Home Depot’s supply chain consists of 85 products sourced in the United States and Canada, with 15 imported, primarily from China and other Asian countries. The company operates 42 distribution centers across North America and stocks domestically-made fixtures from brands like Livex and Kichler. Home Depot also sources a significant portion of its lighting from overseas. China offers a wide range of building materials to be imported overseas, with the quality not far better than those produced domestically but significantly varying in price.
Home Depot uses multiple manufacturers for Lifeproof floors, and the particular Lifeproof style that Merth installed does not appear to have a direct tie to Xinjiang. Many large retailers, including Home Depot, do not handle the import of all their own materials because it is not cost-effective. On September 13, Home Depot closed all seven building materials stores in China, citing suppliers moving manufacturing out of China to avoid tariffs.
In 2012, Home Depot admitted to misreading China’s appetite for DIY products and misreading the country’s appetite for DIY products. Suppliers must not use subcontractors in the manufacture of products or product components for The Home Depot without disclosing such information to The Home. Each store sells as many as 40,000 different kinds of building materials, home improvement supplies, appliances, and lawn and garden products.
Home Depot can now act as an exporter from several South Florida cities, working with US Customs on behalf of customers to get export clearance. Research data shows that Home Depot’s DIY Model does not work for China, and the company should consider alternative strategies for sourcing materials and avoiding high import duties.
📹 Where To Buy Building Material And Lumber – Lowe’s? Home Depot? ABC Supply Co.? Beacon Roofing?
I will show you where to buy building material and lumber. How to buy building material and lumber is explained. Lowe’s? Home …
What building supplies come from China?
Importing building products from China can save 50-70% on building material costs if your country has expensive labor or does not manufacture these items. Common building products include cabinets, doors, and windows. It’s important to note that flooring texture can vary between batches, so it’s recommended to buy all at once. Laminate flooring can have identical patterns in a single batch, so it’s best to take boards from different packages to create unique designs.
Where does Home Depot source from?
Despite sourcing 70% of its goods domestically, Home Depot collaborates with thousands of suppliers and factories in over 30 countries to source merchandise for its customers. This approach ensures superior quality and operational efficiency.
How much of Home Depot products are made in China?
Home Depot has reduced half of its potential tariff costs by analyzing tariff impact at the SKU-level, according to executives during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. The decision to lower sales guidance in Q2 and Q3 was influenced by tariff concerns. Home Depot estimated the cost of list one through four tariffs at $2 billion for the year, with list one through three at a duty rate of 25 and list four at 10. A JP Morgan research note from May put Home Depot’s total sourcing exposure to China at 16-11 on list three.
Executive Vice President of Merchandising Ted Decker said the company’s tariff mitigation work is a data-driven effort integrating its merchants, finance, and data analytics teams, leading to a strategy based on the actual impact of tariffs.
Why did Home Depot leave China?
Home Depot’s suburban stores in the U. S. were successful, but in China, wealthier citizens prefer city centers, making it inconvenient for potential customers. Chinese consumers found Home Depot’s prices too high and non-negotiable, as the rising middle class prefers to shop around for deals. The average Chinese consumer lives in apartments or condominiums, not sprawling suburban homes like in the U. S., making many of Home Depot’s larger home products unsuitable for the Chinese market.
What raw materials do we get from China?
China plays a significant role in the global trade of natural resources, including aluminum, coal, copper, and iron ore. The Chinese economy is distinguished by its primary imports and exports, with the most significant exports comprising commodities and other notable exports. Furthermore, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) serves as a pivotal metric for gauging its economic expansion. Those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter may wish to consult further reading on the topic of trading commodities.
Which country has the best building materials?
In 2022, China was the leading exporter of cement, concrete, gypsum, asphalt, stone, and other mineral building materials globally.
Which country made Home Depot?
Home Depot, which was established in 1978 in Marietta, Georgia, is a retail company with 2, 341 locations. The company is overseen by a board of directors comprising Bernard Marcus, Arthur Blank, Ron Brill, Pat Farrah, and Ken Langone. The company is a constituent of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), the S&P 100, and the S&P 500.
