Menards Shopping Guide: An Informed Visitor’s Perspective

Why You Should Visit

• Extensive Product Selection: You’ll find a truly vast array of goods, from groceries and plants to appliances, furniture, paint, rugs, lighting, cleaning supplies, housewares, hard lines, and even Christmas decorations. It’s not unusual to spend an entire day browsing.
• Rebates: Menards offers rebates; you submit your receipts and receive a check in the mail a few weeks later. This can add up to significant savings.
• Generally Good Customer Service: While experiences vary, many shoppers report friendly and helpful staff, especially in the garden center and at checkout. Fast checkout service is also noted. Some even mention exceptional customer service overall.
• Fast Shipping: Online orders, even large items like a “Fuel Keg kit,” are noted for fast delivery, even across the country, especially during the holiday season.
• Clean and Organized Store: At least one location (Antigo) is described as clean and well-organized, with a well-laid-out and accessible outdoor yard.

Why You Might Consider Alternatives

• Inflated Pricing: Be aware that some shoppers believe prices are artificially inflated to offset the rebate program.
• Inconsistent Customer Service: While generally positive, some experiences with customer service, especially regarding deliveries, have been extremely negative, with reports of significant delays, missing items, and inaccurate information from staff. One experience involved a delivery of building supplies where many items were missing, and multiple attempts to correct the issue were met with delays and misinformation.
• Limited Delivery Personnel: When renting heavy equipment, be prepared for potentially understaffed delivery situations.
• Out-of-Stock Items: A significant portion of items may be out of stock or require special orders with extended delivery times, based on one shopper’s experience.
• Inadequate Staff in Specific Departments: Expect potential difficulties finding assistance in certain departments, such as plumbing, and limited assistance with heavy loads. One shopper described having to load 64 heavy patio blocks without assistance.
• Subpar Online Ordering: The online ordering system is considered inferior to in-store shopping. It is noted that you can end up buying more in-store than planned due to the ability to “look and touch” products.
• Product Quality Concerns: Some products, such as ovens, have been criticized for their quality; it’s recommended to thoroughly inspect floor models before purchasing.
• Rental Equipment Issues: Renting equipment such as a Rug Doctor may be problematic, with the potential for malfunctioning equipment, additional cleaning charges, and unhelpful staff.