Local grow shops WAY TOO BUSY!!

[lampost]

I've recently made trips to two different grow shops in the area. I couldn't even talk to anyone after looking around for like 15-20 minutes so I bolted. Same thing at both places. Phones ringing off the hook... people standing in line to be helped... employees running around.... it's fuckin' insane. This shit is BLOWING UP!!

Anyway, I wish luck to anyone going to a local grow shop and thinking they're going to get the service and help that can't be found online. It's probably easier to just ask your questions on here or another forum and get it yourself for cheaper online...

I know this isn't the fault of the growshop employees... they probably couldn't hire enough help to even keep up if they tried. When I was in there it was unreal... like 15 people just standing around kinda looking at stuff but obviously needing a bit of help.

[DirtayeSanchez]

sounds like a good place to look for a part time job for some extra cash. I wouldn't mind finding a trimmer job in the evenings to make some dough. Is it too late to become a growing equipment distibutor? LOL

[Reenster]

I know it can be hit or miss but do not forget craig's list for growing equipment.
There are some great deal from folks that are upgrading or dismantling their grow rooms.

Picked up a 600w HPS still in the case with an air cooled hood for $250. Other than that I use HTG or The Big Tomato locally. I find off hours, like first thing on a Sunday morning or when they first open in the AM is the least crowded.

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

tell me not. used to walk in to a quiet store have freindly conversation. now its 6 or 7 new employees running around helping the big spenders(maybe on commission). stacks of ballasts against the wall getting snatched up left and right. its outta hand. i think its a good time to open a hydro store anyone want to partner i have owned a sandwich franchise and taco shop. just need $$$:) shops that busy tells me there is room for more.

meded to mededicate to mededitate

[lampost]

tell me not. used to walk in to a quiet store have freindly conversation. now its 6 or 7 new employees running around helping the big spenders(maybe on commission). stacks of ballasts against the wall getting snatched up left and right. its outta hand. i think its a good time to open a hydro store anyone want to partner i have owned a sandwich franchise and taco shop. just need $$$:) shops that busy tells me there is room for more.

meded to mededicate to mededitate

Yeah you guys have good ideas about opening a hydro store or even getting work there.
Looking at Westword it seems like a few more have popped up recently. Either way its still way less saturated than the dispensary market!
I'd be up for taking that gamble. I'm sick of working for the man.

[PufferLungs]

tell me not. used to walk in to a quiet store have freindly conversation. now its 6 or 7 new employees running around helping the big spenders(maybe on commission). stacks of ballasts against the wall getting snatched up left and right. its outta hand. i think its a good time to open a hydro store anyone want to partner i have owned a sandwich franchise and taco shop. just need $$$:) shops that busy tells me there is room for more.

meded to mededicate to mededitate

I was thinking the same thing.......... time to open a hydro store!! :thumbsup:

[TerribleIdea]

I got cheaper grow equipment and good knowledge from one of the dispensaries i go to. Delta9 on broadway directed me to [email protected]. I emailed them and they set me up with the equipment i needed for a way good price. I had already gone in and looked at their catalogue and figured out what stuff i wanted through some of the guys there. good luck guys.

[redtails]

That sucks, sorry to hear they're too busy to help out there in CO. There's 3 hydro stores in my area(phx) that I know of and the two I've been to, I've had employees asking if they can help or just shooting the sh*t with me within a minute no matter what time or day. It's good that the business is booming out there though, don't get me wrong!

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

I have been noticing more shops opening wont be long till that too is saturated. the real clincher will depend on new regulations on dispenaries. if they close up there goes that big crowd and soon grow stores will close.growers will keep on growing to supply the street market and po po will have a field day. traitors. nice thing about grow stores is that it is just normal biz regulation. no upper ups looking down on you trying to find ways to eradicate the devil weed.

mededso you can mededicate to mededitate

[lampost]

I have been noticing more shops opening wont be long till that too is saturated. the real clincher will depend on new regulations on dispenaries. if they close up there goes that big crowd and soon grow stores will close.growers will keep on growing to supply the street market and po po will have a field day. traitors. nice thing about grow stores is that it is just normal biz regulation. no upper ups looking down on you trying to find ways to eradicate the devil weed.

mededso you can mededicate to mededitate

If dispensaries go then grow stores are going to thrive that much more!! That means people will be forced to grow their own... they aren't even talking about stripping that right from us (yet). So, actually a grow store seems like the way to go if you want to get into this business. A grow store that PRIDES itself on impeccable service... even setting up appts if you have to.