Is Home Depot still in China?
In 2011, Best Buy and The Home Depot, two prominent US big-box retailers, announced their withdrawal from China after less than six years of operation. Best Buy closed its nine branded stores and its Shanghai headquarters after three years of preparation and five years of expansion. In September 2012, The Home Depot closed the last of its seven stores in China after years of losses. Experts criticized the media for not adapting to Chinese culture, referring to a common Chinese idiom, “not adapting to the water and soil”.
The general perception of their failures is lack of adaptation to Chinese consumer culture. Other factors contributing to their failure in China’s market include the experience of other US firms doing business in China, such as KFC and General Motors, which reported record sales and higher profits in China than their home countries. Walmart, another US retail giant, also saw growth in its China sales, operating 380 stores on the mainland by early 2013. With the rapidly increasing middle class and housing boom, it should have been a good time for The Home Depot and Best Buy to establish themselves in China.
Where does China get lumber?
China imports Wood Products primarily from Russia, Vietnam, New Zealand, the United States, and Thailand. In July 2024, China’s Wood Products exports accounted for $1. 44B, while imports accounted for $1. 64B, resulting in a negative trade balance of $195M. Between July 2023 and July 2024, China’s Wood Products exports decreased by $-35. 5M, while imports increased by $244M. Wood Products were exported to the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and Australia, while imported from Russia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United States.
The decrease in exports was primarily due to a decrease in exports to the United States, Japan, and Vietnam. The increase in imports was primarily due to an increase in imports from Vietnam, the Republic of the Congo, and Poland.
Where does Home Depot source its lumber?
The global wood cutting industry produces less than one percent of the total volume of wood cut, with the majority of this output (94 percent) originating from North America and South American pine/eucalyptus plantations.
Where does Home Depot get their materials from?
The Home Depot sources its products from a multitude of global suppliers and factories, despite its primary sourcing occurring in North America.
📹 Why Home Depot Failed In China
Home Depot bought Home Way, a Chinese home improvement company, in 2006. The acquisition marked the first time Home …
I remember studying cases like this in business school and this would make a great case study. It’s so arrogant of companies to enter another market and assume the consumers will just behave the way they think they will. Do your research companies! Now I’m off to set up a chain of liquor stores in the Middle East, wish me luck 🍀
ebay, amazon failed in china. both were the same, clueless about china market and refuse to adopt the market culture there. in china, people don’t like to buy houses, apartments that have been fixed. even for the second hand apartments or houses, they will rip old decorations off completely and start over based on their own ideas.
Atually, Home Depot may not be able to succeed in most of the Asian countries, because most of Asian people don’t do large renovation work at home themselves, instead they would much prefer buying furniture or decorations to their houses. That’s why Ikea can be successful in Asia, but not Home Depot.
Uhm, people in America DIY because contractors cost an arm and a leg and you are often at their mercy when it comes to actually completing the job on time It’s got not much to do with being “honourable” Seems like she doesn’t fully understand American culture herself, while talking about how Americans don’t understand Chinese culture
The reason why US Home Depot heavy failed miserably in China. Is because of consumer habit,demand,expectation, lifestyle and culture is totally different to United States . In China most of people who lives in Apartment and most of handyman job is done by external parties and outsourced. I personal believe US Home Depot should expand into Australia,New Zealand and Uk retail market . Because Australia,New Zealand and UK has similar interest,consumer habit,demand,expectation, lifestyle and culture to USA . Also very popular with DIY Job etc.
It’s not only about culture but rather the service price difference in a developing country and a developed country. It’s just because the labour is still way cheaper than US. For a plumber to come to your house in the US, it’s probably going to cost you around $100/ Hour, in China, they will fix it for you for $20. Why the hell you need to buy the expensive tools and do it yourself when it’s affordable?
