Anyone work or has worked at Lowes?

[pstylesss]

I am remodeling my kitchen and have been shopping around online and decided I'd try out some local places. I had my uncle, who is a cabinet maker, come over and do some measurements with me and do the kitchen design, so I know exactly what cabinet sizes I need, fillers, etc (we used standard sizes). Home depot wouldn't take my measurements and give me a firm quote on just buying the hardware (no install, I'm doing that), they wanted to charge me 200 to do a measure. I laughed at the lady and walked out.

Anyway, so I'm at Lowes and they seem really easy to work with, will take my drawing and the guy I talked to seemed eager to make a deal. I want to know what I can get them to throw in for free, what they make on their cabinets, etc so I can get the best deal possible.

I'm going to try to get them to throw in the granite counter top for free

I'm going to try to at least get them to give me the percentage off that they give their new credit customers (I'll be paying in paper money). I have no problem playing hard ball with them and walking out of the store if they don't cut me a good deal. I'm sure not too many people are remodeling kitchens right now.

 

[zerocool84]

No one can say how much you'll get for free. Depending on how busy that store is and how much you are going to spend, they might be desperate to make a deal but not every store is in that bad shape so who knows but if you're kitchen is big enough, they will want to make sure they keep you as a customer. Why don't you see if you can get a free estimate from somewhere else cus Home Depot/Lowe's store will always be more expensive than independent people and see if they will match that price AFTER they give you an initial price.

 

[rudeguy]

I don't know how the cabinets work there, but their appliance section doesn't deal based on margins. They will price match anyone but don't have the ability to give random discounts. I would go in armed with a few offers to try to get a deal.

Why don't you get the cabinets from your uncle if that's what he does for a living?

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: NSFW
I don't know how the cabinets work there, but their appliance section doesn't deal based on margins. They will price match anyone but don't have the ability to give random discounts. I would go in armed with a few offers to try to get a deal.

Why don't you get the cabinets from your uncle if that's what he does for a living?

Agreed to this... most box stores don't haggle on prices. They may price match, but good luck finding the EXACT same make/model at another store. Lowes is going to have contracts with their cabinet makers that only Lowes sells that make/model.

As NSFW said, why not have your uncle make them. I'm sure he's WAY more expensive than Lowes, but I'd imagine his family discount would bring his down to their retail prices.

Oh and free granite counter top? LOL. Yeah right.

 

[vi edit]

Best choice you have available at Lowes/HD is to wait for them to have sales on their house brands and then use a coupon. If it's not on sale, it's not on sale there. Sometimes they'll throw in a free sink base too, but again that's up to the sale at the time.

If you deal with a local retailer they have far more freedom to discount and deal. We went with a local company and they really worked with me on the trim pieces that really add up in expenses. I got about $500 in retail cost of trim and paneling for about $70. They also only charged $75 for coming to the house to measure and delivery.

 

[akshatp]

Free granite countertop?? LOL

You think the way for stores to battle low retail sales is to give away a countertop that will exceed the cost of your cabinets?? Do you even know how much granite countertops cost?? You might have a better chance asking them to throw in a free BJ if you order the kitchen from them.

Get ready to "walk out of then store when they dont cut you a good deal" Better yet, dont even walk in. You'll only be wasting your time and theirs.

 

[Strk]

I hate to break it to you, but cash usually costs a store more than using a store credit card.

 

[Aharami]

free countertop is just not gonna happen, so dont even expect that. I bought my cabinets and countertop thru lowes last august/sept. I had a good experience with them. The designer (I'm using that term loosely) there was pretty good and knowledgeable. But then again I have a townhouse and the cabinets weren't too customized. Basically just kept the same design but replaced the older cabinets with newer cherry colored ones. At first we were looking at Shenandoah but jumped on Kraftmaid when we found out they have a deal going. We got a $1000 back in gift cards because we bought 10 or more cabinets and did all plywood construction. Used that $1000 toward granite countertop. Once again, happy with their service as we got to go and pick out a slab, and then tell the cutter which part of the slab to cut from. But even with the $1000 off, our countertop prices came out to roughly the same as smaller places (we paid $88/ sq ft, smaller place had the same granite for around $50) so in retrospect, I wish we'd gotten the countertop from the smaller place and used that $1000 for something else.

Lowes usually has good deals on cabinets, especially Kraftmaid. Ask the guy there when the next deal is coming around and plan your install accordingly.

oh yea, and Lowes wanted to charge $2600 to install the cabinets! Hah! They were only gonna come out and measure if they were going to do the install. But since my kitchen is pretty standard, measuring it wasnt so hard

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: Strk
I hate to break it to you, but cash usually costs a store more than using a store credit card.