[copobo]

maybe we should have a grow store review thread?

both of the Boulder stores are busy as hell. Time to Grow seems to have a little more respect for who their customer is... Boulder Hydroponic employees freak out if you mention anything, so I've seen new, legal mmj customers get the stinkeye and reprimand for talking MJ.

Both are busy as hell and understaffed. Time to grow seems to be a bit cheaper for gear but the price for nutes is about the same (I use GH). Boulder Hydroponic seems to be out of stock on alot of stuff alot of the time, so I end up driving to TTG anyway. If just little crap, and it always is... if I need 3 little things, they'll be out of one of them.

My biggest complaint at Time to Grow is almost nothing has a price on it and staff are so busy they need to run back and check on a computer. A pricelist or labels on the shelves...it would save them so much time - this would be easily fixed!

Time to Grow folks are consistently friendly, if a little stressed.

BH folks are usually pretty nice, but sometimes you show up there and you can tell the entire shop is having a bad day or just got yelled at or something.

Both shops need more registers and more help.

Any others open in the Boulder / North of Denver area?

[lampost]

maybe we should have a grow store review thread?

both of the Boulder stores are busy as hell. Time to Grow seems to have a little more respect for who their customer is... Boulder Hydroponic employees freak out if you mention anything, so I've seen new, legal mmj customers get the stinkeye and reprimand for talking MJ.

Both are busy as hell and understaffed. Time to grow seems to be a bit cheaper for gear but the price for nutes is about the same (I use GH). Boulder Hydroponic seems to be out of stock on alot of stuff alot of the time, so I end up driving to TTG anyway. If just little crap, and it always is... if I need 3 little things, they'll be out of one of them.

My biggest complaint at Time to Grow is almost nothing has a price on it and staff are so busy they need to run back and check on a computer. A pricelist or labels on the shelves...it would save them so much time - this would be easily fixed!

Time to Grow folks are consistently friendly, if a little stressed.

BH folks are usually pretty nice, but sometimes you show up there and you can tell the entire shop is having a bad day or just got yelled at or something.

Both shops need more registers and more help.

Any others open in the Boulder / North of Denver area?

^the price sticker comment is huge! That was my beef too. I just wanted to ask price and compare on a couple pieces of equipment and after waiting forever I just bailed.

HTG is THE way to go if you can afford the shipping wait!

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

If dispensaries go then grow stores are going to thrive that much more!! That means people will be forced to grow their own... they aren't even talking about stripping that right from us (yet). So, actually a grow store seems like the way to go if you want to get into this business. A grow store that PRIDES itself on impeccable service... even setting up appts if you have to.

i disagree the people that were growing were doing it b4 this massive explosion. i think a lot of disgruntled rookies will pack up and leave the scene along with a bunch of cali growers:D your right about one thing grow stores will continue and those with a track record will hang on. this is a hailstorm of business right now people have to be patient. if i could grow as much as i wanted in a place that i wanted id have 80% of the business based on potency and quality. sadly that day is not here due to ignorance and greed. not to mention id have a grow store, pipe shop, seed store, strip club and a porno store all together in the same strip mall:cool: priorities people.;)
one day all will be good in the world...2013ad.

meded so you can mededicate to mededitate

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

If dispensaries go then grow stores are going to thrive that much more!! That means people will be forced to grow their own... they aren't even talking about stripping that right from us (yet). So, actually a grow store seems like the way to go if you want to get into this business. A grow store that PRIDES itself on impeccable service... even setting up appts if you have to.

besides if that were true they would be growing already. why would anyone pay 10-20 dollars a gram when you could grow for $10 an ounce. private grows are inexpensive less the initial cost of setup. in a couple of years you to could be a pro grower ....not. but good enough.


meded so you can mededicate to mededitate

[snowking]

The first place I ever went to was The Grow Store on Colfax (in Denver/Lakewood). On the plus side, it was October and they have a Fall sale where everything in the store was 40% off. Great time to be starting a new grow. Otherwise, I was warned ahead of time that the staff wasn't super knowledgable, and they are basically like fast-talking used car salesmen.

