The Pros and Cons of Menards

Over the past few years, Menards has become my home improvement store of choice. But a couple recent events have made me wonder if I should re-think my position. So I've decided to list what I see as the pros and cons of this chain (primarily versus Home Depot and Lowe's, though there are others like True Value, Ace, etc.) and let you all chime in with your thoughts. Perhaps between all of us we can find the "best" home improvement store. :)

Pros

Here are what I see as the reasons for shopping at Menards:

• You can "save big money." If you've ever seen a Menards commercial or been in one of their stores (yes, they play ads over the intercom) you know the song: "You save big money, save big money, when you shop Menards." Now whether this is true or not, they have certainly got me believing it (for the most part -- see below). Do they really have the lowest prices? How can you be sure -- who drives around from one home improvement store to another comparing prices?


• Best employees. This is one I can say for sure -- they have the best employees. I rate them the best for the following reasons: 1) You can actually find someone to help you. At the other home improvement stores there's never anyone around when I need them. 2) They actually want to help. Every time I've asked a Menards employee for assistance, I've always received a positive, welcoming reply. I have yet to get a "you're bothering me" response, which is what I've had elsewhere. 3) They actually know what they are talking about. Not that the other store employees don't, but my experience is that help in other stores can be spotty in the know-how department.

Cons

On the other hand, there are some reasons not to like Menards:

• How they do pricing. They often get to a lower price by offering a Menards rebate, not straight cash. So an item you purchase may be $10 off, but that $10 comes to you via mail (which is a hassle to complete and mail in the first place) and is good for redemption only on a future purchase at Menards. This is not a bad deal if you shop there a lot and have time to complete rebate forms. For me these are negatives.


• They don't sell gift cards other than at their stores. I can buy Home Depot and Lowe's gift cards from my grocery store using my American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card and get a straight 6% off any price by doing so. Menards only sells their gift cards at their stores (at least in our city.) And since they don't take Amex, the best I can get is 1% cash back unless the Chase Freedom card has "home improvement stores" as one of their quarterly 5% cash back options.


• They run out of stock early. This has happened to me twice recently. In the middle of September, I went to Menards for grass seed. A clerk told me they were out and that they weren't getting any more this year. He also noted that it was "too late to plant grass", something I knew was wrong because I had done so successfully last year at this time. I went four blocks to Home Depot and they had plenty of grass seed. Three weeks later, the exact same thing happened, this time with grill covers. Menards was out for the year. Home Depot had many options. This is the first time I've noticed this problem, but if it keeps up much longer, I'll just go to Home Depot and save myself a trip.

So, what about you? Do you prefer Menards, Home Depot, Lowe's, or someplace else? Why?

Comments

[MC]

Ah, Menards! There is a store very near my house, but I have found that they carry the absolute cheapest brand of everything with zero selection and often they are completely out of things or only have a taped together box returned item( for the same price as new). I also hate their rebates and I have been given a rebate instead of cash for a return which is also a scam in my opinion. They do have good prices on mulch, topsoil etc. but their lumber is lower quality. My locals store also has a loooong checkout line. I prefer home depot or lowes for tools, hardware or almost anything. I dont mind spending a few dollars more for the chance to see a selection of items and buy something that hasnt been kicking around the store for 5 years and may be damaged.

[Melissa@LittleHouseintheValley]

We have a Home Depot near us, and while we usually find what we need, the store is huge and it is hard to find any employees to help us.

[jdgjdg]

We don't have Menards.

Once upon a time, Home Depot had great employees, but now it's hard to find anyone. Recently, the main reason I've gone to either Home Depot or Lowe's is for garden center materials, and our Lowe's is better for that.

Two somewhat-near Aces have closed, and another has converted to not being an Ace. They've become irrelevant for me.

The only True Value I remember seeing has closed. Almost beyond irrelevant.

[Noah]

Interesting idea about buying gift cards at the grocery store to achieve the 6% off. What is the highest amount card you can purchase and do you normally pick up cards before you know they will be used or buy them the day you need them? Even at 6%, if I have to go out of my way to save $3 on a $50 card, I'd rather skip it, especially with gas being $4/gallon nowadays and the 15-20 min being time I could spend elsewhere.

[Lance@MoneyLife&More]

I don't have menards locally but have never had any problems with the home depot or Lowes employees here. Maybe the good employees go to those stores since we dont have menards. I use them pretty interchangeably though as I don't notice much difference between the two.

