What are you painting (wood, metal, plastic, or stained drywall)?

Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore retailers. General Retailers: Walmart (limited selection). Online Marketplaces: Amazon, Zoro, and Wayfair.

Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards. Hardware Stores: Ace Hardware, True Value, and Do it Best.

The morning sun hit the hallway, exposing every ugly, nicotine-stained patch and greasy handprint left by the previous tenants. It was the kind of mess that standard paint wouldn’t touch. I knew exactly what I needed: a can of Zinsser primer. The problem was figuring out which aisle of which store held the key to my weekend renovation.

Do you prefer (easy cleanup) or oil/shellac-based (heavy duty)?

Knowing these details will help me recommend the you need.

But I’m a fan of supporting the neighborhood shops, so I called the local Ace Hardware. They confirmed they carried the 1-2-3 water-based version, perfect for my drywall. For those who prefer a more specialized touch, dedicated paint stores like Sherwin-Williams or PPG often carry Zinsser as a high-performance alternative to their own house brands. Even Walmart usually has a few cans of the basic Bulls Eye primer in their hardware section if you’re in a pinch late at night.