More than likely, as you’re getting started or expanding your special event category, some items will become clear customer favorites. Hardware Retailing spoke with Chuck Kempker, who has four hardware store and rental locations in southeastern Iowa, and Chuck Shipp, …

The Christmas shopping season should put retailers in a good mood, but it’s also a prime time for shoplifters to ply their trade. As stores get busy, it’s easier for a shoplifter to get lost in the crowd. Make sure …

Staying sharp with customer service means listening to what customers have to say about their experiences. At City Mill, customers can post comments on social media sites like Facebook and Yelp, but many of them choose to use the store’s …

In a time when many people seem to see every broken item as something to be thrown away, few may consider repair as an alternative. Mike Filbin, owner of Filbin’s Ace Hardware, wants to change that. As a solution, he …

Eighteen years ago when Doug Witworth decided to create a waterfall outside his store in Vinita, Oklahoma, to promote his water gardening category, he didn’t think he was creating a roadside attraction. “We just thought it would be fun to …

For many retailers, the few inches of space between the floor and the bottom of a gondola run of shelving mostly collects dust bunnies. But at 10th Street Hardware, a store in Philadelphia with an 1,100-square-foot salesfloor, it offers valuable …

Cross merchandising is one of the best ways to increase sales because it gives customers a reminder of an item they might have otherwise forgotten. Encouraging this add-on sale not only increases your average transaction size, but it is also …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. Want to kick your customer service up a notch? Gather some inspiration from your canine companion. 1. Gain their loyalty. Dogs are the gold standard of loyalty. Build some of that same character …