> Has anybody else noticed how vacant Home Depot stores are these days?
Well, I was at a Lowe's yesterday (yes, it was Super Bowl Sunday, but this was in the early afternoon) and it was fucking dead -- way deader than it was last year during the spring when I was renovating my house and making regular Lowe's runs. Earlier last week, my wife and I were at a Home Depot looking at doors and it was similarly dead (again, relative to a few months ago). That's the housing downturn for ya.
Tully mentioned the shitty service at Home Depot, etc. It really is abysmal. OTOH the big box hardware stores are _way_ cheaper than the indies, and better stocked too. When it comes to hardware, if I need an expert, I'll hit an indie, but if I know what I need and I don't expect to have any questions, I'll hit Lowe's or Home Depot.
-WD