Fifty winning retailers, state by state

Home Channel News selected 50 hardware stores -- one from each state -- for inclusion in the second annual Hardware Store All-Star list. The stores distinguish themselves with strong customer service, innovative approaches to retail and a connection to community and customers. 

The alphabetical listing of All-Star stores, one from each of the 50 U.S. states, continues here with Virginia and Washington:

Virginia

Pleasants Hardware

Richmond, Va.

A sign outside the front door at this venerable Richmond location reads: “Corn Hole Boards Sold Here.” For the uninitiated, those are the beanbag boards popular at carnivals and fundraisers. It’s that kind of off-the-wall item that distinguishes what one customer calls “an old-fashioned hardware store on steroids.” Now with five Virginia locations, Pleasants Hardware sells more than 50,000 products, from odd “whatchamacallits” to brand-name power tools. 

Washington

McDaniel’s Do It Center

Snohomish, Wash.

The 2012 Golden Hammer “Tools of the Trade” Award winner, McDaniel’s Do It Center epitomizes the hardware retailer that champions innovation and best practices across its operation to generate results and connect with customers. Successfully creating an upscale paint business for its DIY base and for continuous reinvestment in its business, the store is a worthy honoree. It has been recognized by Do it Best as an “extreme retailer” and also a several-time purchase-award winner.

For the complete list of 50 winning retailers, state-by-state, register or log in to Homechannelnews.com.