Although I worked at and prefer the Mom & Pop hardware stores, I have a hard time finding one close to my house. Rarely do I come to Home Depot and not get what I need for a decent price. I've noticed as a chain Home Depot employees have also become increasingly friendly to help you navigate all the aisles.
While it's some what of a pain to walk through the massive store to just get one item, I do and the item I buy (Google: Monkey Hooks) is well worth it!