I needed storm doors, I have time at home (; ]) so I thought it was the prefect time to purchase and have them installed. I connected with the area home stores, checked prices of doors, read reviews, asked about installation fees... they want to send someone out to the house to give a quote on installation costs. Home advisor estimated the installation at $200 +... Valu is the only place that has a flat rate for a typical install ($129), so I went to the store to size up the doors. (See what I did there) I was assisted by the store manager, Brett, who was very patient and answered my questions. He helped me choose the doors that would work, wrote up the order, even immediately emailed the installation company regarding modifying a door length. As I was arriving home after the purchase, my phone was already ringing with the answer to the email question. I was impressed with the customer care provided. Only 4 stars because there's not a large selection, they didn't have the sizes I needed on the sale doors and the installation is 4-6 weeks away... maybe they could contract an additional installatuon company with this much work to make the wait that long. read more

Great store that has everything a passionate man needs: toilet bowls, sinks, wrenches, nuts, carpets, tables, hangers and so on. This is a smaller chain with about 40 locations throughout Western NY and Pennsylvania so you can feel good that you're not shopping at a huge chain. And their prices are great! I got a nice laptop desk for $65 tax included here, took me a couple hours to assemble (maybe I'm not as much of a passionate man warrior as I'd like to think) and my girlfriend had to help, but that's not the store's fault. This place has the best staff. I always feel so lost in these big hardware stores, but every time I've walked in here a staff member will come up and ask me if I need help and they've helped me each time! Will be back here for more of my manly needs. read more

Valu Home Centers - Hardware Stores Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I'm a hardware store junky--and I really love shopping at Valu. Not only are they a regional chain based in Buffalo, they have just about everything I ever need for basic home repairs. Best of all, the stores are much more manageable in scale than a Home Depot. Clear signage and helpful staff (who really know their stuff) make it effortless to find what you want. Ample cashiers are always available so it's quick to check out, too. This has become my first (and usually last) stop for most home-improvement shopping trips. read more

Valu Home Centers - Hardware Stores Near Me - Buffalo, New York

A nice alternative to the big box home improvement stores. The store is clean and well laid out. It's easy to find what your looking for. And if you're not sure where to start, the staff are very friendly and ask if you need help. Someone usually welcomes me as I come in and asks what they can help me with. If I'm having trouble finding something or have a question once I'm in the aisles, I can always find an employee to help. They don't have a vast array of choices, but they have a little bit of everything that you would come to this type of store to buy. As a bonus, there's a discount section that has some of the basics if you don't need high quality supplies. It's in a plaza with a dollar store, auto parts place, and Amvets. There's plenty of parking and the parking lot exits to both Hertel and Elmwood. read more

I'm not a tools guy. I'm not much of a DYI guy. At all. When I have to get something done with tools, I want to do it as efficiently as possible. When I walk into a hardware store, I'm zeroed in. Unlike a grocery store, or a mall, or an IKEA, there is 0% possibility that I will be picking things up on a whim. I want to find what I need. I want clear labeling on the aisles. If the store's larger, I want a map. Else, I want help. Why is Value getting one star? Because I entered this Value location twice in the past week, walked up to an idle customer service representative, and was given the attitude of, "Why are you walking up to me and asking me stupid questions? Just go find it." In my first visit, a Saturday evening, the cranky customer service rep couldn't even tell me where what I was looking for was (drop ceiling tiles). The third party security officer present did instead. Value, get your act together. 1) Hire better people more focused on customers. 2) Your stores are massive. A mall-like map on entry would help non-tools, non-DYI guys like me find what we need far more efficiently with or without the help of your staff. read more

I'm a bit of a shopaholic (I'm sure you're thinking "170+ reviews in two years...you...a shopaholic? Noooo!"). It's shameful but true! I try hard not to buy into consumer capitalist culture of getting the "hot new thing" the second it's out, casting my still-useful-but-no-longer-cool items aside - I have a 7 year old cell, a 20 year old car, a computer monitor that weighs 15 pounds and a tv that weighs six times that. I also try to buy local and US (or at least Canada/other countries with good labor laws) made items as much as I can find/afford them. Like a female mud wrestler my urge to shop is strong yet slippery and sometimes my principles - and common sense - get thrown out of the ring! Buying a house has not helped to curb this - there's limitless updates, minor repairs, landscaping and gardening to purchase things for - and Home Depot quickly (and shamefully) became my one stop shop for all things hardware/garden related. While I do still stop in there occasionally and they still rate as my favorite big box store, I've developed a very strong love for smaller hardware stores, particularly when I recently discovered the awesomeness that is Valu Home Centers. Buy local - Valu's own site states they are "a privately owned regional...chain based in Buffalo, New York...proudly serving the do-it-yourselfer since 1968. With 41 stores and nearly 900 employees in Western and Central New York, and Northwestern Pennsylvania." What lover of all things local can't get behind that? Pricing - Valu's model is quite similar to an Aldi's - carry the most essential items with the highest turnover, limiting unpurchased items taking up space and minimizing the need for square footage (which in turn lowers utility costs). This gives them prices generally on par with much larger chains, though their variety for specialty items is smaller. Customer service/ambiance - Not only do I enjoy being able to run in and find what I want without a map, tour guide and compass, but I've found the customer service excellent on the occasion I do need assistance and the store is always clean and well-stocked. They hire a pretty wide range of folks, not just 30-50 year old men who assume you don't know a drill bit from a screwdriver, and there speedy and friendly at the register. Product highlights - I'm a fan of their pre-fab Sauder furniture when I can't find a generally picked over item, like booshelves, thrifted. The brand is fairly sturdy, super affordable (on par with much cheaper-made pre-fab Target furniture from Vietnam and Thailand), they have regular sales and they're made in the US. They seem to carry a good amount of general items made in the States, so two greasy thumbs up from the mat. Summation - Basicaly my "home center" buying goes like this now - super essential items (hand tools, nails, bolts, wire, etc) I walk to the County Supply in Black Rock, mid level variety of items (air filters, paint, outdoor trash cans, power tools, eco-friendly light bulbs, etc) I hit Valu and the few specialty items (lumber, appliances) I hit Home Depot. All within two miles of my house! I do so love Black Rock sometimes. *climbs down off the ropes* read more

Customer service is awesome! Just purchased a storm door while shopping with my dad and they called someone up to help take it out to the car as soon as we approached the register. I don't know any big box store that will do that for you. Their customer service is always on par. read more

The store is decent. They usually have what I need. They have a pretty good selection in stock. The on-line ship-to-store experiences have been good. Asking the store employees where things are has been spotty. Sometimes they direct me to the items right away. Sometimes they don't know where the items are and sometimes they don't even know what I'm asking for. They could train or screen their potential employees for hardware competence better. read more

This place has everything a weekend warrior needs. And unlike the big box stores, it is easy to find help and if you ask for the location of an item, a staff member will walk you to it instead of just telling you the aisle number. I find the prices to be on par with the stores that have no customer service, so you can feel great about shopping at any of the valu locations. spend locally! this tends to be my favorite because they seem to have an extra cashier on at peak times and i'm never stuck in line. read more

RUDE RUDE RUDE!! Terrible customer service. Extremely short. Offered no assistance or help what so ever! Walked the entire store before finding an employee and was given sass when I asked a simple question. read more

Terrible place... Seems like they should probably look into the hiring process because clearly they are doing it wrong and seem to be unorganized!! read more