[JayB]

I have never heard of Menard's before this post, which makes sense because their website shows no Menard's locations south of Missouri.

In Alabama, I have Lowe's, Home Depot, and Ace. Ace seems to be the smallest of the three, but has a surprisingly good selection of items. Lowe's has the largest storefront here, but sometimes I am not impressed with the selection of items. Home Depot really feels like a medium between Ace and Lowe's. I can find a descent selection and its store is not enormous, or small.

When it comes to service, Ace will really dig in and help you find something and give you pointers on what your working on. Lowe's is spotty with service, sometimes they are really helpful and other times you cannot get anyone's attention. Home Depot is again in the middle when it comes to service in my opinion.

For me, Location wins since I know what I need and don't need help most of the time. So despite service and selection I'll end up at Lowe's simply because its closest. If I am unhappy with the selection, I will make the trip elsewhere, but most of the time I can get what I'm looking for.

[Apex]

Menards = Walmart
Home Depot/Lowes = Target

Whichever store you prefer on the right is probably the one you will prefer on the left.

[DMFF]

Menards, Ace, or Lowes, depending on the items we need. Plumbing items are cheaper at Lowe's, electrical is cheaper at Menards. Ace for paint, keys, or some tools.

We avoid Home Depot at all costs - the store quite literally gives me a migraine from their flickering lights and I'm sick the rest of the day.

[Jim]

We don't have Menards. Looks like they're only located in 12-15 of the midwestern states.

[Mike B.]

I really think some of this is location dependent. We have a Menards across the street from our Home Depot, so I often will end up at both if I don't like what I see at one of them. Our Menard's seems like it hires lots of young 'uns so their help is pretty much just pointing you where something is located. I wouldn't trust their advice beyond that. While it's true that you sometimes have to wait long at our Home Depot to talk to someone, 4 out of 5 times that someone actually gives us good advice. So, I much prefer our Home Depot in that regard.

Price is generally better at Menard's, but not always.

Selection I think is often paltry at both stores, especially since they are both gigantic--they seem to have select vendors for things and that's all they carry.

[My Money Design]

We love Menards! (It must be a Michigan thing) We usually will at least consider their products before buying something from Home Depot or Lowes. Though on some things there is a considerable drop in quality. Overall though, its been a pretty nice alternative!

[Luis]

The men of all stores is Tractor Supply. More than the basics, you will find dog and horse supplies along with real industrial grade equipment. If you want the biggest or strongest equipment, go here.

[tcupaz]

I avoid Menards as much as I can. Only big box store in town. I do not like their rebate program. It is a scam.

[Old Limey]

Living in Silicon Valley, CA I have never heard of Menards. We have Home Depot and Lowes. A recent annoyance at our local Home Depot is that the help keep coming up and asking if they can be of any assistance, even though most of them know little about the items.

However we have a chain that is a left over from the old days when Silicon Valley was renowed for its Apricots, Plums, Pears and Cherries instead of iPads, iPhones and the like. That chain is called Orchard Supply Hardware. They briefly sold it to Sears but kept the name, and about a year ago they bought it back from Sears.
What makes this chain unique is that they actually have people working there that know all about the items they sell, as well as having lots of hard to find items that Home Depot doesn't carry. Many of the staff seem to be retired plumbers, electricians etc. and I know of no other store of any type that has more helpful employees.

[KJ]

Menards stuff is very cheap. I think they carry the low end brand of just about everything. It depends on what you're buying, I think, but I'd rather go to Home Depot or Lowe's for most purchases.

[KJ]

Forgot to mention that if I need help with something and truly want first class customer service- I go to my local True Value store. They're awesome there!

[Tushar @ Everything Finance]

Rebates can certainly be a hassle. More hassle than some of them are worth, and that's why companies tend to offer rebates. It makes sense if you think about it - even if half the people redeemed their rebate, the company still gets to hang on to the other half of the unclaimed money. But rebate-type pricing schemes turn me off of stores as well.

[Kenny]

Menards, Home Depot and Lowes are the three choices in most markets around the mid-west.......

I am in the apartment rental business as a part-time (evenings/weekend) activity, and I have done extensive shopping at all three locations with my initial buying. I exclusively use contractors, who also love shopping with me at Menards.

