HF Price Check

[highland512]

HF waved its magic wand last night and had a big'o jump in prices.

44" roll cab is now $700
72" roll cab is now $2k
Icon torque wrench I bought Saturday for $100 is now $140.
Air hose reel was $60 is now $150
The nitrile gloves are now $15 a box.

Their tool boxes are no longer worth it IMO. I can go to Menards and get as good if not better for less. What do you think the cause is for such a big jump in pricing? Tariffs, corona, lack of competition, or maybe increasing the cost of their lower tier items makes ICON look more appealing?

[DeadNutz]

If they have jacked up all their prices that much then no need to buy there. I'll just have the wife get me her great discounts on orders from MSC.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

I just heard about their dramatic price increases.  A very dumb business strategy IMO.

[goodfellow]

The Chinese are raising their prices across the board. Labor/energy costs, and most importantly the elimination and/or curtailment of massive government subsidies to raw material suppliers. Chinese steel was cheap because the government subsidized its production -- those days are gone.

[RustFarmer]

Change in consumer behavior?

Personally, before Covid, I would spend more time shopping around before a purchase.  Now, If I need something, and the store has it, I usually buy it.  So Covid has made me much less price sensitive.  One stop shopping.  I no longer want to go to additional stores.

Maybe HF and other brick and mortar retailers are trying to take advantage of that.  They have to make up for the loss of sales to Amazon.

[gtermini]

There's a near halt on imports currently. So I think their goods stock on the popular items is dwindling fast. And they're back to the good ole price lying that got them smacked with a class action lawsuit a couple years ago.

[slip knot]

What!! they put Sears outa business now they can jack up there prices now that the competition went belly up.

I've seen things coming down in price lately on the webs. I bought a cheapo cut 35 plasma cutter last week for <$150. The wifes new craft projects toy. Also I've been shopping for a couple of 20ft conexs. $1275  in Houston. half price of what I was quoted last year. I'm holding off for $2500 for 2 delivered.

[ken w.]

The last 10 times or so , I walked out of HF with nothing. Usually a friend of mine and his son would stop by and get me to go to HF a few times a month. I didn't even get the freebie with a coupon. Shelves seem to be bare as well.

[highland512]

It must have been a programming glitch or the push back of the customers was instant. Prices are back to what they where last week. Makes you wonder though, are increasing prices coming?

[walrus]

Hasn't everything gone up during past few months? Supplies of electrical items has been tight in my world. Prices have gone up accordingly. Food up, building supplies up, etc.

[highland512]

From what I have seen a lot of things have gone up and some thing went down in my world of construction.

Concrete -unchanged, expecting increases at the end of the year
Rebar- increased 2%
Lumber-increased 5%
Diesel- still decreasing, we bought 1000 gals of non tax fuel last week for 1.50 I haven't seen prices that low in 15 years.
Labor- decreasing

[walrus]

From what I have seen a lot of things have gone up and some thing went down in my world of construction.

Concrete -unchanged, expecting increases at the end of the year
Rebar- increased 2%
Lumber-increased 5%
Diesel- still decreasing, we bought 1000 gals of non tax fuel last week for 1.50 I haven't seen prices that low in 15 years.
Labor- decreasing

Your lumber prices are only up 5%? Kiln Dried 2 by 4s are 8 bucks here.

[highland512]

We use very little top $ lumber, 90% of our lumber is butchered up in making concrete forms.

[DeadNutz]

From what I have seen a lot of things have gone up and some thing went down in my world of construction.

Concrete -unchanged, expecting increases at the end of the year
Rebar- increased 2%
Lumber-increased 5%
Diesel- still decreasing, we bought 1000 gals of non tax fuel last week for 1.50 I haven't seen prices that low in 15 years.
Labor- decreasing

Your lumber prices are only up 5%? Kiln Dried 2 by 4s are 8 bucks here.

I just checked and here in NV they are 6 bucks. I wonder if the Canadian tariffs are responsible for those prices.

[bonneyman]

What!! they put Sears outa business now they can jack up there prices now that the competition went belly up.

I've seen things coming down in price lately on the webs. I bought a cheapo cut 35 plasma cutter last week for <$150. The wifes new craft projects toy. Also I've been shopping for a couple of 20ft conexs. $1275  in Houston. half price of what I was quoted last year. I'm holding off for $2500 for 2 delivered.

Same ole well-driven Asian ploy. The Japs did it to us with TV's and electronics in the 70's and 80's. Try to find a US made TV now. Curtis-Mathis was the last one, and they got crushed because they were so expensive.

One industry after another got put under and then the Asian prices jumped as they were then the only game in town. Bike tires are another one. Last domestic bike tire maker was Carlisle, and they quit in 1987.

I kinda saw it coming at HF with the "new" ICON tool line. Call it new and improved and charge more. I finally bit on a pair of their old composite ratchets, right before ICON was announced. I really liked them, figured I'd like ICON more. Till I saw the prices. Nope - pawnie tools still rule for me!