The vanishing hardware store

Worth reading: a New York Times opinion piece, “The Life and Death of the Local Hardware Store.” The killers: Amazon and high rent.

Our local hardware store — Ace — is an incredibly valuable resource. Ask a question: someone will know the answer. An air filter for a gas water-heater? No, manufacturers don’t sell them separately, only with the [whatever the expensive part is]. But here, here’s one that someone left last week. They bought the part but didn’t need the filter. How much? Just take it.

A related post
Harvey’s Hardware (Density!)