Six years ago we began our journey into hardware store ownership. It was an exciting time, a plan was emerging from our minds on what we envisioned happening in our new business.
Wilkes County Hardware store front
Our official name became Wilkes County Hardware. Many folks still refer to us as Wilkes Hardware and wonder where Harvey is… lol he hasn’t owned the hardware store for many years. Gerald Lankford owned the store for 10 years before selling it to us. Harvey was the owner before Gerald.
Gerald Lankford, the former owner and dear friend
Gerald stayed with Richard for the first year so that he could learn all aspects of the business, including the pools.
Richard became a quick study of how to care and do maintenance on pools
The first year is still pretty much a blur… we decided to add a point of sale computer system instead of a basic cash register so that inventory could be monitored closely, & new fixtures went in. A major highlight of year one was the filming of our hardware store on NC Public TV.
Richard completely set up all these fixtures and began to move merchandise, key desk was also moved closer to back door
In the next few years, we added staff, continued to add new products into our lineup. One neat find inside our walls … when we opened up a space near the front entrance and found two doors that had been covered up for many years with pegboard. The captions that follow along with the pictures will chronicle the rest of our story.
These double doors had been covered in pegboard for many years!!! Lawn & Garden items were dramatically expanded into the next few years of business ownership Apple Festival… new hours for us we are open all day during the festival. The store used to close early on Apple Festival Day. Logo gear was added to our hardware store… it all started with this original design Added new locally based products into our store… these are best sellers around holiday time The wood stove is always going strong on cold winter days… and folks love to stop by and warm on snowy days The largest snowfall we have had since store ownership has been 16inches !!! Richard’s news clip from WXII made it onto the Today show Need a great grill??? We are sold on Traeger grills Dog friendly hardware store Our customers love this potting soilKeegan’s first pieces arrived at Wilkes County Hardware Amazing new line of bird seed was added that our customers keep coming back for more and more.., Here’s our first Meyers display… customers come from all over in order to purchase from our vast selection Straight shot from back to front door… it took several years to get there but we are getting there as we still work on organizing Always & everyday.., A list of our hometown hardware store services We love you always 💕This small display is no longer found at our front door… the entire front is open now and wow!!! What a difference it makes!!! Expansive selection of fasteners Our hours were updated and changed to close each day at 5:30, so our customers could swing by and shop as they are on way home & still pick up essentials. We still currently close at 2pm on Saturday Last day of school… retirement as a teacher begins and a new role as a full time hardware store owner begins… The same view of the store captured in a series of two pictures Ceiling fans installed Harry’s Hot Dogs Event was an amazing successWayne is truly a key master… folks still come into the store just to have keys made by him Keegan’s work has progressed into bigger and fabulous designs Made in McGrady is an multi-talented husband & wife team, we keep their pieces in our store. A favorite local WCH hat… deeply rooted into our store history Wilkes County Honey, locally sourced!!! COVID created an interesting time for small businesses to operate under. We are appreciative of your support Teamwork with Cooks, the #wilcostrong initiative raised money for our community-Samaritan Kitchen Locally sourced granola The most devastating day in our ownership so far… Customer rewards have been a huge success and the checkout process is easy & safe A unique variety of locally sourced products A paint line was added in early 2021 We continue to add to our logo gear… short sleeve, long sleeve, and sweatshirts BBQ sauce that is absolutely delicious!!! In 2021, Wilkes County Hardware launched a booth inside Carolina Treasures Antique MallWe sell local pottery, each piece is handmade & unique Locally sourced soaps!!! Our drop off flag box is consistently full now that our customers realize what it is for. We are so excited to begin another year of service in our community. Thank you for shopping with us at your favorite hometown hardware store, Wilkes County Hardware.
Logistics… in the business world, this is essential & crucial part of doing day to day work. The logistical problems of 2020-2021 brought about by a pandemic event has made it even more difficult for business to be carried out. 😳The supply chain difficulties have been unprecedented! The hardware business has unquestionably been impacted by logistical problems.
Empty shelves are definitely not what a business owner wants to see
What are we truly talking about when we say the term logistics?Logistics is the management of the flow of things from an originating point to the point of consumption. In essence, how resources are acquired, stored, transported to an ultimate final destination.
