You know, I really try and support small businesses as much as I can. This particular local hardware store fills me with a lot of nostalgia as my Dad has been going here since I was little. Unfortunately the last two visits I've left disappointed.
Last week I called the store asking if they had pine needles and the man on the phone told me that they did. So I drive up to the store and when I asked for pine needles the lady at the counter said they hadn't had pine needles in a couple of days and the supplier was running behind. I told her that I called ahead not more than an hour ago and she kind of just shrugged at me and asked who I talked to. Of course, I didn't ask for the guy's name but it wouldn't have helped me either way, no pine needles... off to Lowe's I go.
Today was supposed to be the day for aerating the yard and getting it ready for seeding. I once again called the store to make sure they would have one today, this time making note that the man who answered the phone was Danny, different from last week. He said that they have plenty of them and I could get one for Saturday. I told him I'd be there and then asked if he wanted my name to reserve and he said "nah, we'll have it!" I was a bit skeptical but since I got the guys name I didn't think too much of it.
Sure enough, get to the store this morning to find that all 4 have been rented out and as soon as they got back they were up for reservations for the afternoon! I told the girl at the register that I had talked to Danny and he said one would be here, and of course Danny wasn't there... Now I have no aerator and all the bigger retailers rental departments are closed on Saturday! Pretty much the only day I can do stuff like this as my job is Mon-Fri.
With all that said, a note to keep in mind is that I don't live in Concord. I actually live in the university area of Charlotte. So while I could have gone with a rental place much closer or called a place in the North Charlotte for Pine needles, I decided to go back to the place that has always taken care of my dad in the past. I don't know if this is just a string of bad luck with this store or if something has changed, but twice in a row I've left empty handed.
The thing about being a small business that competes with a big box retailer is that you have to do better than the big guy. With the buying power and resources of a place like Lowe's or Home Depot, dependability and the personal feel of a local shop is the big draw for most. I feel like the fact that this store doesn't have some sort of mandatory system for reservations (apparently they do have a reservation list because others were on it, the guy I talked to just didn't want to bother with it I guess), or has a way to keep better track of their bulk inventory like pine needles or straw is a sign that in some cases, the big stores win.
As much as I wanted to support this place, they leave me no choice but to seek out another small, local hardware store, or truck my cash to the hardware mega-marts. read more
