Tag Archives: operations

In an article written for Forbes, customer service and experience expert Shep Hyken discusses how Ace Hardware stores stay competitive in an industry glutted with big boxes. The reasons he credits for Ace’s success are true of many independent home improvement …

In the July issue of Hardware Retailing magazine, we discuss the succession planning process for the entering generation in the article, “Stepping In.” In the story, we share best practices and real-life examples from retailers who have gone through or …

When a customer walks through the doors of your retail operation, do they make a beeline to the items on their list? Or do they browse the store and discover items they’d like or forgot to pick up last time they …

  Are you ready to buy a business? In the July issue of Hardware Retailing, we talked with four owners who had recently purchased a business, or are in the process of purchasing a business. They talked about their experiences …

To view a PDF of the story, click here. Stepping in as the next-in-line owner of his family’s business has added significantly to Pete Klingbeil’s to-do list. One of his tasks was earning the trust and respect of customers who …

Many independent home improvement retailers are looking to expand their businesses by adding store locations, which bring new customers, new product mixes and new opportunities. Recent data gathered by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) shows that more than a quarter of independent retailers plan …

The variance in profit between a typical and high-profit store is $100,000. You have an opportunity to grow your store’s profit by understanding how your business compares to other operations in the industry. “Every business needs to know the benchmarks …

The staff at Costello’s Ace, which has 23 locations in New York and two in New Jersey, knows employee knowledge leads to better customer service. So they put together a training event to connect employees and vendors, so employees could …