Last year in 2020, gardening chemicals were extremely difficult to keep in stock
Please bear with me a moment & I will share a simple example…Making your morning coffee, you need a coffee pot, water and coffee right??? Your resources must be available- water, coffee, coffee maker, & electricity in order to get brewing. What happens if one of those things becomes unavailable??? No coffee right??? 😢😢😢😢😢
During the height of Pandemic life many people were stuck at home. Many people turned to the world of internet shopping in order to meet the wants/needs of their lifestyle. Internet orders skyrocketed! I’m sure this is not news to most of you as you read this. Let’s go back to the intent of this blog post… logistics. The pace of transporting goods to customers skyrocketed. Goods weren’t moving quickly to meet the demand of the consumer. The logistical line was broken. Pandemic life and logistical issues were commonplace.
I think the general assumption was that 2021 would rectify the problems of logistics and the supply chain. That has not happened thus far.
From a business owners standpoint, we can see so many issues in convergence at one time and point. Here is a quick overview of a few issues we see each week when it comes to ordering for our customers.
1. Raw materials shortages( metals, resins/plastics, pvc, peat, electrical components, pool chemicals…) I could go on but… well the list is long😳
2. Shipping delays from issues directly at port, staffing, increasing costs, congestion at port areas…
3. Allocation buying- limits being placed on what you can purchase
4. Bulk buying of 3rd party resellers… ultimately makes products unavailable for us( businesses) to purchase and increases your price online 😳
5. Trucking issues- equipment & staffing issues.. and more
6. Many companies are now staffing employees in shifts around the clock in order to try to keep up with consumer demand. It takes a bit of time to add an entire new shift, (ie..3rd shift into your business model)
7. The reality of what is actually happening from our customers standpoint maybe slightly different. The topic of conversation sometimes comes up when they ask for a product and we may/not have it on shelf at that moment. We have heard lots of outlandish viewpoints on the pandemic, some are thought provoking, and others very poignant.
8. Richard and I are “digging” into our available inventory each week in order to keep our shelves stocked. That may mean items are new, or temporary replacement items until our tried and true brands can become available for purchase again. Keep checking back with us for a specific item if we don’t have it on hand. Items often go out of stock for a few weeks and become temporary unavailable.
Always viewing our order for substitutions when products are not available and looking for great new products to bring into our hardware store!!! Research is constantly being done by both of us.
9. FYI: Hands down the most requested item in 2020 & 2021 mason jars and canning lids!!!
Most asked about item during Pandemic
As logistics concerns continue into the last portion of 2021, we are dedicated to the process of vigorously working through shortages, allocation buying and grimacing through the third party resellers who gobble up much needed items of our customers.
Lastly, my thankful words to our loyal customers and friends today, we truly appreciate you dearly for shopping local with us. The more you shop local, the money can stay within our community and add buying power for our small business.
This little stem broke off a few days ago from a grocery store bouquet of flowers . I hated to see it go in the trash can. It seems to be thriving in a tiny crystal bowl with a bit of water. I was amazed to see it still looking so great today.
To all mom’s out there following my blog, let me be one of the first to wish you a blessed Mother’s Day.
May you always be resilient like this flower… blooming beautifully in midst of calm or chaos. As storms arise in your journey, may you be grateful for the rain to help the blooming flowers grow, and find sunshine to light your path.
Blue skies and sunshine outside our back door at Wilkes County Hardware
I was walking around the hardware store yesterday checking the shelves for products that needed replenishment. I came upon a roll of clothesline. My mind began to instantly wander from the task at hand. My productivity waned… I was lost in my thoughts.
We sell clothesline at Wilkes County Hardware, even the old fashioned cotton type & clothespins
The memories came flooding back of my mom’s clothesline when I was growing up. We spent the Saturdays putting the sheets, & towels onto the clothesline. It was a time saver for mom, not having to run the dryer all day after working all week.
My sister and I both had “jobs” while we were assisting hanging clothes on the clothesline. We both were too young to reach the clothesline for ourselves. We had it down to a well-oiled system. One of us carried the old metal dishpan outside into the fresh, clean air towards the line. Of course the clothespins were in hand too. Once we were at the line, I handed mom each piece of laundry from the dishpan, while my younger sister, delved out the clothespins. Mom hung the laundry in sync with the wind. The whole process didn’t take long.
