Grainger Prices!

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member
Boy, did I get a beating today! Or the company did anyway...

Ran out of R22 in the middle of charging the roof mounted AC's. Needed some now, so I thought I'll pay the price of convenience and pick up a 30 lb. at Graingers.

Got the invoice... $369 + tax, came to just over $400!!! And that's buying it on account, not a walk in!

Going price on Ebay, $230-$260 range, free shipping, no tax.

The salesman told me (again, like they always tell me) "We have your EPA card on file now, you won't have to show it next time". I told him not to worry about it, won't be a next time!
 
Your right on Grainger's prices, they are outrageous on just about everything. The thing is your not paying for the item as much as you are for the convenience of them having the item in stock and available to pick up.

Think about it, the jug on Ebay was sitting on a shelf somewhere else when you needed it. Why didn't you have an extra jug on hand? If your like me it's because that would be another $260 just sitting there, with money ties up, until the day you did need it... and that money is working capitol that could be, or was, put to better use somewhere else, something that there was an immediate need for.

That said, ordering something from them that they didn't have locally is high too. In fact it's even higher because now your paying because they kept it at the other store, for someone else, and then the extra for them to get it to you.....

Basically it cost them a lot to keep all that merchandise in stock, and for every item they sell a million of there are others that sit for quite awhile and not sell. Either way they have money tied up in the items, have to pay tax on the items in stock, etc, etc, so the money they have laying out has to be recouped somehow, and still be able to turn a profit.

Granted there places like MSC and McMaster Carr where you can order things much cheaper, and local stores where the prices might be cheaper still, but Grainger has both options, depending on where you live, and you pay accordingly.

So, while we all fuss out loud about Grainger's high prices, when they have something in stock when we need it, that no one else has, we'll all sing their praises just as loud....just not for as long....LOL
 
(quoted from post at 19:18:51 08/05/14) Your right on Grainger's prices, they are outrageous on just about everything. The thing is your not paying for the item as much as you are for the convenience of them having the item in stock and available to pick up.

Think about it, the jug on Ebay was sitting on a shelf somewhere else when you needed it. Why didn't you have an extra jug on hand? If your like me it's because that would be another $260 just sitting there, with money ties up, until the day you did need it... and that money is working capitol that could be, or was, put to better use somewhere else, something that there was an immediate need for.

That said, ordering something from them that they didn't have locally is high too. In fact it's even higher because now your paying because they kept it at the other store, for someone else, and then the extra for them to get it to you.....

Basically it cost them a lot to keep all that merchandise in stock, and for every item they sell a million of there are others that sit for quite awhile and not sell. Either way they have money tied up in the items, have to pay tax on the items in stock, etc, etc, so the money they have laying out has to be recouped somehow, and still be able to turn a profit.

Granted there places like MSC and McMaster Carr where you can order things much cheaper, and local stores where the prices might be cheaper still, but Grainger has both options, depending on where you live, and you pay accordingly.

So, while we all fuss out loud about Grainger's high prices, when they have something in stock when we need it, that no one else has, we'll all sing their praises just as loud....just not for as long....LOL
while back, the appliance parts counter guy was told, 'man that is a lot for a 20 year old refrigerator handle!'. He said, "well, consider it $5 for the part and $15 for me keeping it until you needed it". Lot of meat there!
 
Then take the $10 dollars back and say "This is my fee, as a member of the fighting and taxpaying public, for providing the stable business environment including the physical, financial, legal, cultural infrastructure for you to do business in as well as the tax breaks and subsidies you got for placing your business here." Businesses are more spoiled than most and should be put in their place at times by being reminded that they largely exist at the will of the public.
 
Thanks everybody for listening to me vent. Ya'll are right, should be grateful there had it when I needed it.

Nobody's fault but my own, I knew I was getting low, should have took care of it before I ran out!
 
Obviously not a business owner. Did not realize working 75 hours a week made me spoiled. I don't get any special treatment for anything and have to fight the government to keep what I worked for.
 
Amen to that. By the time I pay my bills, and the pay other overhead business costs, who has money to pay taxes and then be able to actually turn a profit.....Guess I"m just as spoiled as you are....LOL
 
Have you ever OWNED. a business? Have you ever managed a business? Please answer and explain your statements!
 
If Grainger is like they were 25 years ago, they have quite a few different prices depending upon who you are/what you buy.

A friend of mine sold electric motors, and he could resell (at a profit) motors from Grainger for less money than I could buy them from Grainger.

At that time I was doing quite a bit of furnace work, and they would sell me parts/controls for less than the motor guy could buy them.
 
Had a guy complain about the price I charged for some parts.Told me he could get them five dollars cheaper in Bryan. So I said fine. Bryan is 60 miles away. Diesel is 3.68 a gallon and with the diesel hog you drive. Go a head and get them cheaper in Bryan.
 
R-22 is slowly going by the way side. The prices are realy going up in the future.

I have been replacing R-22 with the DuPont MO-99.

