Hey There and Good Evening to you On-Islanders!

I'm out here in central USA (Oklahoma) and have been thoroughly enjoying the reading here on the message boards. Like many many others, I am constantly entertaining the idea of pursuing a life in the islands. Although, I must say, lots of the information contained on these pages concerning the locals, the prices, the hassles, and on and on have given me pause and a deeper drive to investigate much further before ever taking a first step toward moving.

Lots of the stories on here have indicated a real struggle in obtaining general items that we take for granted here in the states. I was just wondering if the Home Depot there has provided any relief? Is it as large as any Home Depot here in the states? Is it well stocked? Does it take a long time to get common items back in stock when they are bought out? Are the prices fair? (On the pricing, I have checked online prices that their website says is your store and I didn't see any price difference than my own store here in Oklahoma) Was curious if the online prices were actually STT prices?

I am an electrical contractor here in OKLA and I rely heavily on my local home depot for many things. For electrical wire and related items they are cheaper than my local wholesalers. If the prices I saw online were correct for STT then I feel it must be great for you guys there. Many items that I see are wanted like A/C's, water filters, bug control, household repairs, etc are all carried in my Home Depot. I was just wondering if your Home Depot was the same and the other couple questions I asked earlier?

We are also looking into a major move to the islands & I'm looking forward to see what residents of the Islands say about Home Depot but could you please give some insight to Kmart pricing as well. By the way, I love Home Depot & have never been much of a mall shopper, I prefer much smaller shops...

I don't think you will be quite as happy with the Home Despot, at least the STT version, as you are with your Oklahoma store - lots of things in the 'don't need' category -constant shortages in the "need' items -and rarely have the complete list to do a job as planned - few, if any knowledgeable floor staff -plus lots of pine 'termite food' wood products and ready to rust metal products - the island is tough on many products and using good quality materials designed for our climate and conditions may seem expensive at the outset usually but pays big dividends years later when you Don't have to Replace everything that has rusted, rotted, cracked, melted or broke.

Stx store much better than stt store. Bigger, better stocked, friendlier, more helpful people. Hope go ends closing doesn't have negative impact on the stx store's future.

Probably in both stores, replenishment rate is about the same, 1-3 weeks on some items, but I think stx might have a better system with backup warehouse storage for inventory sinless chance of the 1-3 week wait.

Shopping at Home Depot here on STT is pretty much the same as shopping for anything anywhere on island. As it would be a rare day when you can find everything on your large food shopping list at one large supermarket and not have to sometimes go to two and even three to complete it, the same goes for shopping at Home Depot. It's just something you get used to! That said, the store is huge and I've always found the store personnel to be extremely helpful when I'm hunting for that elusive gizmo who's name I can't remember but I know I need it for attaching plumbing A whatsit to plumbing B doofangle, etc. Improvisation has always been the fallback and if you use something on a regular basis it's wise to buy two or three when they're in stock as the next trailer load may be three or four weeks away.

The St. Croix store is huge and well stocked, easily twice the size of the St. Thomas store in my opinion. There were some initial inventory issues in the early days but they seem to have that worked out now. Its a great shopping experience since there is rarely many people in the store. I hope it can sustain its existence here. I would be mighty sad to lose it.

Home depot is OK, not the best choice. Staff are not trained they just know where to point to items. If you want a good knowledgeable staff & quality products go to East End Lumber about a mile away. Plus they been on island so long that they know & have items that fit your home. Not like home depot where items are cheaper but don't fit & then when you return them the correct items are more expensive. ie.. PVC pipe they carry schedule 30 the standard is 40 they wont tell you that, but when you buy the 40 from them there the most expensive ppl on island. They would be my last resort.

I just realized we have an Okie electrician AND an Okie plumber currently posting!!

(Just kidding, guys.There are a lot of Oklahomans on St Thomas...)

I think, unless there is an extremely extended further downturn in the US economy, you guys are safe with your Home Depots staying open for business. They usually invest for the longterm and have the dough to sustain an ailing store for quite a while. I don't know how many jobs they provided for the local economy but I would think overall most people would be happy Home Depot is there. Seems to me the kind of businesses the islands would do well to attract. I know lots of folks see it as the big boys putting the small timers out of business but in terms of overall number of employees and reasonably paying jobs, it has to be a positive impact.

Home depot gives less to the community. It gets tax breaks, & does not reinvest that money locally. So a store that does 64mill a yr Should be able to help sustain its enviroment with ..... It does not. Overall more harm than good. Suck the island dry then when things go south they up & leave. Popular trend in the islands with Big Boxes.

I've spent many trips to the STX Home Depot the past two months outfitting a new condo, and have found it to be pretty comparable to those back in the States. It's big, well-staffed and generally well-stocked. I also will say the workers we've encountered there are very nice and willing to help.

