I do volunteer work in Appalachia with a group called Appalachia Service Project repairing homes to make them "warmer, safer, drier." One of the towns we work in is Jonesville, VA in the far southwestern corner of the state. Nearest Lowes is an hour away in Tennessee. There is a great hardware store/lumber yard in Jonesville that treats ASP very well. Main complaint coming from a place with multiple Lowe's and Home Depot stores within a 10 mile drive is their hours. The local guy closes at 5pm weekdays, and noon on Saturdays. The 5pm isn't bad but noon on Saturday is a challenge.
Lowe's here seems to have more knowledgeable staff than Home Depot. HD went down hill about 10 years ago when they went to almost all part time employees and got rid of the guys who knew the trades. It is also easier in our Lowe's to find help when you need it, and if no one is around the little call buttons located around the store work pretty well.
About 12 years ago a friend and I built a screen porch for someone. We were in Home Depot for 2 hours pulling stuff and filled up several carts and flat beds getting supplies. No one ever asked us if we needed assistance.
For pressure treated wood we have a local treating company that is pretty competitive with the big boxes that I prefer to use. For specialty lumber (trim, hardwoods, hardwood plywood, etc) I like Capitol City Lumber in Raleigh or Stock Supply in Apex. For bushes and trees I like Gardener's Supply in Cary. That said, Lowe's gets a fair amount of my business.