When Len Hunt found an antique refrigerator for sale on eBay, he knew it was an offer he couldn’t pass up. “We removed the doors, painted them with some specialty craft paint and then attached the door to the wall …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. By Jesse Carleton, jcarleton@nrha.org Rental at Kempker’s True Value started out the way it might at countless other independent home improvement businesses. Owner Chuck Kempker rented tools and equipment mostly to contractors. …

More than likely, as you’re getting started or expanding your special event category, some items will become clear customer favorites. Hardware Retailing spoke with Chuck Kempker, who has four hardware store and rental locations in southeastern Iowa, and Chuck Shipp, …

The Christmas shopping season should put retailers in a good mood, but it’s also a prime time for shoplifters to ply their trade. As stores get busy, it’s easier for a shoplifter to get lost in the crowd. Make sure …

Staying sharp with customer service means listening to what customers have to say about their experiences. At City Mill, customers can post comments on social media sites like Facebook and Yelp, but many of them choose to use the store’s …

In a time when many people seem to see every broken item as something to be thrown away, few may consider repair as an alternative. Mike Filbin, owner of Filbin’s Ace Hardware, wants to change that. As a solution, he …

Eighteen years ago when Doug Witworth decided to create a waterfall outside his store in Vinita, Oklahoma, to promote his water gardening category, he didn’t think he was creating a roadside attraction. “We just thought it would be fun to …

For many retailers, the few inches of space between the floor and the bottom of a gondola run of shelving mostly collects dust bunnies. But at 10th Street Hardware, a store in Philadelphia with an 1,100-square-foot salesfloor, it offers valuable …