Menards is a chain of home improvement retail stores that is mostly located in the Midwestern United States. Locations are concentrated in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.http://www.menards.com/storeLocator.do
Like other home improvement stores, including The Home Depot and Lowe’s, Menards specializes in selling supplies and equipment for homeowners that are interested in performing their own remodeling projects. These include: power tools, wood, patio furniture, electrical supplies and gardening supplies.http://www.menards.com/index.do
Menards is also involved in the real estate market. Excess property that is not needed to build and operate a retail store is listed for sale on the store's real estate website. Much of the property that is listed has been zoned for commercial use, but the site is also adding residential listings regularly.http://www.menardsrealestate.com/menardsrealestate/home.html
Company Background
The first Menards store was opened in 1960.http://www.timesuniononline.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=224&ArticleID=39743&TM=39952.59 Despite the chain's more than 250 locations, the company remains family-owned and operated and is not traded on any public stock exchange.http://www.menards.com/FAQs.do#q1
Individuals interested in applying for a job at a Menards retail location, distribution center, management office or manufacturing plant can do so by visiting the Careers link at the Menards website.http://www.menards.com/careers.do Employees receive several benefits, including retirement plan contributions, health insurance, store discounts, and profit sharing.http://www.menards.com/careersBenefits.do
Shopping at Menards
The Menards weekly ad is available for viewing on the company website. These full color ads show the weekly specials that are valid in the store as well as the seasonal product sales that are currently going on.http://menards.inserts2online.com/customer_Frame.jsp?drpStoreID=1 If you would like to receive notices of new sales and promotions, you can subscribe to the email list to get the new advertisements in your email box.http://cs.silverpop.com/menards/prefcenter/sign_up.sp
Menards also marks the start of the holiday retail season with a storewide sale on Black Friday. On this day, the store opens early in the morning and posts dramatic discounts on items to encourage shoppers to come out.http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/menards-black-friday-ad.html
Menards Black Friday Sale
Like many other retail store chains, Menards has an annual sale on Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving. This day usually marks the start of the holiday shopping season, so many people arrive early in the morning for a chance to find items on sale at drastically reduced prices. This video shows the crowds entering a Menards store in Missouri at 6:00 AM on Black Friday.