Teach your employees to be courteous and not abrasive. I didn't realize the store was closed when I…read morepulled up. I barely got out of my vehicle her tone towards me was like I was an idiot for even being there. Looking at other reviews it appears this has been ongoing. Must be a management problem. So at this point maybe the owner need to be involved.

Really disappointed in what's happened to this store that used to be my friendly go-to hardware…read morechoice. My last 2 visits have left me shaking my head, swearing I'll never let anyone treat me like that again. The Ass.Mgr. Miley demonstrated a ruthless, inhuman, rude and bossy denial of my polite request for a return. It wasn't so much that she said "no," it was how she berated me, attempted to belittle me, and turned her back on my person-to-person appeal, embarrassing me in front of other employees and customers. Some power trip while the Mgr. is gone for the week, I guess. This store has become a nuisance of Corporate control and greed. The years of shopping here have become a stark reminder of what happens when the human aspect of retail is replaced by the mighty pursuit of the almighty dollar. I'm better off shopping on-line and won't be going into this store anymore. And, I won't be responding to the 15 bogus email promotions I've received from them in the past 2 weeks. I'll UNSUBSCRIBE and shake free from this yucky experience.

The first time I entered Cottin's, I did so with reluctance. I was concerned that as per usual,…read moresome older gent would look over my head to speak to my boyfriend about what he might be looking for today, making me feel invisible and like such a *girl.* Kind of like what happened to me when I used to go into certain chain electronics stores that have since gone out of business (yay!) in NYC. Not only did this not happen, I actually enjoyed my time in there the several times I've gone in. I kid you not! Now, I fully admit that I usually would only go into Cottin's because the K would be super enthusiastic about shopping in there and I can't say I share the same enthusiasm, but oh, OK, they have a lot of awesome garden stuff and hello, are those pink flamingoes?!?! There's a lot to love about Cottin's. They rent cotton candy (COTTIN Candy?!) and icee machines. They sell all kinds of tape. They sell a lot of different colored and sized novelty light bulbs. They sell old school Radio Flyer wagons. It feels like it could be 1950 in there, but with a 2010 sensibility. The staff, all young and friendly, rule the school. As Lydia A mentions below, they are part of what makes Cottin's such an enjoyable place to be. A "place to be"?! Yes! It's an experience! Even getting keys made is kinda fun (OK, well, that's an exaggeration. It is quick and painless, however!) OTOH, you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming into one of my most hated stores ever...HOME DEPOT. Blargh! Here's to the true mom & pop sensibility of Cottin's (check out their cute retro bumper stickers while you're there and slap one on your toolbox) with their fair prices, excellent customer service and the way they make you feel like anything is possible so I'm going to start building that garden shed I've always wanted...I JEST.

Fantastic customer service. A business to support. They have some hard to find hardware. And they…read moredo loads for the local community.

I would not recommend this place for Stihl repairs. I brought in a chainsaw for repairs on April…read more11, and I took it back today, September 3, because it was still not fixed. I called them about it twice and stopped by in person a couple of other times. There were never any attempts by them to contact me. No status updates, nothing. There is a lack of organization in the shop. My repair ticket was missing from their log book. They did not know which saw was mine; I had to identify it for them. I had to tell them the case sitting in the corner was also mine. I had brought in a chain to be sharpened at the same time; they had lost it. To be fair, they were apologetic, and they gave me a new chain and refunded my $45 that was the upfront cost of diagnosing the problem without me having to ask. However, I will not be going back there.

Everytime I have come into this location they have been super helpful! Really appreciate the staff…read moreat this store

This is a local gem of a store. There are a number of reasons why I love Cottin's and the physical…read morestore is only one of them. Cottin's may be associated with Ace Hardware but they are as local as you can get. There was a tornado in the area recently. The tornado happened around 7:00 pm and there was devastation in many neighborhoods. Cottin's announced they would re-open the store and stay open as long as needed so everyone could get what they needed that night. Totally unbelievable that a store would do that and it created a huge impact on me. Cottin's also serves as a drop off center for used cell phones to be donated to the local domestic violence shelter. The cell phones are given to victims of domestic violence so they will be able to communicate in an emergency. What a wonderful thing for Cottin's to do in collecting the phones. Before this drop off point, I had to drive to the outskirts of town during business hours to make my donation. I love a store giving back. The store has plenty of local flavor. The parking lot even serves as the farmers market during the week. The quaintness of the store is noticed everywhere inside, too. The displays were creative and they are customer service oriented. Prices are competitive, too. The only downside to this lovely store is the door is accessed on the side of the building and you have to park in a back parking lot. There is ample parking room but you have to snake through a neighborhood to get to the parking access. There is no store front access, everything is accessed through the rear. Just a minor intrusion and not a game changer by any means. Local flavor, great service, good prices and great philanthropy... awesome store!

