The mural on the side of Maxbauer Ace Hardware depicts Traverse City, Michigan—but when “Pokemon Go” players go to the store, they see a digital cartoon character on the wall. And that’s OK with the staff at Maxbauer Ace. When …
Read More »
This year, nearly 85 precent of all independent home improvement retailers say they plan on adding new products to their stores and a full 66 percent say they plan to add or expand entire categories as ways to grow topline sales and …
Read More »
When a sniper shot 12 police officers, killing five, at a protest July 7 in Dallas, the community’s reaction was horror. And solidarity. “Everybody was just so moved that everybody wanted to know, ‘What can we do?'” Andrea Ridout, owner of Gecko …
Read More »
Walmart announced this month that customers at all 4,600 of its retail stores in the U.S. can now use Walmart Pay to pay for in-store purchases with their smartphones. Walmart began testing the mobile payment platform at stores starting in December. Walmart Pay is part …
Read More »
Bering’s Hardware in Houston has a feathered employee near the key counter, and he’s popular. His name is Chainsaw, and he’s a 27-year-old yellow-naped Amazon parrot. The bird has lived at Bering’s for more than 20 years, and he attracts …
Read More »
New and complex government regulations — especially rules connected to taxes, health care and employee safety—can discourage small business growth and entrepreneurship, according to new data from the National Retail Federation. The reasons? Owners of small businesses often work long …
Read More »
Walmart is now offering an online membership to customers that is similar to Amazon Prime and provides free and fast shipping. Starting June 29, the retail giant began offering 30-day free trials of ShippingPass, which is a program that provides shoppers with unlimited two-day shipping. USA …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
