Underrated in America: Local hardware stores
Filed under: Bargains, Extracurriculars, Home, Shopping, Simplification
Louie is the go-to guy in our local hardware store, Mazzone's. Most of the time, all we have to do is stand in the entryway of the small store and tell him what we need. My husband, who manages several apartments, is there constantly, consulting with Louie about the right size nuts and bolts or looking for some small bit of something that will compensate for the imperfections in the very old buildings that he manages.The Lowe's in our neighborhood is actually closer by a few hundred feet, and the Home Depot is only a five minute drive away, but while we spend a lot of time and money in those big box stores, we still trundle down to the local hardware store when we need something because it's convenient, friendly and the staff is helpful. No, it's not where we bought our tile to renovate our bathroom, or where we bought our cabinets. But it is where we get our keys made (the Lowe's never has anyone staffing the key stand), and where we pick up paint brushes, herbs for the garden and things like weatherstripping and drill bits.
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When Lowe's moved down the street about five years ago, I feared for Mazzone's, thinking that people would just go a few more feet to bargain shop in a huge store that would seem to have everything a fixer-upper could need. But therein lies the problem: When you are looking for one specific thing, going into a big store is annoying. When you need, say, three feet of quarter-inch plastic tubing to affix to the bottom of your air conditioner so it doesn't drip on your head, you want to just run in and grab it. And have a nice guy, like Louie, remind you that you'll need some kind of funnel (which he'll hand to you), and some waterproof tape. You can be in and out of the store in five minutes, rather than roaming the aisles forever, trying to find assistance and then waiting at the check-out at the chain store.
Local hardware stores are, of course, in trouble. Entrepreneur's statistic show that there were nearly 27,000 hardware stores in 2007, but most of the revenue is generated by the giant companies. Businesses with less than 20 employees -- or about 25,500 of the total -- only accounted for 0.0025% of the revenue. The bulk of the money, some $350 million, was generated by just 20 business with 250-plus employees.
Mazzone's is surviving for now, even thriving, thanks to good service. This year's Pumpkinfest, when the store spills out onto the sidewalk and has free food and activities for kids, was a major neighbohood event. The side yard is loaded with fresh flowers and plants for sale and you see a lot of people wandering around with the store's white-and-red bags. It has turned itself into a friendly neighborhood fixture, winning people over with its charm -- so much so that it's become a field trip for the neighborhood preschool. There's no way Lowe's and Home Depot can match that.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2008 @ 8:24AM
Jerry Spears said...
I have also found that my local hardware store is the only place to find parts to fix some older, and some would say outdated appliances and household items. It is also very nice to walk into a store and be able to tell one single person what you need and have that same person find it for you and not have to wait for them to get someone from that department to help you.
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10-30-2008 @ 9:06AM
Johanna said...
The staff at my local hardware store speak little English so I go to Lowe's or Home Depot.
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10-30-2008 @ 9:38AM
dave said...
Your local hardware store most likely has Better trained people that earn more money than the people at lowe's or home depot.
Remember a good economy is based upon a good wage. This also goes for w%*mart and any other huge corp. Please shop at locally owned stores and keep the money local also.
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10-30-2008 @ 1:30PM
Bruce said...
I give a hearty "Amen!" to the local hardware store. I was working on the 37 year old bathtub faucets at my mother's house. Not ancient, but old enough. Lowe's & Home Depot did not have the correctly sized valve seats or handle replacements (the old ones were so badly frozen in place that I destroyed them in the process of removing them). The local hardware shop, Moneypenny, did. Additionally, they cleaned up & rebuilt the faucet stems for me. It cost a whopping $38 - far less than the full faucet replacement was going to cost.
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10-30-2008 @ 12:42PM
Fortesque said...
The folks at my local hardware store save my a** regularly. The employees know what they are talking about. The prices there average just a little higher but the help you get and the time (and wasted trips) you save more than make up for the difference. Way to go Dales Hardware !!
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10-30-2008 @ 1:42PM
Colleen Johnson said...
The BEST hardware store in the entire universe is in Corvallis, Oregon. The name of it is Robnett's Hardware and it has been here since the late 1800's. It still has the wood floors and customer service from Heaven. You can walk in with a single screw or a widget and they say..."oh yeah..we have that. I'll go get it for you." The same family has had the place since day one. I want my ashes scattered there when I die!
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11-01-2008 @ 8:26PM
Bolt Zoltar said...
My local hardware store always has the "HARDWARE" I'm needing .plus there employs don't run hide ie.lowes/depot. when they see you ! they never know what your talking about . . Dzuse Fasteners haaa whaattt???? nooo speaky inglase..Local store ."Yes Sir.How Many"..."how bout some drill bits sir ,any thing else" nuff sayd..
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