Home Depot vs. Lowe's

Last night, our local CBS affiliate, WREG-TV, did a news story comparing prices at Home Depot and Lowe's. (Go to http://www.wreg.com/ and scroll down to Lowe's vs. Home Depot) After comparing prices of a variety of items not on sale, the result was a virtual tie. Very little difference--about $2, I think, with Lowe's on the cheap side.

I think I'm like most people in that I shop both Lowe's and Home Depot, the latter more often simply because there's one closer to my house. Fortunately, a Lowe's is coming soon right around the corner from my HD, so there will be stiff competition--great for the consumer! When it comes to hardware items, I usually don't care which store I use. If I want a particular brand, then I'll go to the store that carries that brand. Occasionally, I even patronize my community's independent hardware store because they sometimes have things that the big box stores don't carry. (That's where I finally got some hard-to-find cabinet hinges after searching for months online and at every kitchen cabinet store in the area! And they were cheap!)

My husband and I also shop online for better selection and pricing sometimes. In fact, he got my table saw online and got a wonderful deal. (Remember that free sander? It's a peach!)

It just all depends on what you want, when you want it, and how much time you want to devote to shopping.