Main Street USA

AND THE BEST HARDWARE STORE BY A DAM SITE.

Ken Clark Editor in Chief

“Main Street is the climax of civilization,” wrote Sinclair Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. “That this Ford car might stand in front of the Bon Ton Store, Hannibal invaded Rome and Erasmus wrote in Oxford cloisters.”

That’s laying it on a little thick. But there’s no doubt that a thriving downtown is more than just an admirable economic ecosystem. It’s a cherished American way of life.

When the Independent We Stand organization declared Hudson, Mass., the $25,000 winner of the latest America’s Main Streets “Road to Recovery” contest, we went looking for a hardware store in downtown Hudson. And, of course, we found one: Robinsons Hardware.

Along with a speakeasy and “micro creamery” ice cream shop, Robinsons plays an important role in giving the town its award-winning vibe. “We’ve got a good core group of business leaders downtown that have really worked hard to improve the Main Street area,” said Kim Underwood, Robinsons owner.

A few other facts about Robinsons:

The store dates back to 1874, and today occupies what was once a small W.T. Grant’s building, into which Robinsons moved in 1974.

Robinsons has a dramatic slogan: “Best hardware store by a dam site.” And that’s no exaggeration. The store is situated in sight of a dam on the Assabet River, which runs through Hudson. Bonus fact: Sounds fictional, but it’s true. The other Robinsons store in Framingham, Mass., is also near a dam site.

The Underwood family has been running the store since 1963. Robinsons does a big business in rental, and is known for servicing tractors, snow blowers, lawn mowers, and other equipment.

A nearby Lowe’s provides formidable competition. “It’s a battle, for darn sure,” Underwood said. “Customer service is the name of the game. And we seem to do that pretty well.”

This column’s official take; keep up the good work.

As part of its ongoing mission to promote small businesses, Independent We Stand created the America’s Main Streets program to highlight the critical role played by Main Streets in American life, including America’s economic life.

The challenges are real: Labor shortage, the mall, the billion-dollar profit machines in orange and blue, the pandemic. Not every Main Street is attached to an award-winning, vibrant downtown to drive those threats off.

But according to Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand, local independents are embracing the challenges. He pointed to stats that show 4.4 million new businesses were created in 2020 alone.

Despite it all, independents are giving customers reasons to shop

“Their continued success is due to their grit and determination and the support of American shoppers, who see the value of supporting their local independents," he said. "Their support was more evident than ever during the pandemic.”

Robinsons Hardware: "Best hardware store by a dam site."

HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY HBS

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