Icing, sprinkles, marshmallows, gel, chocolate syrup—what else can you put on a cupcake? At Twins Ace Hardware’s Construct a Cupcake event in February, children of all ages were piling cupcakes high with their choice of toppings to create their own …

Are you one of those owners or managers who has trouble delegating responsibility to other employees? If so, then it’s likely you carry a high stress load and may never have enough time to get everything done. However, if you …

The board of United Hardware Distributing Co., which is based in Plymouth, Minnesota, announced company president and CEO Steve Draeger will retire in 2020. Draeger has served the wholesaler for the past 20 years, the most recent 10 as its …

If you want a good strategy for growing your business, you should always be searching for new products. New products help differentiate your business from your competitors, they often offer high margins, they get your customers excited about shopping and …

By Jesse Carleton, jcarleton@nrha.org Back to School How can home improvement stores appeal to the next generation of shoppers? That was the topic of discussion at Everson’s Hardware Hank, in Waconia, Minnesota, on a Monday morning in February. Five students …

Aisle in Disorder The rows of gondola shelving spread throughout your salesfloor may not be as flashy as your endcaps or power aisle displays, but they do a lot of work. That’s where you put the rank-and-file products that make …

If you’re looking for some new ideas, hit the road. Visiting other retailers is a valuable way to get inspiration and a perspective of what others in the industry are doing. Everyone has something to contribute. Earlier this spring, Hardware …

Shortly after Keith and Marsha Crow purchased their store, Camp Wood Hardware and Lumber in Camp Wood, Texas, in 2012, they started a complete remodel. Their to-do list included updating assortments and cleaning up the interior—fairly typical for anyone remodeling …