Profiles & Community

For the 175th anniversary of Clarks Ace Hardware, owner Margaret Clark had planned on making 2020 memorable by hosting events and making generous contributions to the community. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made the celebration even more significant. …

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam Ransdell of Burney True Value Hardware in Seven Lakes, North Carolina, realized that ordering face masks to sell wasn’t going to meet his community’s needs.  Demand was too high nationally for Ransdell to get …

The COVID-19 pandemic derailed initial plans for celebrating the 100th anniversary of Frager’s Hardware & Garden Center, the longest continuously operating hardware store in Washington, D.C. Determined not to let the centennial pass by without recognition, the store staff organized …

Markle Do it Best Hardware in Markle, Indiana, was one of the only businesses still open in its community when Indiana required all nonessential businesses to close due to COVID-19.  The store not only stayed open and served the rush …

Last month, Hardware Retailing explored how two retailers shifted their operations to keep customers and employees safe during the first months of COVID-19’s retail impact. From establishing new workflows to leaning into digital communication, Connolly’s Do it Best in Fort …

People who aren’t homebodies have become homebound in recent months, and data shows that an increase in house projects is one of the results of social isolation during the pandemic. Retailers in the home improvement industry have met the varying …

When Joseph Burks devoted much of 2018 to remodeling Wholesale Lumber in Clint, Texas, he had no idea the redesign would allow the store to serve customers better through a pandemic. At the time, he was working through the tragedy …

COVID-19 has posed challenges for every home improvement retailer, including those operating stores in multiple states. Building materials supplier Spahn & Rose Lumber counts 24 locations across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. CEO Dave Davis recent spoke about the challenge of …