Home Depot hasn't seemed to realize pellet burning season is almost over....$$$

[CanadaClinker]

Lousyweather -Posted: 21 March 2009 07:51 AM That “7 bags” you sold to the person who used you as their 3rd or 4th choice?

I suggest that the challange of every shop owner if he wants to stay in business is to cultivate those '3rd or 4th choice' customers to making you be their 1st choice. One of the biggest reasons I believe my wife's family's hardware store business stayed competative for over 100 yrs with the big box stores was the small town type warm welcome given to each and every customer that walked into the store.

Even the customers who bought stoves from you aren't bound to buy from you unless there is something you have that sets you apart from the big box stores that makes them want to return to your business (forever??). A smiling face, the personal touch and a warm feeling about your business will allow you to survive. I would imagine it would take a special person to maintain that manner with all kinds of customers for many years. However, those are the types of employees/owners that will help make their businesses survive in a world that is 'really watching' its dollar closely these days.

Being good to and treating each and every customer with respect will cause them to remember that.... do the opposite and posters like 'darkstar' above will express their opinion to this website (and others) which boasts: 'Hearth.com is an information resource with over 10,000 pages of information - we proudly serve over 2.5 Million visitors each year'.

Someone once told me "customers are like birds eating seed out of a merchant's hand" ... if the seed is bad or birds are turned away for less than positive reasons, he/she will take or turn other customers away and shop at another more welcoming business. Many people tolerate the non-personal touch of the big box stores but would love to find that warm friendly business they would love to shop at. ....IMHO :coolsmile:

 

[defield]

The Home Depot store in Auburn, Maine had three kind of shop worn ( but on pallets) stoves on display.

Two at the regular price and one discounted only $200.00.

Must still be mid-winter here.

Was too disgusted to ask about pellets, but did not see any. Plenty of bags of ice melt though . . . . . .

 

[Lousyweather]

The way I'm looking at it is how much can I realistically expect the price to go down (if it does go down)? I know that Barefoot burns the best for me out of all the brands I have tried in my stove and I know I'll pay a little more for them but its not worth it to me to get something else because its cheaper and then battle with them all winter. With that said, I know I can get them for $289 a ton right now. If I waited, how much would they go down? $10, $15 a ton? I only need 3 tons for next season so we're only talking $45 savings. I spend more than that to take the family out for dinner. For me, its a small price to pay for the piece of mind that I'm all set for next winter and I don't have to worry about finding them.

Ive gotta say snag them now......ensure your next seasons heat, rather than throw the "if I dont buy them, the price will go down" dice......

 

[Lousyweather]

Lousyweather -Posted: 21 March 2009 07:51 AM That “7 bags” you sold to the person who used you as their 3rd or 4th choice?

I suggest that the challange of every shop owner if he wants to stay in business is to cultivate those '3rd or 4th choice' customers to making you be their 1st choice. One of the biggest reasons I believe my wife's family's hardware store business stayed competative for over 100 yrs with the big box stores was the small town type warm welcome given to each and every customer that walked into the store.

Even the customers who bought stoves from you aren't bound to buy from you unless there is something you have that sets you apart from the big box stores that makes them want to return to your business (forever??). A smiling face, the personal touch and a warm feeling about your business will allow you to survive. I would imagine it would take a special person to maintain that manner with all kinds of customers for many years. However, those are the types of employees/owners that will help make their businesses survive in a world that is 'really watching' its dollar closely these days.

Being good to and treating each and every customer with respect will cause them to remember that.... do the opposite and posters like 'darkstar' above will express their opinion to this website (and others) which boasts: 'Hearth.com is an information resource with over 10,000 pages of information - we proudly serve over 2.5 Million visitors each year'.

Someone once told me "customers are like birds eating seed out of a merchant's hand" ... if the seed is bad or birds are turned away for less than positive reasons, he/she will take or turn other customers away and shop at another more welcoming business. Many people tolerate the non-personal touch of the big box stores but would love to find that warm friendly business they would love to shop at. ....IMHO :coolsmile:

I think your ideas are good, Canada, in a perfect world....our world is far from perfect. The road is littered with the corpses of the "ma and pa" stores who were put out of business by the big boxes......people these days, as you know, Im sure, have to pinch every penny to make ends meet. Does the smiling face, warm feeling, and personal touch gernerate enough business to survive these days? I dont think so. Most consumers are mercenarial out of necessity today.....when the big boxes cut deals with suppliers, then turn around and use "loss leaders" to drag folks in the store, there isnt alot the "ma and pa" places can do...they can try to adapt, but at what price? Quality, service, price.........the ma and pas offer quality and service, but sadly, in a world where the number one consideration given to purchasing is price.