I went in there several times and had experiences that lived up to the rep. They always try to sell you the most expensive thing they can, regardless of whether it suits your needs. You tell them closet grow and you come out with an 8" Max Fan and a Can Filter 100. Ok, maybe not that bad. But, if you're new and don't know what you want or need, you will be steered toward the most expensive solution. If you point at anything in the store and ask any question about it, they will only encourage you to buy it. If you say "reflector", the knee-jerk reaction is to take you to the biggest reflector in the store and talk up a 1000w ballast right off the bat. The look of disappointment on the guys face was priceless when I told him I was only interested in a 400. Good thing I'm immune to peer pressure.

Also, they're return policy is draconic, as per usual. They clearly have a sign up that says "NO returns on electronics". I was having trouble getting some 240v outlets working properly so I ran out and bought some 120v ballast cords for $8 each. When I figured out my problem I tried to take them back and get a refund. I never used the cords, never took off the twist tie, never plugged them at all. That was a 10 minute conversation/disagreement. Me: "Technically it's not electronics. It doesn't have a circuit board, doesn't have any semiconductors, chips, or processors. It's inert. It's just copper wiring basically with a plug on the end. You can't break it." Them: "I'm sorry, we don't do returns on electronics". Me: "You're kidding me. I spent almost $2,000 in your store less than a month ago, and you can't do a refund on $25 worth of power cords?".

On the other hand, they have a satellite store at Federal and Belleview (I believe) and it's rarely crowded at all, and the people I've talked to there I've found to be pretty helpful.

Then I found Cultivate at 38th and Wadsworth. Those guys have been great. Now, I'm also a slightly more knowledgable consumer. But if I ask an opinion on something I feel like I'm getting a response based on some real world experience, not so much the price tag, including the occasional "I've never grown with it, so I just don't know."

When I've bought stuff at Cultivate that the sales people haven't used, they'll ask me questions about it. They want to know what my experience is with the products.

Also, I bought a 400w ballast and a reflector there, opened them up, and unpacked them. Then I switched gears and decided to go with a 600 and a larger reflector. They said pack it back up and bring it back, we'll exchange it for you, no problem. I had an easier time returning $400 worth of equipment at Cultivate, than $25 worth at The Grow Store.

They opened a new store near I-25 and Washington. Now the largest in the state. I have to agree with the OP, last time I went I had to park in the alley because their parking lot was all maxxed out. Are they busy? most of the time yes. But I will say that all the newer employees that I've met have been really cool. Also, they hired a guy in a wheelchair. If you're in one there is a much longer list of jobs you can't do, than jobs you can. In my opinion, props to them for giving a brother an opportunity, I think that's cooler than hell.

[lampost]

The first place I ever went to was The Grow Store on Colfax (in Denver/Lakewood). On the plus side, it was October and they have a Fall sale where everything in the store was 40% off. Great time to be starting a new grow. Otherwise, I was warned ahead of time that the staff wasn't super knowledgable, and they are basically like fast-talking used car salesmen.

I went in there several times and had experiences that lived up to the rep. They always try to sell you the most expensive thing they can, regardless of whether it suits your needs. You tell them closet grow and you come out with an 8" Max Fan and a Can Filter 100. Ok, maybe not that bad. But, if you're new and don't know what you want or need, you will be steered toward the most expensive solution. If you point at anything in the store and ask any question about it, they will only encourage you to buy it. If you say "reflector", the knee-jerk reaction is to take you to the biggest reflector in the store and talk up a 1000w ballast right off the bat. The look of disappointment on the guys face was priceless when I told him I was only interested in a 400. Good thing I'm immune to peer pressure.

Also, they're return policy is draconic, as per usual. They clearly have a sign up that says "NO returns on electronics". I was having trouble getting some 240v outlets working properly so I ran out and bought some 120v ballast cords for $8 each. When I figured out my problem I tried to take them back and get a refund. I never used the cords, never took off the twist tie, never plugged them at all. That was a 10 minute conversation/disagreement. Me: "Technically it's not electronics. It doesn't have a circuit board, doesn't have any semiconductors, chips, or processors. It's inert. It's just copper wiring basically with a plug on the end. You can't break it." Them: "I'm sorry, we don't do returns on electronics". Me: "You're kidding me. I spent almost $2,000 in your store less than a month ago, and you can't do a refund on $25 worth of power cords?".

