Jay there are two HD stores over here, about 5 miles apart. One has 700 tons, the other has 850 tons. The one with 850 has filled up the entire area behind the store and is now spilling several rows deep out into the parking lot area. Never seen anything of this magnitude at the boxes before.
There was a shortage in this area last winter. Local fleet farm was rationing one bag per person from dec pretty much all the way to break up. I don't burn pellets.
As I was driving past TSC this morning there was a TT pulling in with 22 tons of...you guessed it...GS. Yup, another truckload of them to pile on top of the 27 truckloads of GS they already have!
I was in the Albany, NY area this weekend for a family reunion. I stopped by a HD in East Greenbush to see if I might score some exotic pellets never before seen in Maine, like maybe Set's. I didn't see much outside so I went to the service desk. 4 people standing there when I asked what kind of pellets they had. No one knew. Then they had to debate who to call to find out. They finally called someone and got the answer. GS. Very disappointed at that. So I headed to the nearest beverage barn and bought a case of Yuengling. Can't get that up here either.
Seems the more urban you go, the more those areas have less supply and lower grade pellets at the box stores. As you know, our HD's regular staff are well informed about what they have in stock. I know if I go there during the day, there is a greeter right at the door who is more than willing to help me get what I went in for. But go there in the PM or weekends and it might very different.