RONA versus Home Depot

[Mike Milovick]

I went to Home Depot today armed with my REIN RONA Product Catalogue - RONA is located on the other side of town - about a twenty minute drive versus Home Depot which is a five minute drive.

I came fully prepared to ask Home Depot to match the RONA pricing. To my shock on the two of the first four items on the first page of the RONA catalogue - Decora Plate Covers, and Receptacles amd were cheaper at Home Depot...(I didn`t check the other two)...

Decora Plate Covers (RONA $5.28 versus Home Depot $5.19)
Decora Receptacles (RONA $9.87 versus Home Depot $9.49)

I am actually going through my invoice - and it looks like Home Depot forgot to charge me for Decora Light Switches. : )

I can`t remember the pricing, but I seemed to think they were cheaper for this item as well...

Just an FYI. I am referencing the RONA catalogue from March, 2008.

Anybody have any thoughts?

Mike

 

[markl]

Hi Mike,

I have found the same to be true in many cases that Home Depot was cheaper than even the discounted pricing.

Regards,

 

[MonteDobson]

Hi Guys,

I also concur that the prices and more importantly, the SERVICE at Home Depot is far superior to RONA. Honestly, I get very frustrated every time I walk into RONA. If you ever have a question, or are looking for someone to help you out, you might as well ask the 2x4 that you are buying!!

Best all around service and prices that I have found is Home Hardware...smaller stores, more help, better service, decent prices. Not sure, however, if they are Canada wide or not.

 

[GarthChapman]

QUOTE (C2Ventures @ Nov 25 2008, 10:39 PM) Best all around service and prices that I have found is Home Hardware...smaller stores, more help, better service, decent prices. Not sure, however, if they are Cananda wide or not.


I agree completely. We buy from them when at our second home near Invermere BC. They seem to be located in the smaller towns and cities, at least in the west. They have another outlet called Home Furniture. We furnished much of our BC home at a Home Furniture store in High River AB.

 

[StanNeumann]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the information. I am the contact in the west for REIN. If you find this kind of information out, please let us or me know.

We try to do as much price shopping as we can but we don`t always key in on these types of products. As a contact for RONA, please let me know of these discrepencies as we want to make sure you are getting value from the catalogue.

Stan Neumann
[email protected]
604-882-6208

 

[terri]

QUOTE Best all around service and prices that I have found is Home Hardware...smaller stores, more help, better service, decent prices. Not sure, however, if they are Canada wide or not.

I completely agree with Monte and Garth that the best service is @ Home Hardware. I have one near me in downtown Toronto, and they are wonderfully helpful, I know everyone that works there and they know me, they will deliver for free even if it`s under the $500 minimum, the delivery guy will help me carry things in and not leave it on the sidewalk if there`s no one else there to help me, and they give me a contractor discount so it usually comes out to be about the same price as the bix box stores, but saves me the extra 2 hrs it takes to drive to the stores and wander the isles looking for the item.

The one near me also has a great kitchen ,bath, and tile section, much better flooring selection that home depot or rona.

Terri

 

[PaulPoulsen]

Home Depot is the bane of my existence. I refuse to shop there because they`ve installed self-checkouts at my neighbourhood location. If I wanted to be a cashier, I`d get a job there. And their lumber looks like it belongs in a reject pile. Even their "premium" stuff stinks. Oh, and the odd time I can actually find an employee, he reminds me of a prisoner on work release.

Rona`s marginally better. At least they ring my purchase in for me and their lumber is better but I have the same gripes about their staff. Not knowledgeable, not helpful and not friendly.

Whenever I can, I head to Totem. They`ve got a Pro-Card they give you and the more you use it, the more you save. Their wood is awesome and their prices are way better than the big box stores. The staff at the order desk know what they`re talking about and don`t even roll their eyes when I ask a stupid question. Best of all, they help me load my truck. I remember an ad a long time ago and I don`t know what it was for but the tag line sticks with me: "We have a warehouse too. We just don`t make you shop in it." That describes Totem perfectly.

I`ve only hit Home Hardware a couple of times. I`ll have to check them out more often.

