What is the future of the local hardware store?

[PM Martin]

What is the future of co-ops such as Ace and Truevalue?
How profitable are these stores?

edit: In comparison, independent appliance stores are doing very well.
What is the difference here?

[On the Road]

1. Unfortunately, Probably Niche Markets

Areas too small to be served by a Home Depot or Lowes.

That or specialties like window hardware.

[rockymountaindem]

2. There's two of them here in Boston that I've shopped at

They seem to be doing okay on the market of students who are making easy fixes to their apartments or buying cheap furniture.

[babylonsister]

3. Who knows? I hope they can hang on, because

Home Depots are going down drastically, too.

[elocs]

7. The Home Depot near me never seems to have much business in spite of being beside a ChinaMart.

There are 2 Menards stores near where I live and they are always very busy.

[babylonsister]

10. A few weeks ago I think I read 4 dozen HDs were closing.

I think that big box store stinks, has lousy managers, and is way too disorganized. I used to work for them, too. I much prefer Lowes, and there is an Ace around here that has its faithful clientele. I hope they hang on.

[elocs]

4. The Ace store where I live will be closing soon.

That's too bad because I could always get some very knowledgeable and good advice when I went there. In my city there is a small hole-in-the-wall hardware store downtown in a 100+ year old building. That just leave the Menards store and a Home Depot which can offer a bigger selection of products and a lower price than the small hardware stores. The old hardware stores may become a relic of a different age.

[Cleita]

5. Or they get eaten by Sears, which is what happened in my neighborhood.

We still have an Ace that survives because it has a great nursery, but I don't know for how much longer.

[MineralMan]

6. Depends almost entirely on the owner.

There's one near me, and virtually across the street from Home Depot. Its parking lot is always full, and it's my first stop anytime I need something.

Their prices are competitive with HD, but their stock is far more extensive in areas like plumbing supplies, nuts and bolts and fasteners, electrical goods, etc. They also have people working there who can help a customer find just the right stuff to do what they need to do.

They have the parts needed to repair the 75 year old faucets still in a lot of houses in the area. They will sell you a new rope for the recoil starter on your lawnmower or snowblower, and it'll be the right one. Need a chain for your bicycle? No problem. How about a replacement bow light for your boat? They have it. Did your toaster's cord get messed up. Bring it in. The nice man will even replace it for you.

How about a 6-point, 3/8" drive 21 mm socket? A snap.

Trust me...this store does very well, indeed, and right across from Home Depot.

OTOH, there are others that are failing, but they're not doing what's needed.

[zipplewrath]

11. Same around here

There are a few Ace stores that are nothing more than what I like to call "light bulb outlets" because if you need a bulb, they have it, but that's about all. But we have 2 VERY good hardware stores that aren't the "big box" stores. They have alot of "hard to find" items and their stock system seems to work better. Customer service is extremely competent. They are closer than the big box, and easier to get into and out of. Yes, they charge 10% more on many items, but you frequently are sure when you leave that you have the right item. I'd say I split myself 50/50 between the two kinds. I'm more likely to buy a lamp or appliance at the big box, but a tool or part at the hardware store. (And I'm likely to walk there as well).

[MADem]

8. There's an ACE not far from me--the stuff is a touch more expensive, but

if you wait and shop the sales, you can do very well there. It's also way more user friendly than a Big Box store--you're not taking a two mile hike to get three items. ACE has a customer reward routine going on, too--you get discounts if you buy a lot of stuff there. Also, they have an online presence and are affiliated with AMAZON, I believe.

[ixion]

9. this depression could potentially revitalize locally-owned business

we'll get through this much better if we all work together.

Locally-owned businesses have the advantage of being part of the community, whereas multi-nationals do not.

[spanone]

12. they will be sitting pretty when the biggies collapse under their own weight

[Uben]

13. Our True Value does well

He not only has hardware, but he has the best fishing supplies in town! Not only that, he went in halves on a liquor store attached to the same building, so he makes out well there, too. I talked to the owner, and he is also selling building materials for a local lumberyard as an outside sales rep. He used to build houses years ago, but hasn't in several years now. We're just a small town in Texas, but we do have a Home Depot here, and just about everyone I know hates to have to go in that store! They have maybe two employees that can actually help you while the others just stand around pickin their nose or scratchin their butts.

[Historic NY]

14. I miss my good old local store & a lots of people will eventually....

when they are gone. I could go & buy a pound of nails, ask them for a thing-a-ma-jig or a doo-hickey and they knew what I was talking about. The old stores were usually stock with American made products that are now hard to find at all. Its hardware that built America.

[2Design]

23. yes those types of stores are going to be missed more and more

even the big boxes that put them out are going out of business and I don't like the choices we have left

[Warpy]

15. There was NO hardware store in my city for over a decade

and Home Depot drove half a dozen local lumberyards out of business.

Last year, a True Value opened near me.

People finally got disgusted with Home Depot after years of mismanagement by a bad CEO who replaced good help with kids who didn't know beans and kept inventory so tight that half the stuff people went in for wasn't there.

That's what it took.

[AlCzervik]

16. My uncle's own a mom and pop hardware store in Arlington mass, business really hasn't slowed

for them and they've not had to lay anyone off.

shit breaks in your house and you need to fix it.

[ipfilter]

17. I know places like Ace hardware have a reputation for

friendly service compared to the big boxes, but that's not always the case. I didn't realize my local Ace hardware closed at 7PM sharp. I was hunting for some PVC fittings one night and the employee of the store walked right past me to turn off the lights. He then walked right back by without saying a word. I took the hint and walked right past him out the door. He never said a word to me.

I've been treated pretty rudely at Lowe's too, but they never shut out the lights on me.

[Stevenmarc]

18. We have one great mom an pop hardware store in the middle of all the big chains

and it does great. The reason it does great is because it carries pretty much every obscure hardware item that you would never be able to find in a big box store and they have a staff that knows where everything in the store is and what it does. We also have a local lumber yard that you're able to get molding cut with a custom profile, much appreciated when your house is 100+ years old and you would never find a molding that comes near to a close match in a Home Depot or Lowes

[PM Martin]

19. Thank you for these responses.

I am kicking this post up to get some more.

:hi:

[ferrous wheel]

20. The local Ace is owned by incredibly stupid morons who close on Sunday.

Way to not operate a fucking hardware store. And they are 2 or 3 times more expensive than the Lowes. Fuck 'em.

[PM Martin]

21. Well, that would just be that single store.

It seems that the owner determines the quality of service.

[Raine]

22. Maybe it's run by the family and

they like to have one day a week off. If you don't have lot's of employees to take up the slack and you need a day off sometimes you have to close for the day.