I don’t know why business don’t research the foreign market they’re going into that’s the number reason why they fail learning about other cultures you’re gonna do business thing is something I learned in my community college communications class so I don’t know how these people from top colleges working in business don’t know how to succeed in foreign affairs and changing times
IKEA DIY is elementary, the most difficult part is hauling the package into the trunk, into the elevator and into the home. Chinese consumers who are willing to do some manual work can handle on their own. Home Depo DIY on the other hand is much more difficult, like knowledge of materials, garage to work in, pickup truck to haul the purchase, place to dump garbage, place to store the tools, and the most challenging of all, physical strengthen to handle power tools and mentality to embrace handiwork. So except for the knowledge part which they are mental ready and can try to learn on internet, the rest are impossible challenges to the Chinese consumers.
Having lived in China for quite a while, I think this article is far too polite towards Chinese citizens and gives them way too much benefit of the doubt. They totally skipped over the fact that the Chinese are more likely to trash something and throw it out than try to repair it. And that goes for DIY repairs OR hiring someone. There’s a reason so many landlords who have foreign tenants will ask their tenants to find other foreigners to rent the apartment once they move out! Foreigners are well known for actually taking care of their things and in many cases, leaving the apartment in better shape when they leave than it was when they moved in! That’s because when something breaks, we actually fix it! And just in general, we actually take care of things, even if it doesn’t belong to us! Chinese people have the mentality that if it doesn’t belong to them, it’s not their responsibility to keep it clean or in good shape (this was literally told to me by a Chinese person so I could understand their culture better.) Furthermore, their construction standards are so far below America’s, there’s just not as much desire to start with for all the renovation products. “Sewer smell” is a very real problem in Chinese apartments, because they don’t bother putting in any sort of S trap or P trap. The handier among us foreigners will install them when we move into an apartment, but not all of us are so accomplished in home improvements. Pipes are often left exposed. The first apartment I had here (back in 2011), just had a big freaking hole in the ceiling of the bathroom and another one in the floor where the pipes ran through!
it’s weird that home depot would even consider opening shops in east asia at first place. people in most of east asian countries live in apartments built by concrete. how the hell could non-professionals do a half decent job in decorating concrete buildings’ interior? it’s not easy at all. not to mention there are liability issues when you fix a shared property by your own. even in the western countries, condo homeowners usually dont fix their own home by themselves.
No matter how expensive the price is, No matter how bad the quality is, No matter how its culture or mentality is, the business in China will succeed if only the higher ranked power of the Communist Party are involved. and more, When doing business in China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, do not do business under US or UK company brand. Make a company in any Nordic country and do business with that brand.
“in the 1990s, the Chinese government loosens regulations on the housing markets, its 1.2 billion citizens could own private home for THE FIRST TIME since the communism evolution in 1949.” I don’t know what are you talking about. are you saying before 90’s we don’t have a private home????? ….where did we live before the 90s???? public housing? do you know how ridiculous that sounded? LOL I was born 82, my parents owned a house, so was my grandparents, so was my great grandparents…so was……man who’s the idiot that wrote this script???
This article still does not tell the true reason… China has l great number of suburb neighborhood demanding products sold in the Home Depot. I was an architecture student when I was shopping in Home Depot in Henan province for the first time. The price is to far beyond the level it should be. We could get better products in local market with the same quality. The customer service experience is terrible slow and expensive. Chinese love DIY and that’s why IKEA is so famous nowadays in China.
so a multi billion dollar company could not do 30 minutes of background research to decide if they want to invest hundreds of millions of dollars? Did they even ask any Chinese people in China if they would shop at a Home Depot? You know, basic market research. The corporate greed to get into China is so great, they refuse to even do the most precursory study of the market for fear the study would tell them what they don’t want to find out. Target did the same thing in Canada. They went into Canada just assuming that Canadians would shop there, and lost 2.1 billion dollars. They pulled out about 24 months later. 2.1 billion down the drain because they refused to do any study of the market. These CEOs are so blind to reality. They live in some delusional fantasy world like the Kevin Costner’s film, Field of Dreams. They believe all they have to do is build it, and they will come.