The shop owners really can and should attempt to cultivate those 3rd or 4th choicers, but not at the expense of the 1st choicers who we see every day, who we see at church, who we see at the LOCAL grocery store, who our kids play soccer with, who we went to school with, who actually do frequent our establishments on a frequent and regular basis. I, for one, will not sell out those people for the "quick buck", because even though we are a global economy these days, I still feel an ethical obligation to take care of those who take care of me......(cue "Battle Hymn of the Republic") :lol:

 

[GVA]

maybe the solution could be to charge less to the customers whom bought the stove there..
That is if you bought a stove from me I'll charge you $250 a ton, if not that'll be $275 a ton.......
Hey it works at the Marina nearby...... I pay 25 cents a gallon less than the price on the pump because I bought and store my boat there...... the once in a whiles pay more........ It came in handy last year during the high prices and gas shortage we had down here late last summer.
Just a thought.........
and I don't hear about any complaints from the people who don't get the 2000 dollar customer loyalty allowance from car manufacturers, when they have a ford and want a chevy...ETC
loyalty IS loyalty.....

 

[Lousyweather]

for most using pellets it is an option..... and i gotta believe IF.....IF gas stays low (supposed to be huge drop in may over here) and oil stays stable 2.35 or less ....pellet companies will have to get the price lower to say 250 or less a ton... if not people will use their other options..... now if oil,gas,propane go back up to 3.00 gall pellets will stay the same if not rise a little..... remember new home construction was up 22% this past month... if those numbers stay level the price should def come down a bit

***this is speculation****

but i know this past year i didn't even burn a complete ton because of the prices.......pellets really need to get down to 4 a bag again.... with all the pine bark beetles and whatever the bug was here in mass eating tress i dont see why the mills dont just snack that wood up

Yeah what ever happened to the winter moth there in the coastal region of New England?
It was trying hard to destroy all my maples the last couple of years that I lived there.

would mean attempting to keep track of thousands of customers..........and still subverts the issue of shortages.....if theres a shortage, for whatever reason, Im STILL shorting my loyal customers.....besides, I dont like charging different prices for the same item......nah.....I think I'll take care of my loyal customers first......and like I said, we dont practice the "didja buy yer stove from me?" thing anyhow.......

 

[imacman]

Well, stopped into the same HD that i mentioned when i started this thread, and they still have 14 Tons of Stove Chow sitting outside. it's been at least 2 1/2 weeks since they were delivered.

So, I went and found the manager, and asked about buying them at a discount since heating season is just about over here in the Hudson Valley (it was 60 degrees+ the past 2 days).

He laughed, and said "No, no discount...we're going to be stocking pellets all year round...their $298/ton".

And I'd also either rent a truck and hand unload them, or pay HD to deliver then ($65). No, I don't think so...... PelletSales.com, my check is in the mail

Well, there you have it.

 

[daydreamer]

I hope your HD stores their pellets inside. My local HD stores their shingles outside in the sun and the rain unprotected. They'd probably store their pellets out there too if they had any. I've never seen any pellets or stove piping in there just one pellet stove this winter.

 

[imacman]

I hope your HD stores their pellets inside. My local HD stores their shingles outside in the sun and the rain unprotected. They'd probably store their pellets out there too if they had any. I've never seen any pellets or stove piping in there just one pellet stove this winter.

No, they store the pellets all outdoors.....they only bring in about 1/2 ton inside to sell per bag. And besides that, they are Stove Chow.....a brand that was around for many years, but seemingly went out of business until lately when another company bought them and started making them again. Haven't heard anything about them as far as how they burn.

 

[cdodge04]

I just checked Pelletsales.com for my area and it says $268 a ton delivered. They are Westwoods (softwood) and it says "23.4 tons delivered via flatbed without forklift". Does that mean I can only buy them by the truckload? Doesn't make sense to me...

 

[kilbury]

Looks like they don't have home delivery to your area so yes a truckload is the only way they will sell to you.

 

[natnyer]

No Brainer. Oils cheaper.

 

[jtakeman]

My local HD doesn't carry pellets during the warm months. They sold theres out in Febuary. Also had all the hearth products on sale for 25 to 50% off. Same goes for my local Lowes. Byt the TSC store has pellets fpr most of the year. They had a 25% off sale, But they didn't have any pellets out during the sale. The very next Monday the pellets were back on display. Makes you say HMMM. I would have snagged a ton if the had them for the 25% off price. Normal price is $289/ton.

just my 2
jay