My local hardware store changed hands in 2019, and the difference is stark

I've been going to the same hardware store on Route 9 in Albany for over 15 years. Back then, the owner knew everyone by name and would special order oddball parts without asking for a deposit. In 2019, the old guy retired and his nephew took over. Within six months, the store had a new logo, a loyalty card app, and shelves rearranged so you have to walk past the power tools to get to the plumbing section. The staff went from two old-timers who could tell you the exact thread pitch from memory to three teenagers who just point at the aisle signs. Prices on basic items like 3/4 inch PVC elbows went up about 30 percent, and the special order desk now charges a 15 percent restocking fee. I get that retail changes, but is this just the normal death of small stores, or did something specific about the nephew's business model cause it? Has anyone else watched a familiar place get 'modernized' and feel like they're in a different building?

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joseph_sanchez1mo ago

Same thing happened to the Ace on Delaware Ave, new owners came in and suddenly everything's locked behind glass and you gotta ask a kid to unlock the paint aisle like you're buying cold medicine. The old guy there used to just hand me a handful of washers and say pay me next time. That place died a slow death... it's like they modernize the fun right out of it then act shocked when nobody comes back.

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