 

[dcres]

After the August REIN Real Estate Bus Tour at Crowfoot I went into the RONA store to find some ass.
for hardwood flooring. The entire section looked like a war zone. The product was everywhere, & no one
around to help. Their rep. on the bus assured me that I could find what I was looking for.

I avoid this store at all costs, as Home Depot is much closer to me. Customer loyalty starts with good service.
(Marketing 101.)

 

[seanverret]

I`m sorry I just nearly spit my soup all over the computer screen as I read this statement... I assume you meant assistance and that the period was to abreviate the word.... Still that`s the funniest thing I`ve read all day...

QUOTE (dcres @ Jan 27 2009, 11:52 AM) After the August REIN Real Estate Bus Tour at Crowfoot I went into the RONA store to find some ass.

 

[saskbrian]

QUOTE (C2Ventures @ Nov 25 2008, 11:39 PM) Hi Guys,

I also concur that the prices and more importantly, the SERVICE at Home Depot is far superior to RONA. Honestly, I get very frustrated every time I walk into RONA. If you ever have a question, or are looking for someone to help you out, you might as well ask the 2x4 that you are buying!!

Best all around service and prices that I have found is Home Hardware...smaller stores, more help, better service, decent prices. Not sure, however, if they are Canada wide or not.


Hi Guys

I too, would concur that Home Depot is way ahead of my Rona store in both pricing and service.The Saskatoon Rona store is a very frustrating place to shop. Too often they dont have what I want or if they do they only have one when I need four, or a left hand door when I neeed a right hand one, or 1/1/4 inch screws when I need 1 inch that kind of thing. Home Depot for the most part has what I need in the quantities and sizes I need and quite often at a better price. Unfortunately, my local Home hardware store is a little too much like the Rona store, so I stick with Home Depot.

 

[JeffSmith]

My preferences are:

Totem for lumber, kitchen cabinet design and purchase and the best customer service. St. Albert & West end Edmonton stores have been very good.

Rona for the REIN discount, which I appreciate and use. The service seems to be hit and miss. Especially at the west end store, more miss.

Home Depot for the best selection in flooring and electrical fixtures. The carpet selection at Rona is very limited.

 

[Ready4Rent]

My 2 cents,


Rona

We used to use Rona all the time, service was fantastic, pricing was great. And if you bought the contractor sales guy a coffee before you showed up, you could get massive discounts. Go to the contractor desks and get friendly, it will save you. They have since shut down the Rona in our city (due to age of building/lease-up etc,... ) The one problem I did have with Rona was everywhere they were located be it in our city or others, it was always out of the way. Not very good at choosing store locations in citys.

Home Depot

No service, priced higher. Unless its on the way, or real close I don`t bother

Lowes

Just came into Brantford, nice store, great prices, excellent service (so far)

John

 

[terri]

QUOTE (seanverret @ Jan 27 2009, 01:13 PM) I`m sorry I just nearly spit my soup all over the computer screen as I read this statement... I assume you meant assistance and that the period was to abreviate the word.... Still that`s the funniest thing I`ve read all day...


Back in the day when the home depot used to be open 24 hrs, I remember that it was quite the pick up spot around 1 am on a saturday night, so I didn`t assume automatically that they were looking for assistance.

 

[terri]

QUOTE And their lumber looks like it belongs in a reject pile. Even their "premium" stuff stinks.

I`ve been told by various builders that the reason Rona and Home hardware 2x4`s are better than home depot`s is because Rona and Home hardware store their`s outside and Home Depot`s is inside so it shrinks and cracks and dries all crooked. Don`t know if this is true, but I guess it makes sense.

Terri

 

[wealthyboomer]

QUOTE (PaulPoulsen @ Jan 26 2009, 09:25 PM) Home Depot is the bane of my existence. I refuse to shop there because they`ve installed self-checkouts at my neighbourhood location. If I wanted to be a cashier, I`d get a job there. And their lumber looks like it belongs in a reject pile. Even their "premium" stuff stinks. Oh, and the odd time I can actually find an employee, he reminds me of a prisoner on work release.

