Hardware All Stars: Georgia & Virginia

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The national retail landscape is every bit as varied as the United States is in a geographical and cultural sense.

And yet, there are certain things that all Hardware All Stars have in common.

For one, they're indispensable to their communities. For another, they have an uncanny ability to cater to the specific needs of their customer base. As such, this year's Hardware All Star selection (sponsored by Epicor) is a collection of varied retailers who abide by the same core principles.

The April issue of Hardware + Building Supply Dealer magazine contains the full list of 2015 honorees. Here are highlights from the class of 2015, continuing today with Georgia and Virginia.

Columbus, Georgia: Wynnton Hardware

Sure, Wynnton Hardware delivers strong hardware retail sales numbers. But it's also known to get a little nutty.

The store offers seasonal pecan cracking for its supply of nuts, which many locals rely on during years that yield a low harvest.

Virginia/Washington, D.C.: W.S. Jenks & Son

A D.C. mainstay since 1866, this establishment calls itself "Washington's Oldest Hardware Store," and that's backed up by the fact that it's taken product orders by telegraph, telephone and email in its storied history.

As a hardware store, it's also unique for its selection of tactical, survival and bomb disposal products for government and military use, as well as woodworking, electronics and telecommunications.