Mom used an old metal dishpan like this one, wet laundry was too heavy in the laundry basket… of course I asked her why she used this when I was little…
Now, memories are often nostalgic… so I must say that my mom’s memories of these Saturdays at the clothesline are probably different from ours. She probably remembers the trips out to the clothesline where we both complained about the weather being too hot, or bees flying too closely, or even those hateful chestnut burrs that were close by waiting to prey on our innocence toes/feet in the late summer/early fall months. I know complaints were definitely lodged… but we always finished our task, hanging the laundry out to dry.
Oh… those chestnut burrs were rough on the feet!!!
I’m glad my sister & I were able to experience so many wonderful things during our childhood that are now seemingly falling away into the past.
Everyone used to have a clothesline… now I would bet that if you still have a clothesline in 2021, you are a rare lucky person.
Back to nostalgia, as we both grew older, mom sent us out to the clothesline to hang or even harvest the freshly dried clothes. I took them down while my sister held the fresh loot.
I can still smell the scent of the sheets & towels dried outdoors. Nothing was better than those air dried sheets on your bed at night.
However, I do recall, that towels and washcloths from the line were not a favorite of mine. They were a little too rough for my liking. We used the line mostly for sheets anyways.
My dad eventually took the old, pesky chestnut trees down and made way for some new backyard landscaping as I got older. The clothesline was used less frequently.
But that clothesline was a constant in my backyard during my childhood. Things change as do people. I will always cherish those good memories of times spent together at the clothesline, soaking up the fresh outdoor air & sunshine.
“I dusted once and it came back… I’m not falling for that again😂.” Anyone else heard of this cute little quote??? Have you ever been there yourself???
Dusting your home can be one of those thankless tasks that you are doing often. If you have the right tools from your Wilkes County Hardware team it can be an easier chore to accomplish. So before I get too busy with my blog post, don’t forget we have some great cleaning products for your home. Come see us soon!!! We always enjoy your visits!!!
Back to blog post reality… the running joke at Wilkes County Hardware… we have the best dust ever!!! We all affectionately refer to it as “100 Year Old Dust”. That’s right… we have the good stuff, century old dust 😂. What is even more amazing… it never seems to disappear😳.
Our building dates back into the early 1900’s. A good guesstimate would be our building could be 116 years old.
Those of y’all that have been loyal readers of my blog may also recall the blog post about “Old School Air Conditioning”… in other words, we open the doors and let the air circulate through, all the pollen, dust, & dirt naturally flows inside. Creating more dust you know…
The broom is busy usually during the slower times to help sweep up some of the 100 Year Old Dust as time allows AND we try to regularly clean the racks as often as we can. But, the century old dust floats down from the upstairs level and often settles onto surfaces… it is a constant battle.
A great point of nostalgia inside our store would have to be our freight elevator… folks love it. Yes, it still works and we use it often. The elevator does a create that large gaping hole inside our building, allowing the 100 year old dust to freely flow from second floor to our main floor.
Lastly, one of the unique features of our hardware store is the wood stove. During the cold weather season, the stove creates its own “dusty” problems, but it is our main source of heat and folks love it too.
Life inside an old school hardware store as you might recall in your own personal experience…seeing a bit of dust or even a “packed hardware inventory” in which only the owner knows where everything is located. So an old school hardware store can be full of nostalgia for many of us… right??? A trip back down memory lane of times past, & times we enjoyed. Nostalgia to me could be best defined as memories of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never wish to lose.
Here’s a good old school hardware store bit of nostalgia from my childhood. I can remember the days of going into nearby hardware store in Roaring River with my dad just wondering how on earth could they find anything in there!!! Every surface was covered with hardware products, and I remember seeing the old, dusty floors. It was always an adventure going inside there in my mind as a kid.
So it got me to thinking a little bit…. Folks might be seeking some old school hardware store nostalgia when they arrive at Wilkes County Hardware. I think they are pleased to see that these type of stores still exist in 2021.
We are extremely thankful & grateful for the opportunity to help those in our community by offering several hardware services unique to our business, and maybe not offered anywhere else in town.
I’ll be content keeping track of our 100 Year Old Dust everyday because you can’t find another hardware store like ours anywhere else in town… the old school hardware store, complete with 100 Year Old Dust, and so much more 😊.
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 