A quick trip to Little Hardware, a Birmingham classic
It’s no secret that independent hardware store owners have been hammered by the rise of big-box retailers and e-commerce giants.
By one study’s estimation, roughly 5,000 independent hardware stores in the U.S. closed between the years of 1990 and 2015. Meanwhile, data compiled by Vertical IQ shows that the four largest home center companies accounted for 96% of all U.S. home center sales, while the 50 largest hardware stores comprised 41.5% of all hardware sales.
There are plenty of thriving exceptions to this rule, of course. One such example is Birmingham, Ala.-based Little Hardware. Situated in the prosperous suburb of Mountain Brook, Little Hardware first opened its doors in 1946. Frank Davies Jr. purchased the store from original owner Lewis Little in 1965—the same year the “Bloody Sunday” events of the civil rights movement unfolded in Selma, not too far down the road. Today, the store is managed by Davies’ son, Frank Wesley Davies III, who has been working for Little Hardware since 1982.
Despite profound transformation in shopping habits and in the retail landscape in general, Little Hardware keeps on going and growing.
Personalization, customer service and handy help
As the company’s glowing Google reviews attest (currently rated 4.6 stars out of 5 from more than 200 reviews), the store is tidy, welcoming and well organized. The product selection is also impressive for a smaller store. My haul included Goo Gone (for removing an unfortunate blotch of misfired Flex Seal from truck), corner brackets (to finish a woodworking project started in 2019), a junction box (why not!?) and hydrogen peroxide (which would prove useful after encountering many rusty nails while demolishing a 35-year-old playset).
Helpful guidance is also easy to find at Little Hardware. A recent visit revealed a tip on a local source for wood chips and stumps, which was much appreciated.
“Helping people is very rewarding. Helping them solve problems and finding products to tackle their project can be challenging. Our customers are very appreciative of what we do here at Little Hardware,” says Davies.
Customers seem to agree.
“I don’t go to Little Hardware to save a buck on lumber or PVC pipe,” says Mountain Brook resident and frequent customer John Estess. “I head over there when I need expert help or advice; I can’t get that kind of service from a big-box hardware store.”
That level of personalization is key for Little Hardware—and for other smaller players in an increasingly big-box world. “We offer customer service more so than the big box stores. It is hard to offer all of the products that a store five or 10 times our size carries, but we try to have what people need when they need it. It is important to carry those products that people want. That is what keeps them coming back,” says Davies.