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Restoration Hardware opened its opulent Gold Coast outlet at 1300 N. Dearborn Pkwy. in October 2015. The former Three Arts Club was completed in 1914. The 70,000 square-foot stores features a roof-top deck, restaurant, bar and coffee bar.
A LONG PARTNERSHIP
Downtown Hardware Knows It Can Rely on House Hasson Wholesale Hardware
Sometimes luck and good fortune can be combined with hard work and determination, and can lead to astonishing moments of success. That was the recent experience of Roger Clary and Ann Clary Bratton, a brother-sister team who own Downtown Hardware in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
When the second-generation owners of the 57-year-old business learned this past spring that a new Ace Hardware store was opening up less than three miles away, they were a little nervous. They already faced a Home Depot store three miles the other direction and they were still waiting for business to rebound from the sluggish economy.
Their luck was about to change. They learned that their store was going to be the subject of Oak Ridge’s first cash mob in March. They had already been talking to House Hasson Wholesale Hardware about doing a store reset, but this bit of good fortune created a more immediate need.
“We had been planning to do a truckload sale and Allen Winn made arrangements for us to get the truck in early. Kim Gibbs helped us with fliers and a banner sign,” says Roger. “They really worked with us to make sure we had plenty of merchandise, and everyone at House Hasson Wholesale Hardware bent over backwards to help us.”
Four generations of family members were on hand to help customers on the day of the cash mob, which received TV coverage from all three networks. They handed out free soda, water and cookies to a crowd that was standing room only for two hours. “It was the biggest sales day in our store’s history,” says Ann, with triple the usual traffic and sales quadrupled. “The news went out Thursday night, so we were mobbed some on Friday and some more on Monday.”
“We had the big House Hasson Wholesale Hardware truck parked out front for a couple of weeks, which created a sense of excitement with our customers,” says Roger. “The cash mob happened a month before the new Ace store opened, so we were able to gain some important publicity.”
Although the store has a lot of long-time customers, the cash mob—which was sponsored by the Young Professionals of Oak Ridge—helped introduce the business to some younger customers. “We’ve seen some of those customers return and heard a lot of comments like ‘We didn’t know you were here.’ We want to support other small businesses, so we help promote the other cash mobs they hold here,” Ann says.
The cash mob was a nice burst of excitement, but Roger and Ann knew they needed to do something to create a more lasting boost to the business. They continued talking with David Helfenberger and their House Hasson Wholesale Hardware sales rep, Ed Grady, to plan a store reset that would position their business for success in the face of the new competition.
“They knew how Ace merchandises their stores, so they were able to tailor our merchandise accordingly,” says Ann. “Rick Parker came and shopped our store and gave us a four-page checklist of improvements to make. Roger prioritized the list and we started doing those improvements.”
They took Rick’s suggestion and agreed to have store merchandisers spend two weeks fine-tuning their assortments and cleaning up their merchandise displays. No part of the store was untouched, and the improvements have been dramatic.
A Tradition of Loyalty
Ann and Roger’s father, Tom Clary, along with Ed Wayman, opened Downtown Hardware in 1955 in what was a new shopping center in Oak Ridge. The store stayed in that original location for 37 years. One of the employees from that first year, Parlee Mitchell, just recently retired at the age of 93 after working nearly 57 years for the store.
Although they had been buying a little from House Hasson Wholesale Hardware, they mainly bought from Belknap Hardware until that wholesaler went out of business in 1986. They followed their salesman over to House Hasson Wholesale Hardware and have developed a deep sense of mutual trust since then.
Downtown Hardware’s current location used to be the lawn and garden section of an old Kmart. “House Hasson Wholesale Hardware helped us so that we closed the old location one day and opened here the next day. We didn’t lose any sales. They helped us move and made it affordable for us,” says Roger. “We couldn’t have done it without their help.”
“When House Hasson Wholesale Hardware did the first store set, we had looked around and considered who might be able to help us. This time we didn’t consider anyone else,” says Ann. “We know we can depend on them for whatever we need. You build that trust and you find it throughout the company. They hold the same values we do. We don’t want to be a number and they know their customers.”
Roger gives an example of a simple thing House Hasson did that made a dramatic difference in their business. “Rick Parker came to the store and saw that we hadn’t changed the outdoor lawn and garden area much. He suggested we go up and put in pallet racking. We looked into that and it was expensive, but Don Phillips (vice president-operations) had access to some pallet racking at a fair price. We were able to triple the amount of merchandise we had on display and we’ve greatly boosted our sales per square foot in lawn and garden,” he says.
The store reset better positions Downtown Hardware to have what customers want, when they want it. “As a retailer we have to take advantage of what we do good. You have to work at it every day, but we know we’ve got House Hasson Wholesale Hardware on our side,” says Ann. “In the age of computers it’s nice to have a salesman here regularly. Ed will get answers for us or find products we need from other customers.”
