Big Box Home Centers
Making their presence known in nearly every community since the late 1970s, these well-known retail hubs offer a wide array of cabinets, including in-stock, ready-to-assemble (RTA), and semi-custom classifications. Drawing on vast amounts of consumer research data that keeps them abreast of satisfaction levels and where customer demands are going to be, home centers have respected and trusted brands that are best suited to meet the wide variety of your shoppers’ tastes, budgets and preferences Department stores are conveniently located in most US population centers with convenient hours and delivery options.
Home centers offer a wide range of price points for different home improvement budgets; however, the US Census Bureau recently reported average markups for retail sales, and the percentage is still quite significant for home furnishings. For home center stock cabinets, your style options are limited to what’s available in the store; out of stock units can delay your project. Semi-custom home center brands offer a few options for luxury cabinet features, such as glazing, soft-close hardware, and architectural detailing, but are considered significant upgrades to their asking prices. For semi-custom cabinets, you should also realize that your options to suit unusual applications, spaces, or personal tastes are limited.
kitchen and bath dealers
Kitchen and bath dealerships are specialty stores that often carry cabinets from multiple manufacturers; sometimes with territory or other rights to exclusive labels. Dealership staff often have a high level of experience and can provide a complete turnkey service. Managing your project every step of the way, from kitchen and space layout planning to product selection and installation, Cabinet Dealer prides itself on focusing on the details, allowing you to focus on the big picture; life in your new kitchen. If you prefer to be professionally guided through the entire cabinet buying process, then working with a kitchen and bath dealer may be a great option for you.
In ensuring a pleasant experience for every customer, it is widely accepted that dealerships provide a highly informed and comprehensive suite of products and services; however, with a real drawback in terms of affordability. In addition to the costs associated with maintaining a prominent retail location for their business, dealerships rely on highly-paid, skilled staff, expensive display systems, and extensive local advertising campaigns. Their services are usually bundled together with the sale of the product to ensure proper profit levels. For the trusted fully custom brands they carry, you’ll find them to be the most expensive option by far.
Members-only retailers
Members-only retailers that cater to home furnishings, such as DirectBuy, are springing up as consumers’ quest for affordability intensifies. Often times, these club groups offer the consumer the ability to choose from a selection of several name brand cabinet options and a limited selection of decorative features such as crown molding and architectural accents. For each transported line, the guarantees of the respective manufacturers are included. The price is moderate and some membership clubs also have many conveniently located showrooms where you can touch and feel the product.
The prospect of a special “members only” price that is advertised as close to the manufacturer’s direct factory price is very attractive. We all want to save where we can, especially when it comes to high-value kitchen and bath projects. While members-only companies offer discounted merchandise, the several thousand dollars it can cost to become a member can outweigh the savings you get from simply purchasing a cabinet. You should consider this important TCO factor if you plan to shop at a members-only retailer.
Online Cabinet Sites
Online cabinet retailers have emerged over the past decade in many industries initially to help businesses better communicate who they are and what they have to offer. Online cabinet vendors offer the monetary advantages of not having to finance independent showrooms, pay for traditional advertising, or carry excess inventory—all savings that they can pass on to their customers. Online sites primarily provide in-stock or ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets that are mass-produced in a limited number of door styles and wood species. As a result, speed of delivery and price are the biggest advantages it offers. You will need to know exactly what you want, provide accurate measurements, and it is recommended that you review the return and replenishment terms carefully if what you have ordered is not delivered to your specifications.
If you are looking for in-stock cabinets or RTAs, a reputable online provider may be right for you. However, you should take care that the site has been modernized to ensure accurate communications and secure exchange of information, particularly sensitive personal data. When it comes to product quality, if you are an owner and plan to live in your residence for many years, a higher class of cabinets would simply be a better choice. And, if you want personalized service, keep in mind that you get what you pay for with online suppliers of in-stock cabinets.
Custom Cabinet Shops
Before the advent of the industrial revolution, the cabinetmaker was responsible for making each piece of furniture. Even when traditional cabinetry ceased to be the primary source of cabinetry in the new world, Americans have always longed for historical roots; therefore, the traditional cabinetmaker remains an important part of the fabric of American culture. Cabinet shops exemplify the fine woodworking traditions of centuries past, as cabinet craftsmen possess highly technical and concise skills necessary to create unique home furnishings grade cabinets. As important an investment as a piece of art, a custom cabinetmaker can transform the art and refinement of old world craftsmanship into beautifully sculpted cabinetry for your home.
In fully appreciating the custom cabinet shop’s traditional woodworking traditions, the downsides primarily relate to the cost and time to produce your product. Typically not reliant on production innovations, fully custom shops may not have certain factory technologies, such as specialized firing ovens to seal the finish with a modern catalytic topcoat that has been shown to create superior protection. Durable against scratches, dents, and fading, to name just a few. Fully custom cabinets are indeed the crème de la crème with limitless possibilities to satisfy the most demanding clients; however, they do come with a premium, as fully custom cabinets are by far the most expensive option and lifetime warranties may not be included.
wood deposits
Sawmills arose almost two centuries ago to satisfy the need for a common understanding between sawmills and markets, increasingly remote from rail or sea transportation. Today, sawmills are often multi-generational family businesses that have earned the trust of local customers over the years, often providing everything from flooring to maintenance services. Some have grown to have multiple locations and even regional chains. These very nifty establishments will most likely have RTA and in-stock cabinets, and some may also have semi-custom cabinets, albeit from lesser-known brands.
Sawmills get much of their business by providing supplies to various commercial businesses. So while lumberyards may have useful supplies on hand for a trade professional, they are generally not geared towards serving the average homeowner looking to do a complete kitchen remodel. For their stock cabinet products, availability at lumberyards is subject to what’s in stock and wood and color options and warranties are limited to the brands, stock or semi-custom, they sell. Really for the do-it-yourselfer, if you intend to go to a sawmill, you should be prepared to provide your own kitchen layout, measurements, and plans. Good contracting services are often found, but service levels vary greatly from one sawmill to another.
