How does an independent hardware store stay open for a hundred years? Not with the lowest prices or the flashiest technology; it survives by taking care of its people and its customers, one relationship at a time. I saw that up close recently when I had the honor of writing about Eugene True Value Hardware in Eugene, Oregon, a family-owned store that just celebrated its 100th anniversary. A century behind the counter teaches lessons that apply to every independent owner reading this, whether your store is turning ten or turning eighty.
The full story ran in the February 2026 issue of Cutting Edge Product, the product guide for home improvement retailers; you can read the published feature here. But the heart of it is worth sharing with every store owner I work with, because what has carried Eugene True Value through a hundred years is the same thing that will carry your store through the next ten.
What actually keeps a store open for a century?
When I asked co-owner Lucy White what it takes to last a hundred years, she didn’t hesitate. “Our customer service and our people; that’s really what’s kept us going,” she told me. “We’ve been lucky to have the best employees and the best customers.”
That answer is simple, but don’t mistake simple for easy. Eugene True Value has weathered the Great Depression, World War II, a string of recessions, COVID-19, and most recently the Chapter 11 restructuring that put True Value in the headlines. Through every one of those storms, the thing that kept the doors open wasn’t a clever promotion or a price war; it was people who showed up, stayed dependable, and kept helping their neighbors solve problems. “People were just glad to see we were still here,” Lucy said of the recent industry news. “They care; they really do.”
Why do customers choose the independent when they can buy it cheaper elsewhere?
This is the question I hear most from the owners I work with, and Eugene True Value answers it the same way the best independents always have: with service you genuinely cannot get anywhere else. Their team takes pride in helping a customer find the right solution, not just the right product. You can buy the same box of screws at a big box or online; what you can’t buy there is someone who knows your project, knows your name, and will walk you to the exact aisle.
That is the independent’s real advantage, and it doesn’t require a bigger marketing budget than the national chains. It requires being genuinely helpful, consistently, so that your customers know they’ll be taken care of every time they walk in. That’s what brings people back year after year, and it’s a moat no online retailer can cross.
How do you build a team that stays for decades?
Here’s a number that stopped me: five or six of Eugene True Value’s employees have been with the store for twenty years or more. In an industry where retail turnover is brutal, that kind of tenure is almost unheard of, and it doesn’t happen by accident. People don’t stay somewhere for two decades unless they feel respected and trusted.
The culture the White family built for their team is the same one they extend to their customers; respect, teamwork, and trust. And that consistency shows up on the sales floor. When your longtime employees know your regulars by name, service stops being a policy and starts being a relationship. If you want customers who stay loyal for generations, start with employees who want to stay for decades.
What can your store take from a hundred-year-old one?
You don’t need to be a century old to apply what Eugene True Value has learned. The Whites’ advice to other independent retailers is refreshingly plain: stay connected to your customers, and take care of your people. Loyalty is earned through consistency; by showing up, helping people, and doing the right thing day after day, not through any single grand gesture.
For an independent store trying to compete today, that translates into a few concrete moves. Know your customers well enough to solve their problems, not just sell them products. Invest in the people behind your counter so they stick around and become the reason customers come back. And carry that same personality into how you show up online, because the store owners who win the digital shelf are the ones whose website, Google profile, and social presence feel like the same welcoming place customers already trust in person.
A hundred years is a long time to stay true to who you are. Eugene True Value did it by keeping people at the center of everything, and that’s a strategy any independent can start on today. If a store in Eugene, Oregon can build a century of loyalty one customer at a time, your store can build its next chapter the very same way.
Thank you for reading! We hope this post inspires you to see new opportunities to strengthen your marketing strategy. At HSME, we’re here to support local hardware stores in navigating today’s marketing challenges and helping you connect with your community, both online and in-store. If you have any questions or want to learn more about how we can support your business, feel free to reach out to us in any one of our channels or send us a message.
Don’t miss out on more tips and strategies; subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn for more marketing tips and insights for hardware stores.
What’s your biggest takeaway from today’s post? Share your thoughts in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
About Renee C Gray and HSME
Renee C Gray is the founder of Hardware Store Marketing Experts (HSME) with over 25 years of experience helping local hardware stores thrive in the digital age. Dedicated to bridging the gap between tradition and technology, Renee understands the unique challenges of small business owners and provides practical, authentic marketing solutions that resonate with your community.