1990. The Economist. China’s economy has come to a halt. 1996. The Economist. China’s economy will face a hard landing 1998. The Economist: China’s economy entering a dangerous period of sluggish growth. 1999. Bank of Canada: Likelihood of a hard landing for the Chinese economy. 2000. Chicago Tribune: China currency move nails hard landing risk coffin. 2001. Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas: A hard landing in China. 2002. Westchester University: China Anxiously Seeks a Soft Economic Landing 2003. KWR International: How to find a soft landing if China.. 2004. The Economist: The great fall of China? 2005. Nouriel Roubini: The Risk of a Hard Landing in China 2006. International Economy: Can China Achieve a Soft Landing? 2007. TIME: Is China’s Economy Overheating? Can China avoid a hard landing? 2008. Forbes: Hard Landing In China? 2009. Fortune: China’s hard landing. China must find a way to recover. 2010. Nouriel Roubini: Hard landing coming in China. 2011. Business Insider: A Chinese 2012. American Interest: Dismal Economic News from China: A Hard Landing 2013. Zero Hedge: A Hard Landing In China 2014. CNBC: A hard landing in China. 2015. Forbes: Congratulations, You Got Yourself A Chinese Hard Landing.. 2016. The Economist: Hard landing looms for China 2017. National Interest: Is China’s Economy Going To Crash? 2020. Economics Explained: The Scary Solution to the Chinese Debt Crisis 2021. Global Economics: Has China’s Downfall Started? 2022. Cathie Wood: China’s COLLAPSE Is FAR Worse Than You Think 2022.
I am a real estate investor in China and US. Totally understand the difference in mentality. In US, I often fix and touch up my properties myself. If the project is big, I hire some Latino to work alongside me. In China, labor and materials are so cheap that you hired a company to handle everything from design to labor, not to mention the corrupt local officials that disapprove anyone doing renovation unless it is contractors within their connection who will give them a cut. So in China, people won’t be driving a long distance to home depot, paying double price, lose face doing hard labor, and get potentially harassed by government officials for bribes.
Lol let’s publish a article by quoting a professor. There it’s academic. Weeeee $$$$. First, DIY is not consider honorable in America. DIY in America is either a hobby or too expensive to hire someone do it. Secondly random professor says Chinese thinks DIY is manual labor not good for social status. Then article goes on about IKEA still doing okay in China. IKEA is all about DIY. This website should do more research itself and be more cautious on quoting so called “professor”. Just because she is a professor at university doesn’t mean she is in touch with reality.
Simple reason: the life style is totally differnt compared to the USA; their cheap labor force in China makes the situation that Chinese ppl do not need to go there.. Instead, they might bring some repair experts to their homes.. They dont need to repair by themselves like the way Americans do due to the expensive labor force. This is the main reason I think..
The metropolitan areas of China are in a huge resemblance to my birthplace of Hong Kong, their city plannings and the traffic is uncomprehendingly closed to be a FCC disaster waiting to happen faster than San Francisco downtown commute during baseball season, the prejudice of anything against DYI are so steep that they have outright refused to learn how to use a hand drill and a jack. They are clueless about the “what if they can’t find any repair crew to save their lives”, and the over reliance on cheap and inept builders have led to institutional complacency at the highest order.
You guys need to understand that just because someone who was originally from China is not necessarily a China expert, especially if they have been away a few years. China is a fast changing place, in terms of mentality, thanks to the internet. Whereas 20 years ago the term DIY may have been foreign today it is trendy amongst the younger generation. That is not to say a complete replica of a US-styled Home Depot would work, but with modifications and localization it should have a fighting chance due to its purchasing power that could drive down the prices to beat a local mom and pop shop.