NOW, it is EXCLUSIVELY Menards unless I cannot find the item there, which happens from time to time.

Our Menards does AUTOMATIC price shopping for consumers. They will send secret employee shoppers, and come back to the store and mark down the item.

Sure, they have some Chinese make products that are low-end, but "become the smart shopper".

If you are buying a Moen/Delta Faucet, Kohler Toilet, Bosch/Makita Tools, Pella Doors, Schlage locks etc, then you will save anywhere from 10% to 40% shopping at Menards. Of course, quality is SAME-SAME.

If you are buying any type of Trim, A x B Wood planks, Screws/Nails/Brackets etc then again you get a big discount on it, and almost the manufacturers are the same, and the quality is the same.

Rebates are surely something that they make a special case about, and if you are shopping over there for everything, the rebates last a LONG TIME, and they are worth keeping in your wallet as money.

In short, if Saving Money is your objective, and get same quality product as HD and Lowe's then shop at Menards. When you do NOT find something, get it from HD, since they are lower than Lowe's, although finally in 2012, Lowe's has the campaign of promising lower prices than competition (and matching it).

Of course, Menards has already done the shopping for you, and if you stick to name brands (if you are that type of shopper), then it is COOL TO GO TO Menards and BUY from them.

Menards runs a tight ship and is a smaller home improvement shop, and hence if there is a significant value in the product (low price, great quality), they will run out, but their inventory system is great, and we just pick it up from another Menards.

Finally, rebates are simply something that you do NOT have to believe in, and shop for the price of the product, instead of the discounted item. I have gotten 100% of the rebates we apply for, and we are happy to use, reuse and finish using our rebates.

Besides, employees are friendly, manager is very open to suggestions, choices are plenty, they also sell some food items, rent some tools (very few), rent trucks, and have lots of contractor choices available if needed. Their department for Contractor purchases is also great, and they deliver items for FREE after the initial delivery of items. I use them from time to time.

Hope this view helps, esp. with a lot of people putting some negative comments with various issues.

PS: I am not an employee, nor related to them in any way, nor am getting compensated for this writeup.

Kenny

[billyjobob]

I like all three. I shop mostly at Lowes. I think they do a good job there. Sometimes you get a good saleperson that knows what their talking about. Sometime you get the "new guy" . I guess this doesn't bother me too much. The Menards is the farthest from my house, so I rarely shop there.

[Jo]

We primarily shop at Home Depot because we have two withing 5-10 minutes of us, but the Menards in our area is reopening in a few months (after closing last year to expand...it's a huge, two story store now!!). We have had a lot of luck at Home Depot with knowledgeable employees, but can be hard to find an employee sometimes because they get tied up with other customers. Everyone is very friendly at Home Depot and I like that they can help with heavy items when your arms are full or have lifting restrictions (aka toddler on my hip and pregnant). Plus, I think we will probably soon start taking our daughter to the special Home Depot children's workshops where they get to make birdhouses, etc. I know my cousin loves taking her 2-year old boys there.

When Menard's re-opens near us we will definitely be shopping there to compare. I don't like the Menard's rebates either, too much hassle!!

My parents love Menards and Fleet Farm, but Home Depot and Lowes is about 90 minutes away from them. I would probably go to Fleet Farm for certain things if it wasn't 30 minutes away from us.

[Pam]

If I have a question or need help I go to Ace. The price is usually more but the service is great.

If I know exactly what I want and don't need to interact with anyone I go to Home Depot.

[Dan]

You can tell that Menards employee that the rule is, "Only plant grass in months that have an "R" in them." In other words, avoid June, July and August. This old saying predates modern conviences like sprinklers but at the same time you'll save more money because you'll need less water.

[Robert K. Tompsett]

I prefer Menards, It's closer by a couple miles then Lowe's. Menard's Card has less intrest charge then Lowe's GE credit. GE in it self is is a bad choice for any store credit card. Home Depot? It's ok, but too far away for me If Home Depot was located in the 2 miles between Menard's and Lowe's then I would be much happier.

[Brad]

I shop Menards only when I have to. As far as I am concerned, they sell nothing but seconds or thirds of everything. Even brand name products during production end up having less than perfect merchandise. I am convinced that Menards buyers go out and find these less than first quality and buy them for their stores. I have yet to purchase a single item from Menards that was not damaged, missing parts or broke from a weak component shortly after purchase.