Goodbye Woodcraft - Good Luck Employees

[phrog]

A little over 3 years ago, a young guy here in Chattanooga opened a Woodcraft store about 3 miles from my house. The nearest Woodcraft store before this opening was in Knoxville, about 90 miles away. The timing could not have been worse for this new store. Over the last year, I noticed the number of employees dwindling and the stock becoming less and less. In mid-July they announced the store would be closing. The final day of their liquidation sale was last Wednesday. I'm already having withdrawal pains. I rarely bought any large items there but often bought small items like pen kits and glue. Occasionally, I bought a piece of wood or any of a number of other items including a few lathe tools. But to walk through and touch the wood and see the latest gizmos was therapeutic. Goodbye Woodcraft and good luck to all the employees.

In a recession, the first thing to go is usually hobbies. Just wondering how Woodcraft, Rockler, and other hobby stores are doing in other parts of the country.

[Cochese]

Welp, that sucks. I don't get around to my local stores often, but it's nice to go on occasion just to put hands on the merchandise, as it were.

Woodcraft is especially out of the way here, with Peachtree not that much better. It seems I get to Highland most of all lately, with it being a couple of miles from work.

[sweensdv]

[QUOTE=phrog;507162]........ I rarely bought any large items there but often bought small items like pen kits and glue. Occasionally, I bought a piece of wood or any of a number of other items including a few lathe tools..
QUOTE]



This is not meant to be a rap against you but unfortunately Woodcrafts has, in my opinion, gotten a false reputation of always being expensive. If a little patience is used they can be as competitive as anyone. Because of this false rap, many people don't even consider them when looking to buy larger items and even small items sometimes. Now, this strategy won't work if you're an impulse buyer or someone who just "has to have it right now" but if you wait for an item until they go on sale you just might just be surprised. Over the years I've purchased at my Woodcraft a DeWalt DW735 Planer, Porter Cable PC693PK Router Set, Rikon 10-325 Bandsaw, Jet AFS-1000B Air Filtration Unit and a Jet JJ-6CS Jointer. At the time I purchased each of these they were on sale at Woodcraft and also priced as low as everyone else including the Internet.

Don't overlook your local suppliers! If you do, you just might find yourself in the same position as those in Chattanooga and that would be sad.

[phrog]

[QUOTE=sweensdv;507164]

........ I rarely bought any large items there but often bought small items like pen kits and glue. Occasionally, I bought a piece of wood or any of a number of other items including a few lathe tools..
QUOTE]



This is not meant to be a rap against you but unfortunately Woodcrafts has, in my opinion, gotten a false reputation of always being expensive. If a little patience is used they can be as competitive as anyone. Because of this false rap, many people don't even consider them when looking to buy larger items and even small items sometimes. Now, this strategy won't work if you're an impulse buyer or someone who just "has to have it right now" but if you wait for an item until they go on sale you just might just be surprised. Over the years I've purchased at my Woodcraft a DeWalt DW735 Planer, Porter Cable PC693PK Router Set, Rikon 10-325 Bandsaw, Jet AFS-1000B Air Filtration Unit and a Jet JJ-6CS Jointer. At the time I purchased each of these they were on sale at Woodcraft and also priced as low as everyone else including the Internet.

Don't overlook your local suppliers! If you do, you just might find yourself in the same position as those in Chattanooga and that would be sad.

I should have elaborated: I didn't need any large items. I already had a table saw, band saw, etc. I had this equipment when this Woodcraft opened. Considering that I didn't need any large equipment, I actually spent quite a bit of money there buying things like a steady-rest for my lathe, Woodriver turning tools, etc. It was just the really big items that I didn't need.

[Pappy]

It's bad to see any small business have to shut down.

Wood craft in Austin, San Antonio, and either Houston or Dallas are owned by the same man. All large markets. Austin and SA don't offer much for competition is the same category. With the Austin store on the north side, both are close to an hour drive so I don't get to them very often.

Closest Rockler is in Houston, 2 1/2 hrs away.

[chopnhack]

The one in our neck of the woods claims to be holding their own despite massive and eternal road construction right in front of their store. I asked their secret to success and he said that they are a destination store. People don't just come to buy an item or two, they usually come for classes. Good for them, they have been at that location a long time and I hope they stay there.

[phrog]

After reading Pappy and chopnhack's responses, it seems that the one that opened here may have been undercapitalized considering the austere conditions wrought by the recession.

These guys advertised on tv, radio, and billboards near the main mall. They taught classes and had many demos. I can't really say that they did anything wrong. It was just not a good time, unfortunately.

[radhak]

When our local Woodcraft closed couple of years ago I was devastated. It was 40 miles away, but now the closest one is 250 miles away, owned by the same guy. And Rockler is in the next state! We do have Constantines, thankfully.

I have never purchased any major item first-hand, all were used, so Woodcraft was never a choice for those, but I tried my best to give them my business - as many peripherals, and almost all my consumables, were from them as first choice.

My theory is, local shops need a handicap of 25 to 30% of the net price - ie, if I'm getting a rolling table-saw base for $40 online (including shipping and tax), I'd be willing to pay up to $50 - $55 locally, even before taxes. And as Sweensdv said, I could plan and get many a thing at real low prices. And there were times I ignored the local BORG and HF to favor Woodcraft. The therapeutic values of wandering the aisles are pretty real, Richard!

After all that, they still had to close . Unfortunately, for many the lure of the saved buck online or at the big discounters is not easy to ignore.

[cabinetman]

When our local Woodcraft closed couple of years ago I was devastated. It was 40 miles away, but now the closest one is 250 miles away, owned by the same guy. And Rockler is in the next state! We do have Constantines, thankfully.

I remember the Woodcraft store in Pompano, when they had their own building, done in the signature design of Woodcraft stores. Then they moved, but stayed in Pompano, to a strip mall, but later closed. There are many shops in this area, but unfortunately for them, our suppliers carry all kinds of tools and supplies at better prices. We have specialized hardware and plywood distributors that cater to the trades. They also sell "over the counter".

Good thing about Constantines. They have been in the same place for as long as I can remember. They are about 7 miles from me. They did close their NY store and don't print a giveaway catalog anymore. Just that store, and online. They seem to have steady traffic. Here's a bit of history.

.

[os1kne]

It's very difficult to be successful with a "brick & mortar" specialty store. Most customers these days have internet access, so they'll shop Amazon, etc. for larger purchases and only go to the store to make small purchases of items that aren't available at HD/Lowes - or to look at/handle something that they intend to purchase elsewhere. The overhead associated with operating a retail store and paying employees makes it nearly impossible to compete profitably in most markets. Location is a key factor with most retail establishments, and I doubt that many areas have a very strong concentration of woodworkers in their population.

It's sad to see any business go under, particularly businesses where the owners are passionate about something that is important to you. When I lived near Pittsburgh, I didn't live close to the Woodcraft store, but was near enough that I went there about once a month. I was sad when they closed (probably 5 years ago - I believe that the store is still empty today.) The Rockler store was more than twice as far from me, so I probably only got there twice a year. I've been in the Atlanta area for the past 3 months, and I'm not aware of any woodworking shops that are anywhere near my normal travels - so I'll probably be making most of my purchases online. I'd prefer support a local business, but the time and fuel cost associated with going somewhere over an hour away for relatively small purchases just doesn't make sense.

[Cochese]

What part of Atlanta are you in?