Hardware stores like Wilson’s are tough to find these days. This small business is located on Main St, Lansdale and has been a long standing staple of the downtown landscape.
The mom and pop tool shop – Wilson’s Hardware in Lansdale
Are you tired of shopping in overcrowded, big box stores? If so, now is a better time than ever to support our small businesses. It certainly won’t take 20 minutes to find a lightbulb in this small, long standing staple of Lansdale’s downtown district.
Wilson’s Hardware and Locksmith, located at 217 West Main Street in Lansdale, has been in business for over 50 years. Wilson’s was locally owned up until about 6 years ago. Although Wilson’s is no longer owned by a Lansdale resident, it is privately owned not too far from our community.
I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Lenny Diehl, the currently furloughed manager of Wilson’s, who has been an employee for 25 years, to discuss this local business.
Unlike the big box stores who warehouse their own inventory to easily supply each of their locations, Wilson’s is part of a co-op that purchases their inventory from True Value. That puts the big box stores at a competitive pricing advantage over small locally owned businesses like Wilson’s, making it tougher to compete in the current economy. One of the perks of going to a small local business is the personal attention. While keeping their inventory low due to the current pandemic, there have been times where they might not have a particular item in the store.
Don’t fret, “If we don’t have it, we can order it,” Diehl said.
One of the obstacles that businesses on Main Street face is the lack of parking on Main Street. Luckily for Wilson’s, they also have an entrance in the back accessible on Madison Street. Both of these entrances remain open.
Wilson’s isn’t just a local hardware store, they have an on-call locksmith and are also available for handyman services. One of the biggest service requests are window and/or screen repair. This work isn’t just confined to Lansdale, they go as far south as Philly, north to Allentown, east to New Hope and west to Reading.
When asked about how Covid-19 has impacted business, Diehl said they initially cut back on staff, hours and inventory. However, now they are getting closer to returning to normal business. Their staff is being recalled and their hours are expanding to pre-Covid schedule.
They are currently open 6 days a week, 7:30am-5pm, Monday through Friday and 8am-1pm on Saturdays. You can call and leave a message anytime.
So remember, don’t forget to shop locally this holiday season.
Contact Information:
https://stores.truevalue.com/pa/lansdale/19514/
(215) 855-6876