Rona`s marginally better. At least they ring my purchase in for me and their lumber is better but I have the same gripes about their staff. Not knowledgeable, not helpful and not friendly.

Whenever I can, I head to Totem. They`ve got a Pro-Card they give you and the more you use it, the more you save. Their wood is awesome and their prices are way better than the big box stores. The staff at the order desk know what they`re talking about and don`t even roll their eyes when I ask a stupid question. Best of all, they help me load my truck. I remember an ad a long time ago and I don`t know what it was for but the tag line sticks with me: "We have a warehouse too. We just don`t make you shop in it." That describes Totem perfectly.

I`ve only hit Home Hardware a couple of times. I`ll have to check them out more often.

FYI: Totem is owned by Rona.

 

[cldemott]

QUOTE (terri @ Jan 29 2009, 09:23 AM) I`ve been told by various builders that the reason Rona and Home hardware 2x4`s are better than home depot`s is because Rona and Home hardware store their`s outside and Home Depot`s is inside so it shrinks and cracks and dries all crooked. Don`t know if this is true, but I guess it makes sense.

Terri

 

[cldemott]

Just redoing a bathroom, and pricing both Rona and Home Depot...Home Depot hands down! for pricing, availability, and customer service! We wanted to look at a vanity in Rona that was on display and discounted. We found and asked an employee for help.
He said there`s a chunk of marble on the top.
Sink included?
Yeah, probably.
Any in stock?
Not sure.
Can we look at it?
No. Not my department. You can come back another time when the other guy is here.
Ok....
Home Depot hands down! Better vanity, in stock, regular price $299 (includes the mirror) vs. $419 (see above), same toilet $45 cheaper, MAXX 2 pc. tub and surround for $579, faucet (pop-up incl) $50 cheaper, tub faucet $60 cheaper....

 

[KevinMatwichuk]

Maybe as a group we could get a REIN contractor discount from Home Depot ?

 

[PaulPoulsen]

QUOTE (wealthyboomer @ Jan 30 2009, 01:07 AM) FYI: Totem is owned by Rona.

Oh, I know. I don`t mind giving Rona money. I just prefer the products and service that Totem provides. Home Depot could own Totem and I`d still prefer to shop there.

 

[gwasser]

I shop at both Rona and Home Depot and use various stores. Home Depot (North Hill) is nearest and so I go mostly there. It used to be Sears but their selection disappeared overtime and I just gave up. Oh, and I also go to Totem.

My conclusion, it depends on to which store you go. The quality and selection between stores is highly variable. This is also regarding staff quality. E.g. The HomeDepot in North Hill is much smaller than the one in the NE along Memorial Drive. Their selection is a lot smaller which sometimes bugs the heck out of me. Also their staff is poorly trained because the store is newer. The North Hill store has a good guy in the plumbing department but he is always busy and difficult to get hold off. In the paint department they have 3 or 4 people but only one who knows what to do. I wanted to buy an air compressor with accessories and nobody could explain how the damn things work.

I went to Rona (Crowfoot) for the air compressor, it was actually cheaper. And on my second trip I actually encountered someone who could help me. The selection for air compressors in Home Depot at Memorial Drive was excellent but nobody was around to explain so I walked out. Some stuff in Rona Crowfoot is good, but the choice of tiling (especially replacement tiles for small jobs) is hopeless.

Totem is quite good, but like Home Depot on Memorial it is quite out of the way and if I need a couple of nails then I don`t want to drive 30 minutes one-way. I also had a flat tire at their lumber yard which is from time to time quite a mess. Yet their wood selection is superior. Totem has also the best staff - yet Totem is owned by Rona so why such a difference? Pricing is overall competitive but it depends on the items you need. BTW I love Totem`s free popcorn - so does my son. I think Totem (16 Ave NW adjacent to Sunnyside Garden Centre) has the best staff and staff retention because it has been around longest and maybe a better general manager. But except for an awsome lumber yard, Totem`s selection is limited.

I can go on and on. But basically their is no consistent performance. Selection depends on available retail space and especially new stores have difficulty to get well trained staff. Overall, I do most shopping at Home Depot and have never bothered to use the Rona contractor card.