On the other hand, they have a satellite store at Federal and Belleview (I believe) and it's rarely crowded at all, and the people I've talked to there I've found to be pretty helpful.

Then I found Cultivate at 38th and Wadsworth. Those guys have been great. Now, I'm also a slightly more knowledgable consumer. But if I ask an opinion on something I feel like I'm getting a response based on some real world experience, not so much the price tag, including the occasional "I've never grown with it, so I just don't know."

When I've bought stuff at Cultivate that the sales people haven't used, they'll ask me questions about it. They want to know what my experience is with the products.

Also, I bought a 400w ballast and a reflector there, opened them up, and unpacked them. Then I switched gears and decided to go with a 600 and a larger reflector. They said pack it back up and bring it back, we'll exchange it for you, no problem. I had an easier time returning $400 worth of equipment at Cultivate, than $25 worth at The Grow Store.

They opened a new store near I-25 and Washington. Now the largest in the state. I have to agree with the OP, last time I went I had to park in the alley because their parking lot was all maxxed out. Are they busy? most of the time yes. But I will say that all the newer employees that I've met have been really cool. Also, they hired a guy in a wheelchair. If you're in one there is a much longer list of jobs you can't do, than jobs you can. In my opinion, props to them for giving a brother an opportunity, I think that's cooler than hell.

Sounds like a good place...

I agree on The Grow Store on Colfax. That place sucks!!!

[canaguy27]

I am looking into opening a grow shop right now in around denverar/aurora. It has been difficult to find a space because the distributors won't allow most areas because of other shops. If I end up opening one, you guys WILL get discounts. Every place I have toured charges MSRP which is in most cases 100% markup which I understand, but it still bothers me...

Cultivate on 666 bucktel has the best setup imho. They are moving tons of products, and every other place I have been into is usually swamped.

I may need another partner(more startup cash) and will definitely need more experienced staff if you cats are interested. I will keep you updated.

[Spacedet01]

I am looking into opening a grow shop right now in around denverar/aurora. It has been difficult to find a space because the distributors won't allow most areas because of other shops. If I end up opening one, you guys WILL get discounts. Every place I have toured charges MSRP which is in most cases 100% markup which I understand, but it still bothers me...

Cultivate on 666 bucktel has the best setup imho. They are moving tons of products, and every other place I have been into is usually swamped.

I may need another partner(more startup cash) and will definitely need more experienced staff if you cats are interested. I will keep you updated.

hey cannaguy...we might be interested in the partner thing. Also would be def interested in working the place as well. You have an email I can hit you on?

[canaguy27]

hey cannaguy...we might be interested in the partner thing. Also would be def interested in working the place as well. You have an email I can hit you on?

goto my website and email is at the bottom. i'd post it here, but don't want to get spammed.

Medicinal Marijuana of Colorado Discussion Forums - Medicinal Marijuana News (http://medicinalmarijuanaofcolorado.com/)

[MEDEDCANNABIS]

check insidesun.com cheapest ive seen. me.. no capital but have biz experience and creative marketing. i also have experience in real etate and finance.

meded to mededicate to mededitate

[mesinco]

I just got some home delivery (about a half hour after my call) from Panacea Caregivers out of Longmont. Good variety, quality - having a bud over to hang a bit vibe of a shopping experience. No crowds, no driving - one on one attention to peruse, talk over - I like it.

[BobBong]

Business is... Growing!

haha... bad i know..

I can personally attest to this, I've manged a hydroponics shop in Toronto for close to 3 years now and business has been considerably better than the year before. :thumbsup:

I find more and more small closet gardens being setup and more and more outdoor gardens being planted.

Keep it up! Overgrow the government and all that jazz.

[TheReleafCenter]

We really like the guys at The Big Tomato. Usually not a lot in terms of a wait.

[senorx12562]

We really like the guys at The Big Tomato. Usually not a lot in terms of a wait.
Agree wholeheartedly. Great service , 10% discount card that accrues a credit of 5%, absolutely the best I've been to.

[checkedout]

EverGreen Hydroponics in Longmont. Great place. Prices posted on most everything.

[canaguy27]

got my wholesale account. if you guys need gear, hit me up. of course, discounts available for members:jointsmile: