Remember when the internet was supposed to kill the hardware store? I still think about that article from 1998.

I was working at my uncle's hardware store back in 1999 when this big article came out predicting online shopping would wipe out places like ours within 5 years. People would just order a hammer or a light switch from their computer and get it delivered same day. Well here we are 25 years later and I still see the same faces on Saturday mornings buying lumber and asking me which pipe threader works best. The internet didn't kill us because you can't hold a screwdriver through a screen. Has anyone else seen old predictions about your trade that just never panned out?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma68411d ago

Read an article a few years back that said the same thing about bookstores and music shops. Funny how places like hardware stores actually got STRONGER because people need to touch and see stuff before buying it for real projects. Seems like the internet works better for some things but completely misses the mark on others, especially when you need expert advice from someone who has been doing it for 30 years.

sullivan.elliot11d ago

My local hardware guy saved me $400 last month. I was about to order this fancy smart thermostat online and he just looked at my setup and said "that won't work with your furnace, you need the dumb one for $40." He's been doing this 38 years, knows every house in the neighborhood. Try getting that advice from a chatbot or some product review from a guy who installed it in his brand new condo. Same thing happened with my lawnmower - YouTube said I needed a whole new carburetor but the old timer at the shop fixed it with a paperclip and five minutes of his time. The internet gives you answers, but experience gives you the right one.