Have had great results. Isceon.com

HTH. John,PA
 
HVAC techs around here charge $40 a pound for that stuff. At least. So the cost is definitely passed on to the customer and then some. Makes me think about breaking the law and getting a 30# cylinder for my own private use.
 
Yup exactly! Grainger makes hay while the sun is shining with walk up sales. Get an account, talk to an account manager and tell them you are going elsewhere because of price and see what they do then.
 
Bob is right on about Grainger's we had a successful motor repair shop in town. They bought all their new motors from grainger and resold them at list.
Took me a few years to catch on and buy straight fromm Grainger. But, those days are gone.
They are selling because you have the convenience of a large inventory. Kind of like MSC. I was at a Lockheed Martin Plant once buying obseleted eqpuipment they were getting rid of. The guy I was getting my paperwork from was ordering out of a MSC catalog. I told him you guys must get a better discount than I could have. He said no, but we get the order the nest day.
 
If you are using your own money, inventory is not a bad always a bad thing. Complete tools and parts go up faster than money in the bank. Today, I would think with computers it would be easier to track inventory and plan future use.
An extreme example is a man I worked for 40 years ago in another life. He owned a drupstore that did a mediocre business. But, he bought all his drugs on deals which were usually 20% off and 2 free with buying 10 bottles. His cellar was full of drugs. He used a few bottles for the prescriptions. When the drugs expired he sent them back to the drug company. Credit was based on current price. Return on investment never was less than 19% a year.
 
I think Granger and Fastenal are for contractors and they hope nobody in the office is checking prices. I got 50 lbs of glass beads at Fastenal for 60 bucks. I could have had it delivered to my door for 60 from Eastwood. I talked them down ten bucks to the 60 price.. Then I grabbed two grinder discs and a pack of strker flints 21 bucks. So a 3.99 disc in Fastenal is 9.00 bucks. I won't be back.
I gave up on Granger years ago but if I need a part a contractor wants I will go there for convenience . Just not on my own dime.
 
yup - you've got to do a lot of volume with grainger (or most places like it) to get their "real" pricing. Otherwise you're essentially paying "list price" - which nobody in their right mind would do unless desperate.

I don't know where the cutoff point is - ie how much business you have to do with them - I think it really comes down to having a purchasing agent to beat on them. I think they cater to companies large enough to HAVE a full time purchasing agent.

If you're not that big, they don't want to deal with you... unless of course you're willing to pay an outrageous price for their products.

I only use them or mcmaster-carr etc. as a very last and final resort.

(and yes, I know they'll have some fair pricing on some products - but speaking generally here)
 
Ye haven't been at a JD dealer lately.... haven't ye?
I needed an itty bitty 567 baler twine arm sensor. Plastic thingemedjingy 2x1 inch,...$135.:shock:
Can't be had anywhere else but the dealer.
 
We always ask the salesman to give us pricing before we buy. I work for a small business but the difference between asking for a discount and the catalog price is often 20-40% different. We are buying paper towels for 50% less than the catalog price because we asked for competitive pricing.
 
John deere competes for product sales -not part
sales!

Once you buy a john deere, you're locked in. You
have to pay whatever they ask for spare parts -
regardless of how much volume you do!
 
(quoted from post at 01:42:26 08/06/14) Businesses are more spoiled than most and should be put in their place at times by being reminded that they largely exist at the will of the public.

Nice little socialist rant there... business exist when they serve the public. When customers stop buying then they are done. They don't exist at the pleasure or whim or even the permission of the government. When they do then WE are done.
 

All the rants about TAX BREAKS...


First off, ONLY the govenrment can give out a tax break.

NEVER blame a business for taking a tax break. IF its legal, and it will save you money, you take it.. NO questions asked.

ONLY a fool would pass up a tax "break" or tax credit as it really is.

TAX CREDITS are rules passed by the government to get business to spend money in a way that benifits the people or the government.

Business have no morals, no feelings, they only exist to make money. They are not good nor bad. The are simply a way to make money or make a living for the owners.

Employees are only hired as tool for a business to make money.
They are not adopted or family, when business increases you need more tools. When business decreases, you need less tools.

To think of tax "breaks" as illegal or immoral is plain ignorance from the stand point of a business.

Employee retirement plans where the company does a match, is a tax break passed by the government. It helps to encourage workers to save and it benifits you. The company gets a tax break for setting up the plan and putting matching money in for the employee.

Tax credits for changing out old lighting for more effiecient lighting is for business and homeowners. It cuts energy costs and sell new product and creates jobs.

Oil exploration write offs, encourage production had home and less dependancies on foreign oil.

I dont defend these but congress or irs passed them to modify the behavoir of business.

Only an idiot would pass up paying less taxes. Remember business has only one rule... make a profit.

Tax free for agriculture purchases. tax free for food at grocery stores. tax deductions for children and dependants. tax deductions for excessive medical costs. tax deductions for giving to charity. tax free college savings accounts.

all of these are TAX BREAKS to encourage behavoir of business or individuals. All were passed by the government.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top