Bernie

Quote
skylineent06
Home depot gives less to the community. It gets tax breaks, & does not reinvest that money locally. So a store that does 64mill a yr Should be able to help sustain its enviroment with ..... It does not. Overall more harm than good. Suck the island dry then when things go south they up & leave. Popular trend in the islands with Big Boxes.

This tends to turn into a political discussion and therefore an oppinionated one that I do not have a first hand knowledge of (nor do most) so these are just my own thoughts.

The popular trend that I see from reading here is that most businesses fail in their attempt to come there. (Big Box or small mom and pop) In that respect, it's a bit unfair to blame either one more than the other. The truth be told, there are probably many more jobs lost, when times are hard, from the constant failing of small businesses than a few large ones. One could also be quite certain that Home Depot was not allowed to come to the islands without sharing some portion of their profits with the local government. Whether it's above board or corrupt under the table money, someone locally is getting paid. I'm sure the local ports, truck drivers, petroleum companies, utilities, advertising agencies, insurance companies, employees on the payroll, and others would all disagree that all of the money goes back to the states. I would also imagine any local owners of similar businesses that are successful and generating lots of income are living rather lavishly and investing their money in off-island ventures as well. And no, I do not work for Home Depot. lol

Quote
skylineent06
Home depot gives less to the community. It gets tax breaks, & does not reinvest that money locally. So a store that does 64mill a yr Should be able to help sustain its enviroment with ..... It does not. Overall more harm than good. Suck the island dry then when things go south they up & leave. Popular trend in the islands with Big Boxes.

Where on earth do you get such (mis)information from? And which "Big Boxes" have sucked the islands dry and then up and left?

Quote
OldTart

Quote
skylineent06
Home depot gives less to the community. It gets tax breaks, & does not reinvest that money locally. So a store that does 64mill a yr Should be able to help sustain its enviroment with ..... It does not. Overall more harm than good. Suck the island dry then when things go south they up & leave. Popular trend in the islands with Big Boxes.

Where on earth do you get such (mis)information from? And which "Big Boxes" have sucked the islands dry and then up and left?

Makes you shake your head. How many big box businesses have operated in the VI in the last 10 years? OfficeMax, Home Depot, and Kmart? They're still here...

I've run two of the three and have a close friend that ran one of the others, and I promise you these Big Box Stores are some of the most profitable stores in their respective companies world-wide, and they pay a LOT in taxes to this government. I can only assume this poster meant smaller companies like Taco Bell and IHOP, and in that case it's still a huge WTF. They didn't "suck the territory dry" they got FLEECED by it.

Quote
trainwreck82
I can only assume this poster meant smaller companies like Taco Bell and IHOP, and in that case it's still a huge WTF. They didn't "suck the territory dry" they got FLEECED by it.

I don't know about Taco Bell but there was WAY more behind the IHOP'c coming and going that was never exposed and had nothing to do with any fleecing. It's a long story which goes back a long way accompanied by much clanking of skeletons in the closet!

I think some of the large, national businesses that open in the USVI suffer from the same problems that individuals who relocate here do. They are unprepared for the differences associated with life on a small speck of land many miles from the US of A. They expect things to be pretty much the same and then are frustrated and angry when things are NOT the same.

Quote
skylineent06
Home depot gives less to the community. It gets tax breaks, & does not reinvest that money locally. So a store that does 64mill a yr Should be able to help sustain its enviroment with ..... It does not. Overall more harm than good. Suck the island dry then when things go south they up & leave. Popular trend in the islands with Big Boxes.

Darn capitalists! Let's have more government-run businesses like WAPA!!

Home Depot has brought to STX what has been needed for a long time!
Selection, Competitive Pricing, and SERVICE!

What we need now is a BIG BOX Stateside grocery store next door to the Home Depot. We are getting shafted by the grocery stores that operate here now. $7.00 for a gallon of milk, $4.59 for a box of Triscuits, $4.60 for Clorox bleach! Stateside, $2.39 for the gallon of milk, $1.89 for the Triscuits and $1.29 for the bleach.

Trust me, it's not the shipping, it's the greed.

Quote
gonetropo
What we need now is a BIG BOX Stateside grocery store next door to the Home Depot. We are getting shafted by the grocery stores that operate here now. $7.00 for a gallon of milk, $4.59 for a box of Triscuits, $4.60 for Clorox bleach! Stateside, $2.39 for the gallon of milk, $1.89 for the Triscuits and $1.29 for the bleach.

Trust me, it's not the shipping, it's the greed.

Sorry, but I don't trust you on this one. I had a long chat just yesterday with one of the owners of one of the largest supermarkets on St Thomas about the rising prices. It has nothing to do with greed and everything to do with the rapidly rising cost of oil. Their container shipment costs have risen drastically and the source price of the goods they ship likewise. Similar increases are being noticed stateside.

Quote
OldTart

Quote
gonetropo
What we need now is a BIG BOX Stateside grocery store next door to the Home Depot. We are getting shafted by the grocery stores that operate here now. $7.00 for a gallon of milk, $4.59 for a box of Triscuits, $4.60 for Clorox bleach! Stateside, $2.39 for the gallon of milk, $1.89 for the Triscuits and $1.29 for the bleach.

