Ever need a hard-to-find part to finish a home-improvement project? The little guys at some local hardware stores will dig deep to help you find that part and pluck it from a drawer in Aisle 15. It's part of what they do best.
At Palos Ace Hardware, it is Aisle 15. And “it” is the secret of how some local hardware store owners compete against their big-box counterparts. The sign inviting customers into the aisle is headed by the words “nuts, washers, fasteners” and the space is considered a treasure trove for customers searching for parts to help them complete a furniture restoration project or an emergency plumbing repair job. The aisle is a destination place for do-it-yourselfers. “It’s probably one of the most concentrated number of items in our store per square foot,” said Dan Harris, the store owner at Palos Ace Hardware for the last 14 years. “It’s always those specialty parts—that one unique piece you need and you can’t find it anywhere else. It probably …
41.66101
-87.781421
ACE Hardware
6465 W 127th St, Palos Heights, IL
/articles/nuts-bolts-of-how-local-hardware-stores-compete-with-the-big-guys
273974
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Co-op buying, centralized product distribution and customer service are three of the hallmarks that allow at least one group of small merchants to go head-to-head with the big-box dynamos in the hardware industry.
While most of the Mom & Pop shops long since have boarded up their doors, some local hardware stores have found ways to compete—and on occasion beat—the big-box giants by utilizing buying co-op power and putting a new thrust on an old business axiom: customer service. Ever hear of Ace Hardware? The chain consists of nearly 4,800 retail stores throughout the United States and around the world. Each store is owned and operated locally by an independent agent. Dan Harris is the store owner at Palos Ace Hardware. He stocks about 35,000 items on his shelves and caters his merchandise to a client base that largely lives within a 2-5 mile radius of his front door at 6465 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights. He is a past president of the Palos Chamber …
41.66101
-87.781421
ACE Hardware
6465 W 127th St, Palos Heights, IL
/articles/local-hardware-stores-how-do-they-compete-with-the-big-guys
273974
/locations/7535570
John Groskopf
4:57 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
was there two weeks ago looking for fasteners for a piece of car trim. After about a 1/2 hour of the clerks time i left with what i thought would work. just finished attaching the trim piece today. thanks a bunch for all the help and ingenious idea to remedy my delema. very helpful staff more ›