Yeah, this area not big on a lot of things other areas have which is why I go on the internet for 99% of my purchases
Lowes here carries pine, the "white" wood, I'll look for poplar next time I go - they may have it in another area. I've also seen cedar planks for closets and things
I won't go to HD - they really suck in this area - worst service you could imagine, and the employee turn over is insane - every time I go in there it seems there are new employees in every dept who haven't been trained to help anyone! I once went in to buy a sheet of plywood, took almost an hour to get someone to cut it for me. Now I just buy the sheets and break it down myself - worthless!
The plywood at our lowes is all in MM which drives me nuts converting it LOL and there is nothing sanded except the small pieces 2x2, 2x4 which are really expensive