The Home Depot at Puerto Vallarta is a thriving business, as it is the only comprehensive store of its kind in the area, and practically every US and Canadian retiree living in Puerto Vallarta shops there regularly, as do the majority of local contractors.
The prices tend to be considerably higher than those at other hardware stores, but that is somewhat understandable as one is paying extra for the convenience of a single supermarket-type store that has a large selection.
The assistants on the floor are extremely polite and helpful and generally speak English as well, although (as often happens with Home Depots in the US) they are heavily in demand, and so it is sometimes hard to find someone who is not attending other customers.
On the negative side, every customer is treated like a suspected shoplifter: When you check out, you need to show ID for every credit card purchase, no matter how small. If you pay cash, each note (even small denominations) is carefully examined in case it is counterfeit. Finally, as you walk out of the door, security personnel goes though every single item you are carrying and checks it against your sales receipt.
One or two other large stores in this area that lack electronic article surveillance do have someone at the exit that may do a perfunctory check of your purchases on occasion, but nothing that demeans their customers to this extent; shopping at Home Depot always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Suggestion: Avoid Home Depot and support the smaller hardware stores if at all possible. You will find much lower prices and get treated with respect. read more
