac probably wouldn't even go for that. I mean offer SK, Williams, Knipex, etc..
Have a model where they have low monthly payments on the tools. Most mall stores offer credit cards for in store credit. Have some basic tool packages along with individual tools and tool storage, power tools, so on. Supplement it with selling home garage/workshop installations, perhaps. Basically a man's store. There are way too many kids and women's stores.
I think you're onto something. But men generally hate shopping. They want to get in, buy what they came for, and get out. That's why most Sears stores put the men's departments right next to the door. That's why all the stores in the mall are aimed at girls, because girls loooove shopping.
Instead, you can take your excellent idea of a place that sells good-quality tools, has payment plans, keeps customer accounts, and sells tool packages, individual tools, tool storage, and so on . . . and then have the shop come right to the customer! You could put it in a big truck or something. It could be really successful. You just have to come up with some snappy name for the company.
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Nick Danger
Well-known member
That's a good idea. I know that guys used to praise things by saying it was "built like a MAC truck."
Revere Cycles
Well-known member
My mentor and I have a theory that Home Depot and Lowe's no longer aim to serve tradespeople and contractors. Their real target market is the DIY dilettante; people who think they can pull off big projects just by reading a few e-how guides online.
Thankfully, our area still has several independent outlets for tradespeople that sell tools that are up to our standards, but it is frustrating that a huge retailer like Lowe's has consumer grade products at professional prices. When I first noticed my local stores were unloading their line of ChannelLock and Knipex tools, I treated myself to one of everything.
I also find it frustrating that when I do go to a Lowe's and ask for assistance, the salespeople often are unfamiliar or unaware of a product or its intended use. I usually pull another shopper in the same isle and ask for help.
Thankfully, our area still has several independent outlets for tradespeople that sell tools that are up to our standards, but it is frustrating that a huge retailer like Lowe's has consumer grade products at professional prices. When I first noticed my local stores were unloading their line of ChannelLock and Knipex tools, I treated myself to one of everything.
I also find it frustrating that when I do go to a Lowe's and ask for assistance, the salespeople often are unfamiliar or unaware of a product or its intended use. I usually pull another shopper in the same isle and ask for help.