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Home Depot closing 15 stores around the country..

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Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

I think regardless of politics, we're seeing trends that will form the economic background of these times. Granted they will be better understood in retrospect, but I'm very interested in what other's observations are, especially those that have differing political views.

At least for me, these collective observations will gain objectivity as they are accumulated and compared and achieve a "mean" as it were.

It is a pub after all.
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Dave Richards said:
but I'm very interested in what other's observations are, especially those that have differing political views.
Click to expand...

I understand your interest - however, it has been a long standing policy here to keep politics out if the discussions. That policy has not changed.

Basil
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

DNK said:
Hey Doc, Would that have been the Frederick Hechingers?
Click to expand...

Yes, it would!
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Noticed it was closed the last time I was in town.
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Don't know if its political or not but the little local mechanic shop I use for things I just don't have time for - or the expertise - told me this morning he might have to close after 20 years in business....right now, he's putting a water pump in my 380SL & has 2 other jobs there with no other ones waiting in the parking lot which is unusual! Said he has no bills (has a small apartment atached to the shop) except operational expenses (has 1 fulltime & 1 parttime employee) but lately the business has dried up to where he's not really able to cover those costs.

I had earlier asked him to pull ther heads on a 380SL engine I have to see what they needed & then we'd go through the engine...he said he may end up doing them in my garage...& is thinking he may have to start doing jobs in the garages of customers if he can't keep his building.

What's happening to HD may be the same thing that's happening to him.....
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Tony - did he say anything about what he thinks might be the reason for the drop in his business?

Does he just do "special" cars ... muscle cars ... MB ... etc. ? Are those types appealing to fewer and fewer people?

Thanks.
Tom
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Not sure if 15 stores is really that big of a deal for Home Depot. How many stores do they have? They may have just over built them. In Fort Collins we have two Home Depots and a couple of other locally owned shops. We used to have a Builders Square, but it closed within a month or so of the first HD opening. When the second HD opened, it was not stocked as well as the first one, so most people still went to the original store. The second store has a skeleton staff and a mostly empty parking lot and its been open for three years now. The skeleton crew and empty parking lot are not new developments either. Its been that way since it opened. and I'm sure its not the only one like that across the US.

There is a Lowe's about 15 miles south of Fort Collins, and they are building one in Fort Collins but they haven't been that large of a factor in competition to our local HD, yet. In fact, the closest Lowe's is closer to the HD that stays busy.

It could simply be a "trimming the fat" correction from over building stores. Not a harbinger for the entire countries economic status. Closing 15 stores for a giant like HD is not a prelude to them going out of business.
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">Home Depot operates over 2200 retail stores, so 15 closing isn't really a drop in the bucket. I think that works out to 0.6% of their total number of stores, so I really don't think the sky is falling.

I heard that the Lowes by our house was down about $7 million in 2007 from 2006, and it appears to be running strong. I can't imagine the amount of money that runs through one of those stores.</span>
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

NutmegCT said:
Tony - did he say anything about what he thinks might be the reason for the drop in his business?

Does he just do "special" cars ... muscle cars ... MB ... etc. ? Are those types appealing to fewer and fewer people?

Thanks.
Tom
Click to expand...
No, Tom, he usually works on cars for blue collar folks & smaller used car lots - I think I'm one of the few who brings him 'exotic' vehicles (which I think he prefers)....he says people are just letting things go & putting their money elsewhere.
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

tony barnhill....he says people are just letting things go & putting their money elsewhere. [/quote said:
Yeah, like in their gas tank and grocery bills!!! :wall:
In my area, boating (which has been a pretty big business driver around here!) is dropping drastically, both commercial and recreational. The cost of fuel at fueling docks has always been higher than at gas stations and now is high enough that people are just not using their boats much. The cost to go fishing on a charter or party-boat has tripled, add to that a slow-down in tourism and the writing is on the wall! Ironically, the only new "boats" selling anymore are 130' and over! That segment of the market just doesn't even feel the changes!!
Click to expand...
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

<span style="font-style: italic">letting things go - "</span>

Do you guys think part of the local garage "slowdown" is that cars (and maybe even other "durables") are just built better and/or need less frequent maintenance?

I've had my 2000 Mazda Protege (38mpg!) since new, and during its 120K miles I've followed the maintenance tables pretty close. Maybe spent a total of $500 on maintenance (other than strut replacement, which I don't have the guts to attempt!).

Thanks.
T.
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

NutmegCT said:
Do you guys think part of the local garage "slowdown" is that cars (and maybe even other "durables") are just built better and/or need less frequent maintenance?

I've had my 2000 Mazda Protege (38mpg!) since new, and during its 120K miles I've followed the maintenance tables pretty close. Maybe spent a total of $500 on maintenance (other than strut replacement, which I don't have the guts to attempt!).

Thanks.
T.
Click to expand...

I think that could be a large part of it. Newer cars these days are remarkably well built and long lasting compared to just 20 years ago (and lets not even talk about car quality in the 70's)
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Cars may be of better quality, but the modern drivers are not keeping up. My buddy has a body shop, and boy is he busy. He loves drive-thru food, and cell phones, and wireless PDA's and paperback books being read on the steering wheel, and GPS, and laptop computers on the passenger seat, and women putting on make-up in the mirror, and dogs in laps, and crying babies, and hot coffee, and cigaretts, and beer, and cocaine and........
 
Re: Home Depot closing 15 stores around the count

Basil said:
Dave Richards said:
but I'm very interested in what other's observations are, especially those that have differing political views.
Click to expand...

I understand your interest - however, it has been a long standing policy here to keep politics out if the discussions. That policy has not changed.

Basil
Click to expand...

Absolutely Agreed!

Was merely making the point that the wider the views, the more objective the overall summary was.
 
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