Did I just steal some blue shop towels?

Did a bit of garage/house stuff this weekend only to find the paper towel holder in the garage empty.

Who used the last one and didn’t replace the roll?

Me. It was me.

It was also late on Sunday, so Ace was closed. $5.59 for two rolls, and I figured I could pick them up today.

What about Amazon? Pricing is all over the place (welcome to the jungle) but I see a six-pack for $19.42 with free delivery–or $18.98 for a pack of three. Or, well, you know how things work there. 

What about Lowe’s? Not my favorite place to shop (#sorrynotsorry) but we have one close. They listed a six-pack for $12.98 with–ready?–free next-day delivery. That can’t be right, but I figured I’d see what happens.

The paper towels were at our front door by 9:00 this morning. 

Quick shipping is becoming way more common. Walmart delivers Mobil 1 to my door next day and it's ~$10 cheaper than any local parts store. Wild

Well holy carp:

Guess I'm going to steal some shop towels today, too!

In reply to wae :

I know, right?

That’s them. 

This isn't "shipping" so much as it's Lowe's sending out a cheap employee to drop things off at people's houses. Just like NAPA has done forever.

Heck, a Walmart employee delivered an order of groceries to my shop a few months back. Drove down the gravel drive to a dead end, dropped the groceries in front of the garage door and took a picture. I found out about it when my neighbors dropped by and asked if the picture was of my shop. Delivery person got it within a hundred yards or so as the crow flies, but a mile away by road.

This is an advantage the big box stores have over Amazon and friends. They have the distribution network much more filled out with inventory all over the place and much less of a long tail. Amazon is having to build that out and is struggling - two-day shipping has become just a legend around here. For commodities like shop towels, the big box stores win. Where Amazon wins is the long tail stuff, the low volume specialty stuff that has never been available locally. Not just Alibaba junk, but things like good tools and international DVDs and stuff that doesn't make any sense to try to stock in a Walmart.

But are they using toilet paper math where 6 rolls equals 19 but 9 rolls equals 35?

costco has them cheap as well, 10 rolls for $20

After looking at this - I need some new pool chemicals. I usually pick them up at Walmart. Turns out they'll "ship" for free if I order more than $35 worth (easy) and it's same-day delivery. 

Amazon has the same stuff for the same price but can't get it here until Friday using "Prime fast shipping". That's actually quick for them, I expected at least a week.

Are these any better/worse/same than Scott blue shop towels? It's same count, but Scott is like $2 more for the 6 pack

Edit: I've been getting ripped off! I usually get it from Advance or something and it's like $7 more! I need to check Lowe's/Walmart more often...

Not quite the same because of mail-in rebate and delivery is not free, but.... This is Menard's regular price.

That might have legitimately been faster than going and getting them myself.

Mrs. used Walmart for 90% of the household needs.

Food rotates on a weekly basis based on the Ad that come out on Wed, (NC).

Same item can vary as much as 25% between Publix, Harris Teeter (Kroger) Food Lion and Walmart.

Takes time to look at the ads, but well worth her time.

Enjoy

In reply to wae :

Yours came in a bag!? 

And, seriously, mine were also delivered quicker than I could have picked them up. 

High Dollar     Included a bag

I was hoping for discretely wrapped in plain brown paper, but I guess the bag will do.  Don't want my neighbors getting jealous of my high-rolling lifestyle.

For the record, I’m fine without a bag–less waste. 

I’ll take one for a test drive this evening and report back. 

Currently writing captions about a Fiat. 

That's one of my Costco gripes:  for a while the big pack of paper towels came in one big wrapper and then all the rolls were just loose in there.  Recently they went back to also individually wrapping each roll in plastic and then wrapping all the rolls together with more plastic.  Seems unnecessary.

I marvel at the speed some of these. I once needed a cord from the jungle one day. They offered a "overnight" option, they promised it would be on my doorstep by 7am. I ordered it at 11pm. I tripped over it on my way out the door at 6:15. 

They’re so blue, they’re so paper towely. 

And free plug: Look for War On Women on the road with Fear in August. 

+1 for punk rock content

+2 for this deal

Im hitting submit and rolling over to Lowes

Thanks for the heads up.

I just ordered 2 6 packs since I was out and was just about to get some anyways. 

hybridmomentspass said:

+1 for punk rock content

+2 for this deal

Im hitting submit and rolling over to Lowes

They’re punk AF–and very nice, too. :) Also very much into dogs. 

Sams Club sells the Scotts 660 piece / 12 roll pack for ~$21. If you catch them on sale using the Scan-n-Go app you can get them for $18.

I have to be desperate to buy them at the auto parts store for $6 or $7 a piece.

I bought a 6-pack (of the blue shop towels) and it was delivered to my door in less than an hour.   Crazy!