THIS is Why I Love Shopping Locally! Well, at least ONE Reason...

We have finally had a string of sunny days here in the Pacific Northwest, which allowed me to turn my attention to an outdoor project I've been sporadically working on since the middle of last year.

One of the materials I have been using is a particular kind of paving stone, in a specific size, shape and color. I bought some of these (a pallet of 500) from Home Depot, last year, thinking it would be enough to finish the project.

Alas, our specs changed a few times as things went along — I tend to call this "creeping elegance" — and last week I came to the realization that I would need 320 more paving stones. So, off I went to Home Depot, with the intent of picking them up.

And Then Everything Ground to a Halt

Not so fast. 

Turned out Home Depot no longer carried the pavers. 

So, I tried to find someone who could help me find out whether they could be ordered. I did find a helpful person... but after poking around on the computer for 10 minutes, she concluded that these particular pavers were no longer in their database. So, no pavers, no order, no nothing. Period.

So I went home and did what I ALWAYS do when I'm stumped: Get on the Internet.

With a little bit of Googling, I managed to find the exact product I'd used before, along with the manufacturer and stock number... and then learned that nobody within a 500-mile radius actually carries this particular product. 

Wait... Didn't You Just Say...?

Oddly enough, I found it listed on the Home Depot web site... puzzling, given that the Home Depot person at the services counter couldn't find it. 

Of course, it did have the statement "No stores in your area have this product in stock," posted next to the listing, but still. But no matter. 

I tried a bunch of other web sites, called some area garden centers and brick suppliers, and pretty much came to the conclusion that nobody had any idea what I was talking about. And were evidently not interested in helping me, once it seemed evident that I had a "special" request.

It all seemed a little baffling to me since there's always so much lip service given to clever slogans like "we go the extra mile!" and "customer satisfaction is our number one priority!"

Of course, having spent many years in the retail trade, I'm sympathetic towards trying to please what seems like a "difficult" customer — it often turns out to not be worthwhile.

So, Just for Grins...

Anyway, when I was in town today — just for grins — I decided to stop in at our local hardware store. I knew they didn't carry what I was looking for — they only have a small space, and carry 10-12 very basic types of paving stones... carrying more isn't feasibly possible. However, they've always been helpful, so I hoped I might get a recommendation, if nothing else.

I happened to get to speak to the store owner — who happens to have helped me a few times — and explained the situation. I asked if they could order things they didn't have on the lot... since they did seem to have other pavers of same brand as the paver I needed. 

He said "Probably. Let me find out." 

So he actually got on the phone with the manufacturer's sales rep while I was standing there and concluded that, indeed, this was no longer an "active" product. 

HOWEVER, the store owner and the sales rep were evidently old buddies, so he asked if the sales rep might know where some might still be in stock. Instead the sales rep said "Well, if your customer is not in a hurry, we'll just make you some — we still have the moulds here." 

"So, how long is THAT going to take?"

About a week...

And so it came to pass that our garden project is not "a writeoff" due to a discontinued product... and this is certainly a great example why I do love shopping with local businesses rather than chains and big box stores! 

Now, I recognize that quite a few readers if these pages may live in parts of the world where "shop locally" is not an issue. However, here in the US, it has increasingly become a consideration as large national chain stores continue to displace small local stores.

How about YOU? Do you like patronizing local businesses — or are you almost exclusively an online shopper?  If you don't care for shopping locally, what's your primary reason? Lack of selection? Price? Do you have any good "success stories" relating to shopping locally? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

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Created at 180523 22:24 PDT