Roger looks forward to attending the markets. “It’s an opportunity to see other dealers, get ideas and learn hands-on about the new items.” More importantly, he likes that there are no mandatory programs to participate in or add-ons to cut into his profits. “Being Trustworthy and Priced Right Everyday!® lets us retain our independence while still providing a brand identity. We like the freedom of choosing what will work in Oak Ridge,” he adds.
From left to right: Mini-Uzi, Standard Uzi, Micro-Uzi, Suomi M31 SJR, KP-44, Suomi M31 SJR, Heckler & Koch MP5-PDW, Heckler & Koch MP5-A5. Ullanlinna, May 2006.
A full selection of electronics and hacky goodness, all for the local.ch engineering conference hacknight!
Item:
Title: Hardware Store, Barbados
Photographer:
Publisher:
Publisher#:
Year: 1900c
Height: 5 3/4 in
Width: 7 7/8 in
Media: albumen print
Color: b/w
Country: Barbados
For information about licensing this image, visit: THE CARIBBEAN PHOTO ARCHIVE
Ace Hardware, Katz, Glastonbury, CT 8/2014 by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Kermit Hinkle, an old school craftsman, passed away some over a year ago. A widower, he made it to 92. Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of him in his last few years. My connection with him came about because he sharpened saw blades, a service I occasionally needed. He provided it well, doing excellent quality work at an extremely reasonable price.
When I dropped off or picked up a blade or two, it would take a while, because he loved to show off his shop and talk about his latest projects. Likewise, he couldn’t resist talking about his gardening efforts, which resulted in both floral and edible forms of produce.
The auction of his estate was held the other day. Despite it being a hard-edged, cold day, I went to the house. I’d been thinking it would be nice to have a tool or two which Kermit had used and diligently maintained. Or should I say, had lovingly taken care of.
His house was sold quickly, in ten minutes or less. Then it was on to his garage and workshop. In typical auction company modus operandi, the “littles” were grouped into lots for convenience – a few clamps here, an assortment of hand tools there, some garden items in a corner, and so on. It didn’t appear that much if any thought had been given to putting things into batches.
When we – the auction team and a dozen or so older guys – moved on to Kermit’s compact shop building, “it” hit me and I knew I wouldn’t be able to make a bid in pursuit of anything from his collection. The entropy factor had been accelerating over the last several years of Kermit’s life. The shop was packed with way too much stuff and it had degenerated into dusty, grimy disarray. Disarray, of course, is always at its worst when it involves a collection of things crammed into too little space.
So, the auctioneer dealt with the situation in what must have seemed like the only practical, expedient manner. Everything between a vaguely designated Point A and Point B – perhaps one half of a wall, or one corner of the shop, loosely speaking, was offered as “Lot 42” or whatever. He was an efficient auctioneer and didn’t waste any time trying to push bidding beyond its natural bounds or comfort zone. Each lot typically sold within a couple minutes, often for five or ten dollars, occasionally $15 or $20.
It was over in 45 minutes. I stepped out into the cold again, my bidder number still safely in my pocket. Walking to the car, I found myself wondering what Kermit would’ve thought if he’d been there. No ... not really wondering. For him, I’m sure the stuff was priceless.
True Value Hardware (15,000 square feet)
1818 W Innes Street, Ketner Center, Salisbury, NC
This location opened on March 7th, 2016; it was originally the very first Food Town location, which opened on December 12th, 1957. It became a Food Lion in March 1983, which relocated here in 1991.
Ace Hardware (20,797 square feet)
1230 Richmond Road, Williamsburg Shopping Center, Williamsburg, VA
This location opened in March 1988 and closed in October 2018, relocating here; it was previously located here; it was originally Colony Lanes Bowling Alley, which opened in January 1962 and closed on September 6th, 1986, relocating here.
If there is a real weak link for WebRTC, it is its lack of hardware support when it comes to the codecs that it currently uses.
If it goes for VP8, then we are in for a world of headache.
Here's why: bloggeek.me/webrtc-hardware-challenge/
Smallhook is an application to connect by knowledge, software developer, computer hardware and networking jobs, kids and family events, social events Profession, and Passion. Organizational Knowledge Sharing program helps. www.smallhook.com/home
Neben den Software-Hacks, gab es auch dieses Jahr wieder diverse Möglichkeiten für hardwarebegeisterte Bastler/innen neue Dinge auszuprobieren.
CC-BY 4.0 Jugend hackt, Foto: Leonard Wolf
View of a downtown street showing a multi-story bank building, a hardware store, pedestrians,
and what appears to be a barber pole. Visible signs read, "Hardware," and "Planters
Bank Building." The card also reads, "Published by May & Gorham," and is numbered
5672.
