An Old Feel in a New Store

When customers walk into Palmer Lumber & Hardware in Palmer, Kansas, they’re stepping into
a building that’s almost brand-new. But if they take a quick look around, they might notice a few old pieces in the store, such as the cash register or the scale sitting near the selection of fasteners, which are sold in bulk. Bill and Sharon Wilgers bought the business in 1992 and built its new location about a year ago.

“We wanted to keep a couple of these pieces around in our new store,” Bill says. “We thought it added a little something, and customers have always commented on them, so we wanted to continue to use them in our new building.” He and his staff still use the cash register, and customers buying fasteners rely on the scale.

If you have any old items in your store, find ways to incorporate them into your current operation. Even if you have items that don’t work properly, you can incorporate them into your decor. For example, you can create a display on the wall of old tools you’ve collected. These displays create conversation-starters for your customers.