Australia’s DIY chain did the same mistake but on a greater scale. Westerners bought UK chain Homebase, mild profits and third biggest chain. Within days of ownership, fired all the head officer and tried to to convert all stores to Bunnings. It left yet to be rebranded Homebase stores to rack and ruin resembling jumble sales and removed all concessions and even fitted kitchen and bathroom displays. It then tried to sell huge bulky outdoor furniture and other things that UK customers were unlikely to use most of the year like huge gas powered barbecues etc… It was clear that not only was the weather in Australia different than the UK but that profits were going to dive. Well in just over a year Westerners had to write-off over a billion pounds and ended up selling the company for a pound after completely destroying the company they took over.
It’s true, in China often you often buy a new concrete box with only then main supply of gas, water, electricity present. The plumming, electricity, water, gas etc. to each room still has to be done. That’s a job you will NOT do yourself. There are building companies that specialize in doing that in a very SHORT time, they have all the knowledge, materials and people at hand.The quality of the work depends on the money you want to spend; cheap = bad, expensive = good. When you want to do it yourself it will probably take 20 times longer, the quality will be worse and it probably will NOT be cheaper. I know because I had it done this year, so I know what I’m talking about 😉
ah i see so its all about clout? an overly elevated sense of “image” an idea as though, people actually care about you, when they most likely dont. “oh shes diying, poor her, she just is too poor to pay someone” that is a very interesting way of thinking. Obviously completely opposite of americans. It is also similar in Japan, where so many are paying people to do these things. They do have more money here in Japan, on average, but it is unbalanaced, because they work too much here, so they neglect their families, and it really just comes off like you are lazy, unskilled, or scared, IMO. it is illogical to over work, then pay someone to do a task, and neglect your family. it makes more sense to, do these things together. But it is true. this sense that you have to pay someone, imo, is quite rediculous, although may be very relevant in that society.
Chinese people are not going to allow no Americans company come into their country and make billions of dollars. Everything Home Depot sales is made in China so they just under mind America at every turn for their own benefit. That’s the trade deficit is so big in favor of China. Everything fails in China all America business models. But in America all of Chinese business models are succeeding and they are taking it to the bank
I watched this article in 30 seconds and thought that because China is cheap so everything in home depot is expensive, and I guessed correctly at 3 minutes lol…. Chinese culture is being cheap and walking into a legitimate company and try to bargain a lower price when that company or even that employee has no power to sell it cheaper
WHY DIDNT THEY TARGET TEH EFFIN CONTRACTORS?! You go to a US home depot, and there are reserved spots near the pickup area for professionals. If you wanna go back to china you gotta follow the advice at 5:30 since that’s globalism 101. They should take inspiration from Uber. Be a marketplace for contractors and consumers looking to renovate their barren apartments. Do a twist and set max prices for projects and allow consumers to discuss lower prices with contractors. Home Depot should make their construction material a loss leader for some time. Perhaps by taking inspiration from Walmart. They should avoid stocking consumer goods and work with reliable banks to secure attractive payment plans. If being far from the city is advantagous for freight, then they should do so. Go where you can minimize expense. Why? Because you’ve shifted your focus from a consumer goods store that needs people to visit frequently (during a home renovation) to one they visit infrequently to consult with contractors and set the terms of a project. They can’t get bs’d on the goods because it’s all through Home Depot and if that’s a loss leader they will prefer it over inferior products that cost less. Damn, maybe i should secure a small loan of 10 million dollars and try this out myself.
Typical of a big corporation, let’s not give the customer what they want. We wan’t to make profits our way, they say! Let’s try to convince them to do it our way! It’s happening in the auto industry. Small businesses/DIY’ers here in the U.S. want a small, inexpensive, fuel efficient pick-up. The auto industry tries to get people to buy over-priced, gas slurping, behemoths. Tone deafness in corporate hierarchy is unbelievable!
They got totally wrong about private property ownerships in China. It goes way before 1990s. The government relaxed the housing market in 1990s. I was born in China in the 80s. Where do you think my family lived at the time? Our own home. It was way cheaper back then but most of us don’t make much money.