Truth. The reason they give their "new credit customers" a discount is because they plan on making it back in interest. You are better off signing up for one of their credit deals and then pay off the card with your cash immediately.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Your uncle is a cabinet maker and you're not having him make them? You just used him to give you measurements? Free granite countertop? :laugh:

And they're not going to care if you're paying in cash. No install is even worse for them.

 

[waffleironhead]

Good luck trying to swing any discounts from the retailers. If you were a high return rate contractor they may cut you a deal, but for a one-out homeowner I doubt they will move much if at all. you want to know why? Every fucking person who comes thru the door thinks because they are dropping a few grand they should get some discount. When I worked for Menards it was always the same. I'd send them out the door locking for better prices and 9 times out of ten they would be back later in the week paying the advertised price because it was the best they could find.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: Strk
I hate to break it to you, but cash usually costs a store more than using a store credit card.

Truth. The reason they give their "new credit customers" a discount is because they plan on making it back in interest. You are better off signing up for one of their credit deals and then pay off the card with your cash immediately.

It's not even that. A store will typically get a good rate from a CC company for using them. It also reduces overhead. Cash requires someone to count it, as well as transportation (can't just keep it in the store). It also has increased risks. A typical store LP, if a store even still has one, is typically more concerned with internal theft than shoplifters. The money from a CC purchase never goes through someone's fingers -- cash does.

 

[dandruff]

hmm ... i use HD more for cabinets than lowes ... fwiw i spend $10-20k per month combined at both ... this is what you do:
you need to ask HD for bidrm pricing ... in my estimate, a $100 retail cabinet costs HD $40-50.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: dandruff
hmm ... i use HD more for cabinets than lowes ... fwiw i spend $10-20k per month combined at both ... this is what you do:
you need to ask HD for bidrm pricing ... in my estimate, a $100 retail cabinet costs HD $40-50.

Is "bidrm" just a hick way of saying bedroom?

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: dandruff
hmm ... i use HD more for cabinets than lowes ... fwiw i spend $10-20k per month combined at both ... this is what you do:
you need to ask HD for bidrm pricing ... in my estimate, a $100 retail cabinet costs HD $40-50.

Bid room pricing? Can you explain more?

I attempted to have a kitchen drawn up at menards a couple weeks ago. Worst 2 hours ever. The lady had no idea what she was doing and managed to crash the software before saving, doh!

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: amdskip

Originally posted by: dandruff
hmm ... i use HD more for cabinets than lowes ... fwiw i spend $10-20k per month combined at both ... this is what you do:
you need to ask HD for bidrm pricing ... in my estimate, a $100 retail cabinet costs HD $40-50.

Bid room pricing? Can you explain more?

I attempted to have a kitchen drawn up at menards a couple weeks ago. Worst 2 hours ever. The lady had no idea what she was doing and managed to crash the software before saving, doh!

If you're spending over $2500, you can submit it to the "bidroom." It basically goes back to the seller (as in corporate seller) and determines how much can be taken off.

 

[JEDIYoda]

sounds to me like the OP is one cheap son of a gun....

Granite top free....hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
sounds to me like the OP is one cheap son of a gun....

Granite top free....hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa

This, lulz

 

[SlitheryDee]

As someone who deals with this from the retailer's perspective, I never understood this attitude. I would certainly give a small percentage off to someone who makes a sizable purchase, but I wouldn't throw in so much free stuff or discounts that my large sale suddenly becomes a small one profit-wise. As a matter of fact, I'd rather just let a hard bargainer walk out and sell the same items to someone else at full price than shoot myself in the foot for their benefit.

 

[krylon]

People think that since there is a "recession," they can get stuff for free.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: krylon
People think that since there is a "recession," they can get stuff for free.

But OP is willing to "walk out of the store" if he doesnt get the deal he wants. Certainly then they will be willing to bend over backwards, no? I mean im sure the employee's salary is DIRECTLY related to whether or not the store makes this sale and loses money by giving away a free countertop right?

 

[keird]

Lowes offers 10% discount to military. What city and state are you in?

 

[BooGiMaN]

expecting free granite countertop...OPs username..coincidence? I think not!


I am still curious as to why the OPs uncle who is a cabinet maker by trade is not the OPs first choice

I would at least think the uncle would have a better idea as to what Lowes profit margin would be

 

[SonnyDaze]

Lowe's makes their $$ on appliances and plants. The markup on these items is around 300% in some cases. They sometimes lose money on wood sales but they have to sell it to stay in business and compete with HD and other home suppliers.

Out of curiosity, I called a friend at the local Lowe's and asked about the "free granite counter top".....he laughed. He said they do have a promotion going on now for a free sink basin and if you purchase 25 sq ft. of counter top they'll throw in a free sink.

<---- use to work at Lowe's.

 

[akshatp]

You guys keep forgetting.. OP IS WILLING TO WALK OUT OF THE STORE if he doesnt get his free granite!!!! This method is definitely failsafe!!!!