The Demise of Locally Owned Hardware Stores?

[N80]

We have locally owned Ace hardware stores. Still pretty mom-and-pop. Service is always good. Knowledge is good. Selection not as good but always better than I am expecting. Sadly, I don't go to them as much as I should. Several reasons:

1. Selection. Its just a fact of life that they don't have the selection of the big box stores. Even if they have the item they usually don't have a selection of brands to choose from. They do usually have the better brand. Having said that, it happens all too often that the big box stores don't have what I need either. With big projects, like when we built our cabin, we'd invariably have to go to Lowes and HD to get all of the plumbing or electrical supplies we needed. So frustrating.

2. One stop shopping. The big box stores have a wider variety of products, from appliances, to yard and garden, to home entertainment wiring, etc. The promise of one stop shopping is a big draw for me. The truth is that it is rarely fulfilled and I end up driving all over town anyway.

3. This is the biggie for me. With the broader selection I can go into the big box stores with a problem I'm not sure how to solve and find the parts and pieces (that I might not have known even existed) and solve the problem that way.

However, my experiences at Lowes the last few trips has been so bad I'm considering not going back. The problem is check out. Long lines. Incompetent and indifferent cashiers, understaffed, too much reliance on self checkout which never works and ties up more employees. Home Depot is a little better but much further away.

The bottom line is that I need to go to the little local franchises first and then to the big box because most trips end up with 2 or 3 stops anyway.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've never had any luck with finding what I'm looking for, or saving money with Ace or any small hardware store. I go to them because they are close to where I'm working at the time, but have found that most of the time, it was a waste of time and I still have to go to Home Depot or Lowes. It's to the point now that I rarely stop at a small hardware store.

One big surprise that I just discovered is that I can order stuff on Lowes.com that they don't have in the store, and have it delivered to my house for free shipping!!!! If I don't need it right away, and I'm not going to the store that day, it's a big time saver for me to go online. I've also had great success ordering stuff online from Home Depot, but they make you pick it up in the store or charge for shipping. HomeDepot.com has so much more online then they do in their store.

Hey Eddie... Do you remember Foothill Ace Hardware?

This is the one that was an entire city block near Eastmont with a full lumber yard, plumbing, electrical, housewares and one of my favorites was the bulk Bolt Room... just bins and bins of bulk bolts in all grades and metric with brass, stainless clevis, etc. and if you needed one you could buy one...

Last about 2 years after the owner died... he founded in 1945 when he got out of the service...

Near the farm there was a smaller ACE that is amazing.... hired lots of local kids and they could not be more helpful... in and out and all kinds of "Depth" of product... quality tools and tons of hardware...

The owner is 62 and his wife has been pushing his to slowdown... I asked why he didn't sell and he said not a good idea since the value is in the inventory and it makes it too easy for someone to buy, sell off the inventory and walk away... since no one was interested in an outright cash purchase.

I think what I am finding is so much of what I know is going away in terms of the local businesses... usually when the owner steps down no one steps up to continue... seen it with the small tool and die shops about 20 years ago.

Off topic... Even are big and busy Walmart closed with 3-day notice late last year... the new $12.55 an hour minimum wage was cited as the reason...

 

[ultrarunner]

Eams Hardware is the latest one that is closing... 68 reviews on Yelp and ALL 5 Star...

Eames Hardware & Supply Incorporated in Pleasant Hill | Eames Hardware & Supply Incorporated 2665 Pleasant Hill Rd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 Yahoo - US Local

Here is the other one... it is also the store where I opened my first commercial account at age 22.

Foothill Hardware - CLOSED - 15 Reviews - Hardware Stores - East Oakland - Oakland, CA, United States - Photos - Phone Number - Yelp

There are about a dozen that I traded with that are no more...

 

[N80]

Mt grandfather and his brothers owned the hardware store here. He dies in 1968. The store closed in the 1970's, bought out by Ace or somebody. They closed the main street store. I still remember it. Even when I was a child they still had tack and plows for mules. Still sold guns. I remember the big galvanized bins of nails and such. It was a huge open space with the office up some stairs with a big window that looked out over the floor below. I have a Winchester cartridge board that came out of the store. No modern cartridges on it so pre-1906 anyway.

 

[Howling]

One big surprise that I just discovered is that I can order stuff on Lowes.com that they don't have in the store, and have it delivered to my house for free shipping!!!! If I don't need it right away, and I'm not going to the store that day, it's a big time saver for me to go online. I've also had great success ordering stuff online from Home Depot, but they make you pick it up in the store or charge for shipping. HomeDepot.com has so much more online then they do in their store.

Every time I order online from Home Depot they seem to ship each part from the different store. Must be hard to make money offering free shipping then put the $1.29 item in a separate box and ship it by UPS.

Also have used the order for store pick up. That way can have my wife or kid go to store and everything has been gathered and ready for pickup at customer service.

 

[Teachu2]

Small businesses survive because they provide personal service at a level above big-box stores. When they quit doing so, they close up.

 

[aczlan]

Also have used the order for store pick up. That way can have my wife or kid go to store and everything has been gathered and ready for pickup at customer service.

I have done that as the wife doesn't like going and looking for lists of plumbing/electrical stuff. Makes it easier to get her to grab something if she just has to go to the service desk and grab the order.

Aaron Z

 

[ultrarunner]

This is what surprised me... 99% of the 65 reviews were positive.

Owner said having no one he trusted to carry on was the reason so retirement means closing the doors.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I went to a Home Depot a few weeks ago. I was looking for the kind of garbage can that attaches to the back of your cupboard door. The greeter took me to the garbage cans. Nice of him, but they only had stand alone cans. So he went and got the "expert" for that area. Firstly, I shouldn't ask for a "waste receptacle" as no one knows what I am talking about. Anyway, I explained to the expert what I wanted, and she said, sorry, that's all we have.

I couldn't believe it. I found my way to the kitchen department, and a gentleman knew of what I spoke (a garbage can that goes on the back of a cupboard door) and took me to the location, different from the first.

It was not quite the style I wanted, so I left, and found a better style at a Home Hardware. They also did not know what a waste receptacle was.

Very, very sad, how totally dysfunctional the world is becoming.

 

[Cramby]

I always shop our local Do it Best hardware store. If they don't have, they will get it. Local people helping locals. 80% of revenue stays in the community vs. 40% of revenues from the big box store.