It has very little to do with “Do your homework”. There are tons of Chinese talents with both China and US biz experience Home Depot can hire in America. Those talents can tell HD what they need to do business in China. The problem is HD executives believe America model will work everywhere. You do not need to adjust to the local market. If they failed in China, they will begin to blame Chinese government for limited market access. The fact is, they need to LEARN how Chinese work and ADJUST your strategy.
It is so annoying when you guys switch between the background commentary and web cam “expert’s views”. And frankly they dont add anything new. The background commentary guy can narrate everything, including what experts have to say. That’s why we never enjoy your articles as much as we enjoy Company Man and Business Casual.
Typical basic error: the 1945 chewing-gum, K-ration, Camel teasing approach, or the mass chuting of frozen hotdogs in the valleys of Afghanistan! Total disregard of the locals’ habits and real needs, due to either stupidity, crass ignorance of the “other” or mère intention to frustrate and humiliate them.
They just misunderstood the market, Chinese people live in condos, rarely in houses. I live in Canada, and I wouldn’t pay much visit to Home Depot if I lived in a condo, because I am simply not allowed to do much renovation anyway. They can make a comeback if they focused on small DIY tools, decors and home appliances that’s not lawn mower.
This should be basic common sense stuff you learn in Business or Marketing classes. Unreal that they are millionaires getting paid to make these AWFUL decisions. How do they not understand- or even study the culture before planting themselves there?! What an embarrassment- it makes me realize that so many citizens are far overpaid for the work they claim to be capable of.
America has to do everything by themselves because of poor city planning. You can’t even buy anything from any place without driving miles way to find a shop. In Singapore, we can just do all our errands within 5 mins because all the shops, food centers are just nearby. Even if it is raining, you don’t need to bring an umbrella because there were joined shelters everywhere. Is this too much pampering?
Lol at chinese mentality “if you do it yourself it’s because you cant afford to pay more for someone else to do it” american mentality “if your capable of doing it yourself you do it because its saving your hard earned money” who’s the fool? chinese wont shop at home depot because it’s more expensive but they will pay someone else to do something they can do themselves because they like paying more for the same outcome?
We have had problems with HD as to stocking all the items we need for jobs around the house. They stock TV antennas, but not signal amplifiers. The equipment the have is very cheaply made, and will not hold up to extended use. We purchased treated lumber twenty years ago, which was supposed to last thirty years. It has rotted and been hauled off to the dump. The other big box stores are not any better. They seem to think we want to order via the net, NOT!!! Like most U.S. citizens, I want it and I want it now. End rant.
Chinese lady in Illinois: me one hun knee. American beekeeper: how much do you want Can go on but basically she wants to negotiate special prices and conditions because she’s a very selective buyer who always negotiates BUT WONT LEARN ENGRISH. American beek. It’s 20 bucks a quart take it or leave it eff you. 😉
I think the only other place that Home Depot or Lowe’s would be really good at would be Europe. Mainly due to the fact that these American style home centers are much more easier to comport to countries where they have a good mixture of large suburban and urban populations. It was not something that could’ve been imported over to China for various number of reasons, mainly that there isn’t a good mixture of population between suburban and urban areas. And that Home Depot and Lowe’s do not know that they needed to focus some of their businesses in the inner cities. Also, another major problem for most of these supercenter style stores from the US that makes it hard for them to comport to other countries is how large they are, this is another problem for some people in other countries. The reason why I say this is because most stores in other countries, do not have large parking lots that people have to crossover, and if they do it’s usually on the second or third floor of the building. This means that the building can be easily accessed from the street without having to cross a large parking lot. This is also not to mention many stores in Europe and other countries very small.
