Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Newtown Hardware House has operated in the same location in downtown Newtown, Pennsylvania, since it was founded 157 years ago. Starting in 1869 as a hardware store and dry goods store operated by different owners, the store merged into one hardware store in 1908. Today, Newton Hardware still holds some of the same signature charm that was established then: wooden floors, elaborate brickwork and store fixtures.
“The visual appeal of our store takes the customer on a journey and tells a story,” says Kelli Smith, supervisor at Newtown Hardware House. “It marries all of the best of the past with the unique, helpful and useful of the present.”
The store sells an array of traditional hardware offerings along with multiple niche repair services, including screen repair and builds, lamp repair, blade sharpening, glass cutting, plexiglass cutting and a variety of small repairs. Locally-branded apparel, vintage toys and gifts and art are also big sellers at the store. Perhaps the most unique product category are cookies made from an heirloom family recipe, with a percentage of sales from each cookie sold donated to a pancreatic cancer charity.
Newtown Hardware’s commitment to its community is evident: through work done in partnership with local businesses, the charities supported by the store’s owners and information offered about events and historical landmarks in Newtown.
“As part of our service experience, we inform our customers about local events, historic Newtown places to visit and any special experiences our fellow businesses are offering that our customer would enjoy,” Smith says. “We offer a central spot for our customers to learn about our history, to learn about our borough and to learn about our community.”
Newtown Hardware has a small but mighty team of three full-time employees and three part-time employees, all who are deeply committed to the store’s missions of family, community and charity.
“We have immense pride in the history of our store and the past it represents,” Smith says. “Each of our employees has a strong work ethic, pride in a job well done, engaging with our customers to give good service and a positive outcome. We care deeply about our store’s success and we are willing to go the extra mile for our customers.”
Meeting customer needs is the number one priority for Newtown Hardware, achieved through providing new products, ensuring the store is clean, organized and well-stocked and keeping customers informed on local codes and changes.
“For instance, one townhouse community required a smoke detector/CO detector in every unit. Our manager then ordered a detector that would satisfy the HOA and the fire marshal while also helping the customer with an easy to use product at a reasonable price point,” Smith says.
The future is bright for Newtown Hardware as the store sets its focus on growth and development.
“We at Newtown Hardware House want to continue to grow and evolve,” Smith says. “We want to continue to focus on new categories while expanding existing ones and explore new avenues with local craftsmen to develop new product lines. We want to continue to offer our customers our best products, best repair services and best customer service to show them how important they are to us and to thank them for keeping our store open with every purchase they make.”