Trust me, it's not the shipping, it's the greed.

Sorry, but I don't trust you on this one. I had a long chat just yesterday with one of the owners of one of the largest supermarkets on St Thomas about the rising prices. It has nothing to do with greed and everything to do with the rapidly rising cost of oil. Their container shipment costs have risen drastically and the source price of the goods they ship likewise. Similar increases are being noticed stateside.

+1 It ain't cheap to keep a gallon of milk cold while shipping it down from Florida.

Plus the owners of the local super markets and hardware stores live in the VI, so the money doesn't leave the Territory and go up to corporate Home Depot, K-Mart, etc.

Quote
skylineent06
Home depot gives less to the community. It gets tax breaks, & does not reinvest that money locally. So a store that does 64mill a yr Should be able to help sustain its enviroment with ..... It does not. Overall more harm than good. Suck the island dry then when things go south they up & leave. Popular trend in the islands with Big Boxes.

Utter BS.

All new businesses bring in tax revenues, often HUGE revenues.

HD has invested more in St. Croix in less than a year than our other popular hardware stores have, probably ever.

HD has shown us, on St. Croix, the exact magnitude of the screwing we've been getting, not by outsiders but by our own so-called 'local businesses'.

The 'big box' stores on St. Croix are here to stay because generally speaking: 1) they offer better products more reliably and at better prices, 2) they serve their customers better than local businesses, 3) they treat their employees better than local businesses.

Local businesses which learn to quit raping their neighbors will be the first to survive and thrive, and I'll congratulate them and give them my business.

we just added on and still doing some remodeling. thank god for HD we had a better choice all in one location . and did it i am sure for a fraction of the cost. some things (but most) was purchases from there. better prices.

Before Home Depot and KMart it used to be quite a regular thing for locals to go over to PR for a weekend of shopping for both personal use items and clothing as well as to order building supplies to be shipped over.

I live in Virginia Beach, milk is usually around $3.90 a gallon. Clorox is like $3.99. Don't know the exact price of triscuits, I do buy them just cannot tell you off the top of my head. But now that is Clorox brand not off brand. Gas at the moment is around $3.50 a gallon as well.

As stated earlier, I live in Virginia Beach, VA... the news this past weekend announced that gas prices will rise by June to a minimum of $4 a gallon here. In Dec. it went down to below $3.30 a gallon, I knew that wouldn't last long. I do believe the gas & petroleum have a lot to do with it, cause groceries have gone up here too. Not as much as on you Islanders, but it has gone up.

I went to pull some ads out of our Sunday paper to give you Islanders an Idea of the sales ad's in this weeks local paper. Thought since I seem to be asking so much of you guys maybe this would interest you. Roma Tomatoes are 88 cent a lb. (take in mind these are not farm grown), Bell Peppers are $1 each. Avocados are $1 each, these are probably no where as large as the ones you guys get. Probably the size of a softball if that large, little smaller usually. 16 oz. mini carrots are $1. Coca Cola 12 pk. Cans 12 oz each are on sale for 3/$11. Boneless Pork Lion is $1.99 lb. Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breast are $1.99 lb. Ritz Crackers are $2.49 a box. Byers Ice Cream 48 oz. $3.29, Cheerios are $2.99 a box; Bounty Paper Towels for 6 Big Rolls or 8 Reg. Rolls is $6.99; Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers 10 ct. pack is $2.17; Hellmann's Mayonnaise 30 oz. $3.29; Oscar Meyer Lunch Mead 16 oz. packs $3.29; Cottonelle Bath Tissue 12 Double Rolls $6.49; Kraft Singles 24 ct. $2.99; Minute Maid Orange Juice is $2.49; 8 Bars of Dial Soap $3.99; Energizer 8 pk AA or AAA Batteries are $5.97; Boneless Ribeye is $7.99 lb.; Watermelon is 2/$5; 16 oz. Strawberries are 1.88; Xtra Laundry Detergent is 2/ $10; Ruffles or Doritos 8.5-9.5 oz. are 2/$6. Betty Crocker Cake Mixes are 4/$5; Sunny D, Chef Boyardee, 4 pk. Hunts Pudding, Kraft Boxed Mac & Cheese & Gatorade is 10/$10, Dasani Bottled Water is 3.99 for 24 pk., Folgers Coffee 33.9 oz. is $9.49, 75 oz. Tide Liquid or 55-load powder detergent is $8.99 however at Target the 100 oz. Tide Liquid is $11.99. Huggies Size 4 74 count is $19.79. Pampers Size 4 72 count is also $19.79. Grapes are $2.99 for 1.5 lbs.;

Hope this list was as interesting to you Islanders as the Grocery Store Ads I viewed in this weeks Trader from this Islands. Viewing that ad I seen some Items were less expensive & some were more. Just food for thought.