It’s actually not culture, price or anything as claimed by those “exports” in the article. It’s all about determination and consistency. Chinese consumers, especially the younger and better-off generation, are able to afford products & services price-tagged at the same level as in any developed countries. It takes years if not decades to cultivate a new clientèle, which is exactly IKEA had been doing for the past twenty years, hence their success in China. However, Home Depot, just like many other western companies, wanted only quick bucks and are generally short-term KPI driven. Often led by accountants who care more about fancy numbers on the financial statements, they don’t really give a damn about the long term. If they see a consecutive loss for more than five years they’d think it’s the end of world (more like the end of their career), and they just abandon the whole thing, claiming it’s all “sunk cost”. Those type of so-called Western experts got their asses kicked easily by their Chinese counterparts. Home Depot, Ebay, Amazon, Carrefour, Leroy Merlin, you name them. My respect goes to IKEA.
The normal Chinese customer can’t afford the kinds of things in US Home Depot. So you’re tapping a small cash reserve. They also typically have a single local store that sells everything, like our Department stores with 4 or 5 floors already, that is conveniently located. Just my experience working in the “countryside” (small rural cities) in 2004-2005 Shangdong province
In China most home renovation projects are done by hiring contractors, the contractors are paid low, so they tend to maximize their profit by netting the price difference between well-known branded products versus mediocre usable products. Home depot lacks customers because the customers they are expecting are not the customers who actually might come in, contractors have relations with small merchants who can provide them “cash backs”, home depot is not able to do so.
Home depot failed because the business nature requires upfront capital investment, extensive physical presence and employees in China thereby giving the Chinese a huge leverage over the foreign company. Lesson was to ship your products made elsewhere to Chinese buyers instead of investing in the country
In Mexico you have small stores nearly on every corner and since most people dont buy in bulk these small stores are almost always the go to shop for most household items you need. Plastic plates and utensils soaps cooking oils and pretty much anything you will need in a daily basis and even poisons for rats and depending how ghetto the area poisons for your worst enemies. Not really but you get the idea. Also food
Home Depot is just as shortsighted in the US, but having put most other hardware stores out of business, and being generally more convenient than lumberyards, there’s no longer many other options. I have worked construction at a professional level, but still usually end up in the Home Depot. Urban Los Angeles Home Depots are particularly atrocious. Recently, when I needed some specific metric machine bolts, I decided not to bother with the mess that is Home Depot, instead driving quite a bit longer to an old style hardware. I found what I needed in less than five minutes, it was a joy. This experience underscored the annoyance of a typical trip to HD, where I always end up muttering ‘F* Home Depot.’ When people talk about free enterprise and consumer choice, what needs to be included is a measure by products and services over time. Home Depot put hardware stores out of business primarily by price, not because in anyway they do a better job.
My family has engineers and surgeons who can build at “5 star quality”, it was work we did to survive until we finished our educations. We build our own vacation homes etc primarily because it creates a great feeling of pride through accomplishment. If educated east Asians think this kind of work is beneath them as alluded to in the article I am confident that the predictions of the west’s demise are premature.
I feel sad for the Chinese culture for missing out on the satisfaction one feels for completing a project with your own hands. This is a documented fact and one I can attest to in my own life. I have a hard time imagining simply calling someone to build or fix everything. The greatest gift my Dad ever gave me was the skills and know-how to do things myself.
I’ve lived in the US for 28;years and I see it makes sense there. In Brazil for the past 6 years and there are many big box DYI local chains : Leroy Merlin from France Telha Norte Castilho And so many others. And then the local neighborhood hardware store. And retail chains selling wood products ( doors, flooring, windows ) And a gazilion retail outlets selling ceramic floors. And guess what …. All these years no Lowe’s, no Home Depot. And the local Walmart’s stick to my crawl by taking an order from Bentonville AR unloading crates and crate of ….lawnmowers ! I know this one as a one of their retired procurement manager plead them not to ship the damn things, and yet they still shipped em anyways. Americans are so oblivious to the outside world it’s borderline insane.
I had to laugh at 5 star remodels, one thing I can say that most Chinese people are not fussy when it comes to how the work looks when it’s done. To me everything looks half assed, like paint all over the windows or door jams where no paint should be, or the materials they use are very cheap, stuff starts to selfdestruct in less then a year.