Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Back in 2008, Linda Cottin, owner of Cottin’s Hardware & Rental in Lawrence, Kansas, was approached by the local newspaper to write DIY articles on various home improvement topics under the title Fix It Chick. In the 10 years she contributed to the newspaper, she wrote more than 400 articles, which now live on her hardware store’s website.
“Many people still refer to me as ‘The Fix It Chick,'” Cottin says. “We made up a ‘Fix It Chick’ sticker that is still very popular.”
Most of the ideas for the DIY articles came from customer questions, while others were born from employee questions and the desire to promote certain seasonal products, Cottin says. Topics include everything from replacing a toilet flush valve to glazing a window to the difference between hay and straw for your lawn needs.
“There are a few articles we tend to still print out on a regular basis and give to our customers as a reference, including How to Mitigate Carpenter Bees and How to Patch a Plaster Wall,” Cottin says. “We also use a few of the articles for employee training, like the ones about lawn seeding.”
Visit our Checkouts section to see the other ways retailers are connecting with customers and the community in unique ways.
