Have you ever wondered why you can’t buy Milwaukee Tools from Lowes? Here’s the scoop:

[peter halle]

Coupons and rebates are great for manufacturers. The majority of people do not follow the rules and fill out the paperwork. It draws additional sales with an expected redemption rate of 1 to 30 percent. And the 30 percent is rare.

Peter

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The stamp thing must have lasted a little longer than that? At least around here. I was born in '63 and I remember them well. There were at least two brands. S&H Green stamps and another that were gold. I don't remember the name though. S&H had a literal brick and mortar store about 3 miles from where I live right now.

As far as Menard's; We have them here too. It was fairly slow to grow in though. The first was in a little city, that I would say is too far away to be a suburb. That one opened several years before the others. Two more have opened since, the latest right as Covid hit. I'm sure that really hurt a brand-new store.

The main two (Lowes and HD) have both carried part of each tool brand's line. I was always told that it was to reduce the crossover. That way they didn't have to price match each other. As an example, they both might sell a drill/driver kit from a particular brand, but one might have a "bonus" item, like a small pack of drill bits. This makes them have different SKUs, that way they are not the same.

In my area HD is heavier in DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee. They used to have more RIGID, than they are currently stocking. I don't know what is up with that.
It's been a while since I was in Menard's. Their brand was Master Force?
Lowes has Dewalt too, but not as much. They carry Bosch, Hitachi, Craftsman, and their own-brand Kobalt.

 

[Cheese]

I was born in '63 and I remember them well.

1963...really...do you have a drivers license yet?

There were at least two brands. S&H Green stamps and another that were gold. I don't remember the name though. S&H had a literal brick and mortar store about 3 miles from where I live right now.

S&H Green stamps were the thing in the midwest during the 60"s & 70's. Folks saved them and turned them in with a fervor for whatever item was being offered at the time. That was a big deal back then.

 

[thudchkr]

1963...really...do you have a drivers license yet?

S&H Green stamps were the thing in the midwest during the 60"s & 70's. Folks saved them and turned them in with a fervor for whatever item was being offered at the time. That was a big deal back then.

I remember Mom collecting and redeeming them as well. That would have likely been in Utah IIRC.

 

[johnmpf]

I still remember the S&H machine that dispensed the stamps. It had concentric circles that the cashier spun to match the dollar amount. That thing was really intriguing to my 10 year old brain.

 

[Packard]

We had a brick and mortar showroom for S & H stamps. You could look at samples but they would have to order the actual promotional item.

My point of the story about Triple S stamps was not about nostalgia, but about the coupons being an accounting scam designed to reduce taxes paid to the IRS.

About 25 years ago, Lowes was discontinuing the Porter-Cable 690 router. I bought two, both new in sealed factory boxes for $50.00 each. I still have them, I still use them. I have wondered over the years who devises these liquidation strategies. The $50.00 price was about 25% of the original price, for a well established leader in that category. I would think that offering 25% discount would have been nearly as effective in moving the stock off the shelves.

 

[Imemiter]

I've been going to the same tool store since I was a kid. My mentor took me there to buy my first worm drive. Some of the same guys are still working there. They carry all the brands. Buying from a big box would feel like a betrayal.

My board store is the same. Family owned with the kids running it now. I've been getting sticks from them for forty years. Sheesh I'm olde.

 

[Redromad]

I remember Mom collecting and redeeming them as well. That would have likely been in Utah IIRC.

We got our first TV, a 13' black and white from the S&H store

 

[onocoffee]

I still remember the S&H machine that dispensed the stamps. It had concentric circles that the cashier spun to match the dollar amount. That thing was really intriguing to my 10 year old brain.

$20 in the 1970s was a TON of money to spend on groceries. My mom would collect the S&H. I really liked the green stoneware dining set she bought with hers!

 

[Coen]

$20 in the 1970s was a TON of money to spend on groceries

But with the complete disconnect between gold and dollar... that would soon change!

 

[Packard]

$20 in the 1970s was a TON of money to spend on groceries. My mom would collect the S&H. I really liked the green stoneware dining set she bought with hers!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20.00 in 1970 is equal to $171.42.

Here is the link to the .gov calculator. It still works until the Doge people shut it down for cost reasons.

CPI Inflation Calculator

www.bls.gov

I had a standing bet in college that I could do 5 more pushups than any challenger. The bet amount was $10.00. I was the undisputed king of pushups at Syracuse University in 1966.

Until just now, I was not really aware of the value of those pushups.