Do you shop at discount stores?

[merithyn]

Home Depot is expensive, atleast around here.

That's weird.  They and Lowe's tend to be cheaper than other hardware places here.

Same around here. Plus, I'll go to Home Depot before I'll hit any of the craft stores.

$4.99 for a 6-ounce bottle of mineral spirits??? WTF??

[derspiess]

I won't buy general groceries at a Dollar Store. or clothes. Or batteries. Worst batteries ever. And Tools at those places? Made in China crap.

I know people who buy groceries there & should definitely know better.  Plus they have way more disposable income than I do-- I don't get it.  And the batteries-- should tell you something when they weigh less than half what a normal battery weighs.

But the Dollar Tree is my go-to place for padded shipping envelopes, and cheap throw-away toys for the kids.

[Barrister]

Home Depot is expensive, atleast around here.

That's weird.  They and Lowe's tend to be cheaper than other hardware places here.

In Canada though Home Depot has really done a number on "other hardware places".  There's Canadian Tire, which sells tools, but not lumber and other building supplies, and Rona (which is fairly crap), but that's about it.  Home Hardware seems to only exist in smaller towns (though I like using them).

[viper37]

I tend to avoid Wal-Mart, Zellers, Canadian Tire and others like that.  But I am shopping there sometimes.  For outside of office work clothes, I don't want to pay a fortune, so whatever Zellers or the future Wal-Mart here is selling, it's good for me.

[viper37]

Home Depot is expensive, atleast around here.

That's weird.  They and Lowe's tend to be cheaper than other hardware places here.

In Canada though Home Depot has really done a number on "other hardware places".  There's Canadian Tire, which sells tools, but not lumber and other building supplies, and Rona (which is fairly crap), but that's about it.  Home Hardware seems to only exist in smaller towns (though I like using them).

Canada is very different from Quebec.  Rona doesn't really sell crap.  No more, no less than any other hardware stores.  In Eastern Quebec, BMR is the franchise to go to for hardware supplies.  We got ACE, Home Hardware and BMR here, but only BMR really makes money and carries everything.  HH is always empty.

[Grey Fox]

Rona is more expensive then Home Depot. Reno Depot is cheaper then both.

Patrick Morin is CT like with less chinese crap & more wood.

Not really any HH in the Montreal region, so I don't know how it is there.

My neighborhood store is an ACE but I haven't been there since it changed from Pro. Never been at BMR.

[Neil]

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because South Edmonton Common is a fucking disaster.  It is bad city planning to the Nth degree.  I buy most of my clothes at Sears, the Bay or Old Navy, and I can jusg go to a mall for other things I need.  Groceries are from Safeway.

[Barrister]

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because South Edmonton Common is a fucking disaster.  It is bad city planning to the Nth degree.  I buy most of my clothes at Sears, the Bay or Old Navy, and I can jusg go to a mall for other things I need.  Groceries are from Safeway.

Meh - it's not too bad now, after the city had to spend a half-billion dollars on traffic renovations.

SEC is literally five minutes from my house, so I go there all the time.  Well - it's five minutes to get there.  Getting out... is a different story.

[Neil]

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because South Edmonton Common is a fucking disaster.  It is bad city planning to the Nth degree.  I buy most of my clothes at Sears, the Bay or Old Navy, and I can jusg go to a mall for other things I need.  Groceries are from Safeway.

Meh - it's not too bad now, after the city had to spend a half-billion dollars on traffic renovations.

SEC is literally five minutes from my house, so I go there all the time.  Well - it's five minutes to get there.  Getting out... is a different story.

Yeah, I'm just up Calgary trail, so it's a pretty short trip for me.  You're fine to get to South Edmonton Common, but navigating inside it is the problem.  God help the man who tries a left-hand turn in that place, and the poor souls in the cars behind him.

[Zanza]

No. Not because of the quality or so, it's just that there is a slightly more expensive super market right next to my building and I am too lazy to go the Lidl which is five minutes away. Not sure where the next Aldi is.

[mongers]

No. Not because of the quality or so, it's just that there is a slightly more expensive super market right next to my building and I am too lazy to go the Lidl which is five minutes away. Not sure where the next Aldi is.

Is there any quality difference between Aldi and Lidl, which rightly or wrongly are seen as budget German supermakets over here ?

My own perception the few times I've use them is Aldi has better quality non-food items.

[Zanza]

I don't know. I can't think of ever buying non-food items there. All of the stuff looks cheap. As far as food items go, I prefer Lidl.

[Syt]

At least in Austria, Lidl seems a bit better than Hofer (the local Aldi subsidiary) - only that our "Aldi" is neither as cheap, nor offers similar quality as German Aldi.

When I was in Germany I did most of my shopping at Aldi, because their quality was pretty good (usually top shelf products under new branding), and the prices very low.

Non-food items were hit and miss. I wouldn't buy a TV or PC there, but a computer mouse, for example.

[viper37]

Rona is more expensive then Home Depot. Reno Depot is cheaper then both.

Reno Depot and Rona belongs to the same company.  I am a bit surprised they kept both banners seperate.

[Grey Fox]

Rona is more expensive then Home Depot. Reno Depot is cheaper then both.

Reno Depot and Rona belongs to the same company.  I am a bit surprised they kept both banners seperate.

It's because they cater to different market segment. Reno is a contractor store, Rona is a women into renovation store.