Home Depot vs Lowes - why I'm crossing the line, this one time

These two giant stores are the giants in their industry. In Flower Mound, one is north, the other south. If town, if people take sides and choose a favorite, chances are it's because one is closer than the other.

So I'm a Home Depot guy, all things being equal. I shop in the store at 2499 and Lakeside, close to my house. When I need a gizmo or a widget or a dozen doodads to fix something around the house, Home Depot is where I'll start and finish my shopping.

I'm buying a new grill. I'm not spending a fortune, but I'll drop $400 or so for this once-every-decade purchase. Why am I buying at cross-town Lowes instead of nearby Home Depot? Here's a simple lesson in merchandising.



This is the grill section at Home Depot in southern Flower Mound. Many of the grills are wedged in tight on a shelve that's taller than me. A few others are pushed together, front-to-back, front-to-back, on the floor.

I don't yet have a photo of the Lowes grill section, but I'll get one when I go to buy the grill. All their grills are laid out in a big square -- lower-priced units at one end moving up to the upper-end models at the other end. You can walk from grill to grill, checking all the moving parts, read the literature, shop and compare side by side.

Do you have a favorite store in town? Is there a store that "gets it", with regard to showcasing its merchandise or treating its customers? Or on the flip side, is there a store that needs a customer check-up? I'm not trying to be mean here, but I think where a store falls short of expectations, we should let them know. And when they exceed our expectations, we should absolutely let them know that too.