Valu Home Centers

RUDE RUDE RUDE! Terrible customer service. Extremely short. Offered no assistance or help what so ever! Walked the entire store before finding an employee and was given sass when I asked a simple question.

I’m not a tools guy. I’m not much of a DYI guy. At all. When I have to get something done with tools, I want to do it as efficiently as possible. When I walk into a hardware store, I’m zeroed in. Unlike a grocery store, or a mall, or an IKEA, there is 0% possibility that I will be picking things up on a whim. I want to find what I need. I want clear labeling on the aisles. If the store’s larger, I want a map. Else, I want help.
Why is Value getting one star? Because I entered this Value location twice in the past week, walked up to an idle customer service representative, and was given the attitude of, «Why are you walking up to me and asking me stupid questions? Just go find it.» In my first visit, a Saturday evening, the cranky customer service rep couldn’t even tell me where what I was looking for was (drop ceiling tiles). The third party security officer present did instead.
Value, get your act together. 1) Hire better people more focused on customers. 2) Your stores are massive. A mall-​like map on entry would help non-​tools, non-​DYI guys like me find what we need far more efficiently with or without the help of your staff.

Customer service is awesome! Just purchased a storm door while shopping with my dad and they called someone up to help take it out to the car as soon as we approached the register. I don’t know any big box store that will do that for you. Their customer service is always on par.

I’m a hardware store junky – and I really love shopping at Valu. Not only are they a regional chain based in Buffalo, they have just about everything I ever need for basic home repairs.
Best of all, the stores are much more manageable in scale than a Home Depot. Clear signage and helpful staff (who really know their stuff) make it effortless to find what you want. Ample cashiers are always available so it’s quick to check out, too.
This has become my first (and usually last) stop for most home-​improvement shopping trips.

I’m a bit of a shopaholic (I’m sure you’re thinking «170+ reviews in two years… you…a shopaholic? Noooo!»). It’s shameful but true! I try hard not to buy into consumer capitalist culture of getting the «hot new thing» the second it’s out, casting my still-​useful-​but-​no-​longer-​cool items aside — I have a 7 year old cell, a 20 year old car, a computer monitor that weighs 15 pounds and a tv that weighs six times that. I also try to buy local and US (or at least Canada/​other countries with good labor laws) made items as much as I can find/​afford them. Like a female mud wrestler my urge to shop is strong yet slippery and sometimes my principles — and common sense — get thrown out of the ring! Buying a house has not helped to curb this — there’s limitless updates, minor repairs, landscaping and gardening to purchase things for — and Home Depot quickly (and shamefully) became my one stop shop for all things hardware/​garden related. While I do still stop in there occasionally and they still rate as my favorite big box store, I’ve developed a very strong love for smaller hardware stores, particularly when I recently discovered the awesomeness that is Valu Home Centers.
Buy local — Valu’s own site states they are «a privately owned regional… chain based in Buffalo, New York… proudly serving the do-​it-​yourselfer since 1968. With 41 stores and nearly 900 employees in Western and Central New York, and Northwestern Pennsylvania.» What lover of all things local can’t get behind that?
Pricing — Valu’s model is quite similar to an Aldi’s — carry the most essential items with the highest turnover, limiting unpurchased items taking up space and minimizing the need for square footage (which in turn lowers utility costs). This gives them prices generally on par with much larger chains, though their variety for specialty items is smaller.
Customer service/​ambiance — Not only do I enjoy being able to run in and find what I want without a map, tour guide and compass, but I’ve found the customer service excellent on the occasion I do need assistance and the store is always clean and well-​stocked. They hire a pretty wide range of folks, not just 30 – 50 year old men who assume you don’t know a drill bit from a screwdriver, and there speedy and friendly at the register.
Product highlights — I’m a fan of their pre-​fab Sauder furniture when I can’t find a generally picked over item, like booshelves, thrifted. The brand is fairly sturdy, super affordable (on par with much cheaper-​made pre-​fab Target furniture from Vietnam and Thailand), they have regular sales and they’re made in the US. They seem to carry a good amount of general items made in the States, so two greasy thumbs up from the mat.
Summation — Basicaly my «home center» buying goes like this now — super essential items (hand tools, nails, bolts, wire, etc) I walk to the County Supply in Black Rock, mid level variety of items (air filters, paint, outdoor trash cans, power tools, eco-​friendly light bulbs, etc) I hit Valu and the few specialty items (lumber, appliances) I hit Home Depot. All within two miles of my house! I do so love Black Rock sometimes.
*climbs down off the ropes*

Great store that has everything a passionate man needs: toilet bowls, sinks, wrenches, nuts, carpets, tables, hangers and so on. This is a smaller chain with about 40 locations throughout Western NY and Pennsylvania so you can feel good that you’re not shopping at a huge chain. And their prices are great! I got a nice laptop desk for $ 65 tax included here, took me a couple hours to assemble (maybe I’m not as much of a passionate man warrior as I’d like to think) and my girlfriend had to help, but that’s not the store’s fault.
This place has the best staff. I always feel so lost in these big hardware stores, but every time I’ve walked in here a staff member will come up and ask me if I need help and they’ve helped me each time! Will be back here for more of my manly needs.

This place has everything a weekend warrior needs. And unlike the big box stores, it is easy to find help and if you ask for the location of an item, a staff member will walk you to it instead of just telling you the aisle number. I find the prices to be on par with the stores that have no customer service, so you can feel great about shopping at any of the valu locations. spend locally! this tends to be my favorite because they seem to have an extra cashier on at peak times and i’m never stuck in line.