Digital Collection:
North Carolina Postcards
Publisher:
May & Gorham;
Location:
Rocky Mount (N.C.); Nash County (N.C.); Edgecombe County (N.C.);
Collection in Repository
Durwood Barbour Collection of North Carolina Postcards (P077); collection guide available
online at www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/pcoll/77barbour/77barbour.html
playing around with photoshop. the effect i was going for here was that dizzying feeling you get when you walk into an old-fashioned hardware store that's crammed full with colorful clutter.
A couple of Khmer shoppers checking out the edges on cleavers at a 'hardware' store in a small Cambodian town near Battambang.
RISING FROM THE ASHES
Bailey’s Hardware Rebuilds After Fire Destroys Business
The bitter cold and gusty winds made it a December night like many before, but Jeff and Carolyn Bailey would remember the night of December 15, 2010, for far different reasons. Around 2 a.m. they awoke to the sound of a fire raging out of control right next to their home…and it was their business that was being consumed by the flames.
Bailey’s Carpet and Hardware in Salyersville, Ky., was quickly engulfed in flames that were fanned by the gusty winds and if that wasn’t bad enough, the Baileys were not sure the fire could be stopped before it also destroyed their house. Firefighters were alarmed to discover 15 to 20 propane tanks sitting in front of the store, adding another level of danger.
“It just seemed like a bad dream,” Jeff says. “We couldn’t believe that this was happening to us.”
The store ended up a complete loss—nothing was salvageable—but the Baileys’ adjacent house was spared. “The firefighters said if the wind had been blowing more in the other direction the house would have been gone too,” Jeff recalls.
The Baileys’ ordeal was just beginning. As they sifted through the charred remains of their business, the reality of the situation started sinking in. “We had very little insurance, only $90,000, because the cost was so high and we hadn’t re-evaluated it in awhile,” Jeff admits.
The business had started in 1993 mainly as a carpet store, but they began gradually adding hardware after turning to House Hasson Wholesale Hardware in 1995. That would be the relationship that would offer new hope for their optimistic plans to rebuild.
“House Hasson Wholesale Hardware has been very responsive. They discussed how to rebuild the store and how to build back the inventory, and they found fixtures for us,” Jeff says. “They were extremely generous with the terms, which is the only way we could’ve gotten the business going again.”
They have always had the same territory manager, Larry Collins, and he quickly jumped into action so they could reopen as soon as possible. “Larry does a good job of taking care of us. He’s just like family,” Jeff says.
Rebuilding efforts started in February after the cleanup was finally completed. House Hasson Wholesale Hardware helped plan the new store inside and out, and one of the design goals was to make it more convenient for Bailey’s customers. For example, the front entry was designed so there are no steps into the store. The aisles are a little wider and the lighting a little brighter.
The merchandise mix was tweaked to add more core hardware products while making sure space was allocated to niche such as fireplaces and heaters, outdoor power equipment, Carhartt clothing, Georgia boots and, of course, carpeting. “We added work clothing just before the fire and we kept that so we have a nice variety for customers to keep them from driving to another town,” Jeff says.
Lawn and garden is now a big category and they also added Gray Seal paint and installed the Husqvarna timber display. “They come in to buy a weedeater and discover we sell shirts and paint too,” he points out.
House Hasson Wholesale Hardware makes sure they stock the products their customers need and they make pricing recommendations, which is helpful because Bailey’s competes against a Lowe’s 15 miles away.
The store reopened the day after Labor Day, Sept. 6, and early returns have been promising. “We still have a few holes to fill, but we’re getting there. We’re definitely carrying more hardware products, which makes us more valuable to our customers,” says Jeff, who also serves on the city council.
They were planning a grand reopening for November, which will be a chance to thank the community for their support during their time of need. “The community response has been very gratifying,” Carolyn says.
The Baileys jointly own the business with Jeff’s brother, James, who operates Bailey’s Furniture and Appliance down the street. Family takes care of family, which is why they were not surprised that House Hasson Wholesale Hardware stepped in to help them revive their business.
“House Hasson Wholesale Hardware has been absolutely wonderful. They always take care of any issue,” Jeff says. “I couldn’t ask for anything more out of a supplier.”
Bailey is a man of strong religious faith but after the fire he found himself wondering, “Lord, is that you talking to me?” He briefly questioned why such a tragedy could happen to him and his family, but soon came to the conclusion that he was blessed.
“We take our life, health and business for granted. Everything in a store is replaceable but not people’s lives. This event let me know that some things are temporary,” Jeff says. “There are so many times I’ve seen an unseen hand at work in my life, and He has never let me down. So we pray God will bless this store and we count our many blessings.”
House-Hasson’s next dealer market is scheduled for January 5-7 at the Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn.
In its 104th year of operation, House-Hasson Wholesale Hardware serves 17 states, the Caribbean basin, and several other foreign countries. The company is approaching $200 million in annual sales.