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| - The new Farm & Fleet in Verona is very, very large. Obviously this is evident coming in from the parking lot, but I was still taken aback by the sheer size of the place once I came through the doors. This is by far the largest Farm & Fleet I've ever seen. My first impression was a bit negative, as I was greeted with "Do Not Enter" because I apparently parked on the "incorrect" side of the lot. I walked around to the other set of doors and DAMN! Have I mentioned that this place is very large?
I quickly navigated my way to the Hardware section using the ceiling signs and found the first things on my list quickly - a drilling hammer and a tape measure. The drilling hammer was easy - three Estwing options to pick from - but I was quickly overwhelmed by the multiple varieties of tape measures. The one I really wanted was of course sold out, but after a solid ten minutes of comparing measures I made up my mind. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much choice. Following this, however, my day got difficult. I was looking for a vinyl patch kit and wandering the aisles wasn't getting me anywhere. I was approached by a very helpful associate who had no idea of where to look, but he graciously led me from section to section asking the respective floor managers. I did manage to see most of the store this way, but I was out of luck until I found something passable in Automotive. I then cut across the store to look for a certain fiberglass polish in the Home & Garden section, but after 15 minutes I gave up and went to check out. On a subsequent visit I didn't have any issues with the two items I was seeking, in part because I'd already had walked around most of the store and had a good feel for it.
The selection at this Farm & Fleet is the best of any I've seen, and it comes close to rivaling Menard's for many household repair items. My main problems were probably a symptom of the employees being relatively new. I didn't quite receive definitive answers from any of the floor associates on my one hard-to-find item, and I was too tired of shopping to ask when I couldn't find another item. The worst part of the experience was checking out. I have a talent for choosing the longest line, and without fail I ended up waiting for seemingly forever while the check-out lady slowly scanned the items of the couple in front of me, chatting away about anything and everything. Granted, I probably wouldn't have been as irritated had I not spent the last 45 minutes wandering about the store, but I only had four items and I just wanted to leave already. I'd probably rate this place four stars if not for the parting frustration. Overall, I think the Farm & Fleet is a pretty good option when you need to load up the cart. The location is fairly convenient and once you learn the layout it isn't too confounding. It's definitely easier to get to than Menard's or Home Depot, but for one or two things I'll stick with a smaller hardware store closer to home.
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