- Menard’s Home Improvement Store has made John Menard Jr. a $22.9 billion fortune.
- Unlike other stores, the Midwest chain offers mail-in rebates and no installation services.
- I was surprised by Menard’s size and variety of products.
If you’ve spent any time in the Midwest, the jingle “Save big bucks at Menards” is probably permanently embedded in your brain.
Menards, the home improvement chain founded by John Menard Jr., is known for its discounted prices, mail-in rebates and quirky Midwestern charm. The company has earned Menard Jr. billionaire status with a net worth of $22.9 billion, making him the richest person in Wisconsin.
Forbes reported that Menards had $13.4 billion in revenue last year, making it the third-largest home improvement chain in the U.S. behind Home Depot and Lowe’s.
During a recent trip to my hometown in Wisconsin, I accompanied my father, a frequent Menard’s shopper, to see what makes Menard’s business so successful.
John Menard Jr., founder of home improvement retailer Menards, is Wisconsin’s richest billionaire with a net worth of $22.9 billion.
Menard Jr. is the 87th richest person in the world, Forbes magazine reported.
According to Menards’ official website, he started his own construction company in 1958 after spending a summer building a pole building to attend college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. That led him into the building materials business, and in 1964 he opened Menard’s first retail store.
The chain, which currently has more than 300 stores in 15 Midwestern states, sells appliances, lighting, furniture, and groceries, as well as a variety of home improvement tools and building materials.
Menard Jr. is a controversial figure known for his frugal and ironclad management style. A 2007 profile in Milwaukee magazine reported that managers were fined $100 for every minute their stores were late opening, and Forbes magazine reported that even top executives are still unable to show up to work. It is reported that it is mandatory.
In 1997, Menard Jr. was fined more than $1.5 million and pleaded no contest to charges related to illegally dumping hazardous waste. Prosecutors said the suspect used his personal pickup truck to take dangerous chemicals from businesses and dump them in household trash cans, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Mr. Menard paid an additional $2 million in 2005 for violating Wisconsin’s water pollution law.
His personal conduct has also come under scrutiny in a 2013 lawsuit in which he was accused of pressuring a business partner’s wife to have sex with him and then firing her husband when he refused. Menard Jr. has denied any inappropriate behavior, his attorney told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Menard Jr. is also an avid race car enthusiast and sponsors Menard race cars in NASCAR and IndyCar events.
This was my first visit to the Menards store in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Menards store I visited in Milwaukee’s Northridge neighborhood is a whopping 162,300 square feet.
In the parking lot, you could rent a Menards pickup truck to bring back your bulk purchases.
According to the Menards website, pickup trucks cost $18.95 for the first 75 minutes, $6 for every 15 minutes after that and 50 cents for every mile driven.
I was surprised that there was a one-way gate at the entrance to prevent theft.
Most of the stores I visit in the Midwest don’t have thorough security measures in place. A comparison of shopping at Targets in New York City and Wisconsin found that the New York store had “secure shelves” and locked cases, while the Midwest store had “secure shelves” and locked cases, while the Midwest store had “secure shelves” and locked cases. It turned out that it was also placed on an open shelf.
Menard Jr. is known for his dedication to anti-theft measures. According to a report in Milwaukee Magazine, he instituted a policy that store owners could not build their own homes to prevent them from stealing supplies.
As soon as I entered the store, I was surprised at how spacious it was.
The passage seemed to go on forever.
Our first stop was the grocery section selling snacks, drinks, and other essentials.
Menards didn’t have a produce section, but it did have a refrigerated section with gallons of milk and frozen foods.
Menard’s groceries were significantly cheaper than local grocery chains.
For example, a family-sized box of Oat Honey Bunches costs $4.93 at Menards. At Metro Market, a Midwest grocery chain, the same box cost $6.29. I understand why my father swears like that.
I came across unique products that I had never seen before, such as Hydrox Sand Cookies.
Oreos were made to imitate Hydrox cookies, but popularity eventually superseded them and Hydrox looked like a knock-off. I had never even heard of Hydrox cookies until I saw them at Menards.
Menard Jr.’s involvement in racing is also evident in the packaging of his locally brewed Sprecher Root Beer.
The root beer was labeled as the official craft soda of the Menards Series of the Automobile Racing Club of America. A 24-pack costs $19.99.
Some aisles also featured photos of Menard’s race cars.
Menard Jr.’s son, Paul Menard, competed in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The lighting section was lit up with light bulbs, chandeliers, and other fixtures.
The product also came with a QR code to scan for online shopping.
The counter, cabinets, and vanity looked ready to install.
Unlike other home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s, Menards does not offer installation services. Instead, direct customers to local service providers and ensure your store doesn’t act as a competitor to the contractors who shop there.
The lumberyard was large enough for multiple semi-trucks to load supplies.
Milwaukee Magazine reported that Menard Jr. was recycling wood scraps and hoarding leftover heating equipment.
The outdoor living section featured a number of impressive pieces of furniture.
This section also included a grill, gazebo, and swing set.
With the arrival of spring, flowers are in full bloom at the garden center.
In addition to potted plants, the gardening corner also sold seeds, soil, outdoor decorations, and gardening supplies.
Menards had a little bit of everything, including a shelf of “As Seen On TV” products.
This section featured items such as Mike Lindell’s MyPillow, Ped Egg callus remover, and portable handheld fan.
They also sold their own goods.
You’ll see how Menard’s, a Midwest family-owned brand, inspires loyalty that makes people want to wear its hats.
Another feature of shopping at Menards is mail-in rebates.
On the day I visited, Menards was offering an 11% rebate in the form of a merchandise credit check if you mailed in your receipt and completed form. Although rebate rates vary, this system is a feature of the Menards shopping experience and helps keep prices even lower.
Although I’m not a DIY fan myself, I was impressed by Menards’ low prices, large inventory, and unique policies.
Long after I left the store, I couldn’t get the jingle “Save big bucks at Menards” stuck in my head.
