Woodworking store closings ... House of tools shrinks in Canada

Is there a correlation between the demise of woodworking shows on PBS, DIY and HGTV and the closing of woodworking stores?

Lee

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

Good point, Sawdust2. I have noticed lately that all the woodworking shows are being replaced by house flipping and kitchen renovation shows. However, I think it must be tough to keep woodworking shows on air at normal hours. Even though it is a popular hobby I don’t think there’s enough of a demographic to keep them strong. It’s too bad. I know in my area it’s hard for me to find friends that are interested in it at all. Less people appreciate the skill involved in taking a piece of lumber and turning it into a piece of art. It kills me to see them buying crappy production furniture from the big companies and thinking they got a great deal on an expensive piece. (Not that there isn’t good production furniture out there)

-- Don't tell her I'm in the shop!

That’s too bad. :(

When my son lived in Banff/Canmore, Alberta I always looked forward to dropping by the Calgary store and picking up something, particularly Bosch tools. They were always cheaper there plus I saved about 7% on the tax. I also purchased via online a couple of times. I always found them pretty good.

In regards to woodworking shows, I have been to a couple of seminars in the past couple of years that John Siloats was speaking. For those that don’t know, John, sometimes refered to as ‘Canada’s Norm’, had a TV show a couple of years ago called ‘In The Workshop’ which was quite popular. I heard him say several times in these seminars, when asked about a new show, that the networks just aren’t buying them anymore. He went on to say that he was planning a ‘reality based’ woodworking show but sadly (or perhaps, happily :)) I don’t believe it got off the ground.

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - Please visit http://www.woodworkersguide.com and sign up for my project updates!

Thanks for the update Bob, I was just looking at their flyer.

Ted: I just saw John Siloats at the Toronto show, he was working in the Hitachi booth (I think). I don’t think John could be compared to the great Norm but he was amusing.

-- Canadian Wood Chuck (Bruce)

Bah.

I don’t particularily care for House of Tools, I find thier service poor, and they never seem to have anything in stock.

Hey Bob,

Check out Marson Equipment in Edmonton, Scott owns the store, and it’s an EXCELLENT store, the guys there really know thier stuff, and they always seem to have what I need. (www.marsonequipment.com)
I usually find that they are cheaper too.

-- But honey.. this new power tool will pay for itself when we re-do the kitchen!

Phred:
I thought they closed out about 3-4 years ago here?

I think they still have an associate company in Calgary called Pro Tool City.

If, they are here they are certainly keeping a low profile.

Busy Bee Tools is getting a good handle on their market and has recently expanded their tool lines.

They are also putting on demos to help newbies understand a bit about the hobby end .

That’s where HOT made a huge mistake.
They shut their demos areas down in favour of a pile of marginal light industrial equipment.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

i know here on vancouver island, though house of tools is closing, we have a new tool store opening the same week.
Felder machinery imports is opening in nanaimo. they have festool, felder, and alot of high end woodworking machinery.
i’m not sure how much of a market they will have for high end equipment. but even if they pick up half of the sales HOT had for the navy here, they could do well.
i’m hoping it will at least encourage people to buy higher quality tools rather than the box store stuff.

-- Junior -Quality is never an accident-it is the reward for the effort involved.

My local Western Tool Store closed its doors here in Springfield,Massachusetts . They only had one employee there that seemed to know what he was talking about and it was hit or miss if he would be working when I needed something or to have a question answered. The last three times I went to the store , my presence wasn’t even acknowledged by the staff that was there….. Thank God that Woodcraft is here ! Talk about quality tools and a great staff : ) They also say that business is very slow right now .I hope that they survive the slow times though , because I would have to drive over one hundred miles to my closest Rockler store in Eastern Mass or up north to Vermont .
Regarding the woodworking TV shows on PBS….Norm is only on once a week and they always put other shows in his time slot instead and are forever collecting money during that showtime as well. According to the schedule , they were supposed to start airing The Woodsmith Shop back in January , but that hasn’t come to be yet either. : ( I wonder if I can get my donations back ??? LOL

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

We have Western Tool Supply here in Billings, MT. They seem to be doing OK here.

I did notice that they carry a Canadian line of shop tools which is not found anywhere else. Now I see the association.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com

Woodsmith will be on PBS in St Louis beginning March 28. I think it is 4:30 CST, but I know it is later in the afternoon.

At the wood show in St Louis, we got to meet Norm. He told my fellow partner shop teacher that sponsors are pulling out due to slow times. That is one of the reasons they are doing recaps this year.

I totally forgot that WoodSmith was putting out a program. I will have to check out the online program and see if it is going to air here in Billings. Glad you guys brought it up.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com

I think Marson had two locations. THey shut down their south side location, but the west end is still open. I love doing business with them, and much preffer them to HOT, Busy Bee is starting to gain my business too. It’s nice to have a cheap store for cheap tools and cheap prices. Unlike House of tools who has a Cheap store, with cheap tools, and not so cheap prices on those cheap tools.

I like busy bee’s router bits, I have had no problems with any of them, plus they have good sales on lots of brand name stuff too. Dewalt Etc.. I see now that they are carying Delta too. also a plus.

-- But honey.. this new power tool will pay for itself when we re-do the kitchen!

I don’t want to see any business fail here as it is also a reflection on who we are.
My experiences with HOT were not all that rewarding either but the thing is I had choices and made some as a result.
I would think that their middle management lacked the skills to anticipate what the customers wanted and failed to communicate that to their employees and or their upper management.
We are going to see a lot more like this in the next few months.
I’ll take another look for Marson on the west end but could not find them last I looked.

Unfortunately their Website fails to locate them as well.

Boy! don’t we see that one a lot!

Cheers

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Lee:
“Is there a correlation between the demise of woodworking shows on PBS, DIY and HGTV and the closing of woodworking stores?”

Interesting thought.

I just wonder how in the world I ended up paying $XX.00 a month to vue a never ending stream of poor quailty commercials and programs designed for 8 year olds with frontal lobotomies.
I can see the internet replacing the traditional TV media by simply meeting the needs of it’s customers rather than just it’s advertizers.

The beauty of the internet is that I can watch it again where with TV I must watch it agian.

Those days are gone. ;-)
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob, is mostly correct but with one major exception. The Calgary Industrial store is not closing. However House of Tools is indeed closing the other four stores by the end of May and the store-wide clearance sales have already begun there.

-- I hope this helps, Scott