Strategies Spring 2026_No Crops

OPERATIONS

SELL TRUST, NOT PRICE 3

WIN WITH THE PROS 4

For independent home improvement retailers, customer service isn’t an add-on; it’s the core offering. Hathaway says stores should focus on teaching, not just selling. “You’re not competing on price,” she says. “You’re competing on trust.” “When customers physically get in the car, drive to your store and walk through the door, they want to buy from you,” Hathaway says. “If you’re good at what you do, that emotional exchange leads to a sale.”

Professional customers can be a steady driver of local success. Hathaway says strong relationships with contractors often influence the wider community. Some stores deepen those relationships through partnerships, referrals or even shared space with contractors. “That reciprocal relationship is huge,” Hathaway says. “The contractor sends customers to the store, and the store sends customers back to contractors they trust.”

28 Spring 2026 • Hardlines Strategies