HVACR professionals have mixed views on big-box retailers’ move into distribution and see both opportunities and downsides. That dynamic, he added, provides an opening for big-box retailers. “I would judge it by whether they improve price and access without completely stripping away the support contractors still need.” As a result, technical support is one of the major criteria we look at when choosing a brand/distributor,” Welsch said. “Sadly, manufacturers, distributors, and big-box stores see contractors as the weak link to getting consumer dollars,” Cameron said.