New Owner, Same Nostalgia at the Hardware House

It’s one of Newtown Borough’s most iconic stores and a symbol of small-town America. And despite changing owners last year, the Newtown Hardware House still offers the staples that made it the State Street mainstay it is today.

But with a new owner comes some new offerings and a beefed-up inventory. Now, among the nails, paint brushes and tools, patrons can find fishing gear, toys and even cookies.

“We will always be a hardware store first and foremost,” said new owner Bill Newell, a Newtown Borough resident who lives just blocks away from the store. Newell bought the store from longtime owner Dave Callahan in October 2012.

The new offerings, which include expanded gardening supplies, vintage and new fishing gear, household items and toys, are intended to capitalize on what draws people to the store in the first place—its nostalgic atmosphere and mom-and-pop customer service.

“We have just recently added our first branded item—Newtown Hardware House cookies,” Newell explained. Plus, he expects to add more branded goods over the next few months. 

“Our brand is really what makes the store unique,” he said.

Because let’s face it: with competition coming from all sides, whether it’s a big box retailer like Home Depot, or a smaller scale store like Ace Hardware, “almost everything we sell can be obtained elsewhere.”

But Newell said it’s the loyalty to the store and its history that keeps customers coming back. “We understand that when people visit us, it’s often because they like the way the store looks and feels. For many of us, the store generates feelings of nostalgia and simplicity. We’re trying to build on that,” he said.

“We want to make a visit to the Hardware House a mandatory part of everyone’s visit to State Street, even if you don’t plan on buying anything,” he added.

Although the Hardware House may look and feel like a classic hardware store, it’s the array of full-service options that make it live up to the visual expectations.

“We repair thousands of screens and windows each year—usually with one or two day turnaround. We re-wire lamps and light fixtures, cut glass, re-glaze mirrors and windows, make keys,” and more, he explained.

All this happens in the basement of the store. “It really is like going back in time when you watch what goes on down there every morning,” he said.

Newell, a longtime Hardware House customer, said he was not in the market to buy the store but when he learned it was closing “I thought a significant part of our town’s heritage was at risk of dying along with it.”

So he decided to give it a shot.  And while it has been a challenge, there have been no big surprises. “The best news of all is that people are slowly but steadily returning to the store. Sales have reversed trend and started to grow again. It’s really exciting to see,” Newell said.

Newell added that he appreciates the continued support from local residents. “It’s clear that many of us want to see the store survive and collectively we are voting with our pocketbooks."

For more information, like the Hardware House on Facebook.