Menard's Has Opened!

Is this the one?

Sure looks like it.  But it's more impressive from I-70 at night.  From that vantage point it looks bigger than some small cities I've driven through.

My go-to Menards is a stones throw from a Home Depot. It's a giant two level store with an outdoor drive-up yard. It's nice to load lumber once.

Home Depot may have better brand name products in certain categories, but I choose Menards over the dingy Depot. Sometimes I'll venture over to the Depot after my Menards visit to find the store nearly empty. There's more than a few reasons for this. I have been to the blue box once...Lowes blows.

They already have the piano, just needs a cocktail lounge to go with it...

Now they got to get a rid of the Orang and Blue Boxes in So Cal

My other go-to Menards in Baraboo, Wi.

Hey Mark! Please come to Washington State!

Congrats on your new Menards store. Still waiting for Menards to finally build their store in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. The anticipation for this happening is worse then waiting for Mark to announce a new train item............Paul

Enjoy your new store! I don't even waste my time going to the other guys any more. Menards has it all! Now you can get free shipping to the store and pick up your train goodies!!!!

I am sssooooooooooooo jealous! we need one in Virginia please.

John

North Jersey, please!

Now if Menard's would only come to southeast Florida, like West Palm Beach. They could put H.D. & Lowe's on the run.

Lee Fritz

I know Menards from travels for work. What most impressed me was the service. It was more "homey" and personal than other big stores. More like the lumberyards and small hardware stores that preceded the big box invasion that drove so many of those places out of business so very quickly.

So when the next price wars begin, remember where you enjoyed being, and maybe be a little less concerned with saving a dime on a board.

Shoot..nobody has the selections of quality merchandise we once saw from the little guys, but this is closer to what we once had....my new store should be done by spring. I sure wish they would have finished this year in time for the seasonal train goodies.

I just looked and Menards now has 3 stores in the KC area. Boy, that was quick. I am on the far west side and the Lawrence store is easier for me to get to. I have been there a couple of times and it is one impressive place.

I think it's time for another visit pretty soon. Not sure I have yet seen everything there, it takes a few trips to see it all. 

Love to see a Menards in upstate Ny, somewhere in the Binghamton, Syracuse area! Just sayin!

DON'T FORGET DALLAS TX-On HWY 30 near Rockwall would be better than a perfect location.

Brent

Great story.  As a kid, my trains came from the local hardware store also.

Wonder if Menards will venture into New England  area? One can always hope ? 

would like to see menards come to long island in  ny 

Wish I knew when the Menard's on the north side of Kansas City off 152 opened. Can't seem to locate an opening date anywhere. 

Menards is a store?

Ive never heard of this Menards

UH OH!!!!!  Here's my advice.  Seems like Menards has the opportunity to expand into many different areas of the country.  Sounds like a pretty good stock investment if they are a publicly held company.

Rick

PS  Nevermind, Menards is a privately held company.  300 stores in only 14 states.

GG1 2340 posted:

Menards is a store?

Ive never heard of this Menards

A store, and whole lot more...

There will likely never be a Menard's store anywhere in Arkansas because the state is the home base of Walmart, which will probably find ways to keep unwanted competition from Menard's at a distance.  It's just business ...

As I understand it, Lionel chose not to offer its products to Walmart stores as an unsuitable retail environment, but Menard's stores apparently passed their litmus test. Meanwhile, hobby shops in the vicinity of a Menard's store are probably anxious.

Mike

Mike H Mottler posted:

Meanwhile, hobby shops in the vicinity of a Menard's store are probably anxious.

Mike

...Or act as a stepping-stone to hobby shops.

We have nothing like Menards in Canada. Just Lowes and HD here in Calgary.

But, as an aside to Marty's buying trains in a hardware store ,my first train set came from a great little radio shop called COUVES RADIO in Edmonton  in either 1947 or 1948.  I remember it had a 2-8-4 Berkshire Loco with the Atomic Motor and a Smoke Bulb with the indentation on the top.    For years now I wished I still had it. 

Mike H Mottler posted:

As I understand it, Lionel chose not to offer its products to Walmart stores as an unsuitable retail environment, but Menard's stores apparently passed their litmus test. Meanwhile, hobby shops in the vicinity of a Menard's store are probably anxious.

Mike

 

Walmart tells manufactures what they will pay for your products.....don't like the price you walk....no negotiations. I bet that has more to do with it than Lionel not liking Walmart. 

I like the animated highway in the Menard's video......that would be cool to offer!!!!

Menard's is less than 2 minutes from me. And don't believe the in stock inventory for train stuff as they call it. Went in to get furnace filter the other day. Well like candy bars at check out they had about 50 different cars on end cap across from register. Needless to say when I left had to go to bank and beg for short term loan.  

If they want to open here in Bakersfield, California, I know just the building for them....

GG1 2340 posted:

Menards is a store?

Ive never heard of this Menards

Menards is the store to end all stores.  It's like Frankenstein's monster - part Costco, part Home Depot, part Kroger, part PetSmart, part ToysRUs.   You could literally buy lumber, groceries and a mattress/box springs all in one place.  It's W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L.  

I wish they would open a store in Tampa Florida.

They seem to be expanding rather quickly. They have just opened 4 stores in the KC area. I believe that has all been in the last year or so. They have had a store in St Joseph, MO for quite some time, I would guess at least 10 years. That's about 60 miles north of KC, but it took a long time to finally get here to the KC area. They also now show quite a few stores in the state of MO, some of which I am pretty sure are also new in the last few years. Maybe everyone will have a Menards in the next few years?

I know of a couple great spots for them in Philly.

Read the history of Mr. Menard.

Where in KC area? Might justify a trip to visit a son in Olathe.

There is one in Olathe off of 135th st. I haven't been there, but I think it's on the east side, like around Metcalf or Nall & 135th. The other two are in Belton and Independence on the MO side. The other one is in Lawrence, KS. I live in far west Lenexa so I to the one in Lawrence, at about 31st & Iowa. It's right off the new 10 highway Lawrence bypass and easier and faster for me to get to than the one in east Olathe, much more traffic and stop lights that way.

Might be worth a trip, or at least next time you visit your son you should visit a Menards.

I will have to read the history, I don't know anything about Mr Menard or store's history. 

I just looked and the new stores showed up on the Menards website store locator and include maps.

On our way back to civilization (VA), we usually hit Menards in Sedalia. But they don't have trains.

If you visit in the off train season they may have had any remaining train stuff up on the 2nd level, kind of in the middle of the store. At least that is where it was when I was last there in the summer. I will try to make it to the Lawrence or Olathe Menards during the train season and see what all they have in the way of trains. 

How long has the one been in Sedalia? I haven't been there since around 2003-2004 or so, but they didn't have a Menards back then, at least not that I was aware of anyway.

I have no idea how long in Sedalia. I have found traffic on US50 better than I70.  I head north at Sedalia.

I asked. They said no trains.

Wonder if they have a smaller store there since it's a smaller town? 50 is less traveled than I-70 and possibly better road too, lots of big trucks on I-70. Lawrence is a small town too, but close to KC area. Lots of commuting between the two areas. Store there is anything but small, it's quite large, maybe 1.5-2 times bigger than Home Depot which is just about right next door.

It sounds like a store we could use here in Connecticut.  Lots of do-it-yourself folks, lots of growing families, lots of folks wanting to go to a one-stop-shopping location.  And, many are disenchanted with HD, given they have name brands but often have the manufacturer provide what looks like the same product but to a "different" specification.  I have bought several things from Menard's online and maybe if I buy a lot more my zip code will set off a bell and they'll consider setting up shop here?