There are several Farmer's Market locations in Lawrence and have been for many years, but Cottin's…read morehas always been my favorite. Cottin's is a fourth the size of the big Saturday morning market, but it excels for several reasons. First, the downtown market (if you talk to the vendors) is rife with minor infighting, rules enforcement and headaches for some of the vendors. That with the big crowds and you get a lot of grumpy people selling their products. None of that here. The family that runs the hardware store is always present and has a great attitude--and it shows in the vendors and the people that show up every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. with a closing time of 6:30 p.m. And what's this? The Free State Brewery has a booth so it's part happy hour, part social gathering, part simply a good time. Oh, and the music is scheduled months in advance and rotates so you don't have to suffer some of the awful stuff that frequents the downtown market ad nauseam every week. I even prefer most of the vendors here and it's a delightful mix of interesting small businesses, few of which frequent the downtown market. Always something cooking as well so a good place to grab an early dinner, have a beer, chat with some friends and just enjoy the afternoon. This is really what a Farmer's Market should be in my opinion and why I'll keep coming back as long as it's here.

This is a great Restore but personally I think the staff make it. Always upbeat, helpful and they…read moreadd that personal touch that you don't get at other places. They have such a wide variety of items don't skip it thinking it's only hardware type items.

From the owner: A Habitat ReStore is a facility that supports the services provided by its local Habitat for…read moreHumanity affiliate. The income generated from the project goes specifically toward expanding the building program of the local Habitat affiliate. ReStores recycle overstocked, discontinued, new, and used building materials donated by manufacturers, stores, contractors and individuals. These donated items are sold to the public or used in construction of Habitat houses. All revenue from sales goes to the local affiliate in support of its building program.

Excellent staff, very friendly, helpful people. I got some really good deals on Milwaukee tools…read moretoday.

Amazing staff!! Ian was so incredibly friendly. He helped my grandma find the flooring she needed…read moreand was so patient with her the whole time!!

I love Harbor Freight. Disclosure, though, in that I do not do much handiwork. I need some basic…read morestuff for minor home repairs. My home tool list is very small. Every time I have ventured into Harbor Freight, though, it has been a positive experience. The store in Lawrence is just like any other HF in any other city. The items are nicely arranged and aisles are easily marked. There is no trouble finding what you need. If you need to ask for assistance, there seems to be someone always available to help. The last time I was in the store, the team member that helped me was very nice and had a great sense of humor which I thoroughly enjoyed. Anytime an employee can make you laugh, it's a good time. With his guidance I was able to find just what I needed. This store is easy to access and there is plenty of parking. The check out process was quick and efficient. The cashier even told me about savings opportunities and coupons. He was helpful and able to assist me with saving a few bucks. I appreciate his suggestions very much. Everything here is reasonably priced and I have had good luck with product durability. Again, I do not use tools frequently but what I have bought and used have been durable.

I placed a phone order for a fender and bracket that broke on my HF trailer. I thought the phone…read moreorder went great and I was told it would arrive in 7/10 days, however, it never arrived... I called after 20 days and was told they were on "backorder" now!? The problem is they could not tell me for sure if they would EVER come in, and the lady on the phone was full of bad grammar and a nasty confrontational attitude. she suggested i try to find the part on ebay. I would give them an F for customer service. Next time it will be a Northern Tool Trailer for sure!

Great people, friendly and helpful. Wide variety of items and able to order even more. Great…read moreprices!

From the owner: Plumbing, Electrical, Gardening, Bolts, Paint, Softener Salt, Auto Batteries, Auto Parts, Filters &…read moreOil, Spark Plugs, Hydraulic Hose & A lot of Misc Supplies

Large, burly, manly men with pencils in their ears, a ,large saw not far out of reach and plenty of…read morehelp and advice when that home DIY project calls. Need some lumber custom cut and don't have a massive table saw sitting in your garage or basement? Have them do it here. Not everything some of the larger "men's malls" in the area have but they have a huge distinct advantage: their name is not Ace Hardware, a place I refuse to visit where you can literally undress and run naked up and down the isles without the chance of ever being spotted by a customer service rep. I've been coming here for years, though not often, so feel like I have a bit more respect for what they offer. Easy access on 9th Street, no b.s., easy in, quickly out.

A delivery truck driver damaged my yard, damaged mateiral inside of my home, and left my front door…read moreopening in an attempt to pick up a wrong delivery from my home. They did nothing to compensate me for all of the damage and have yet to fix my yard.