The 125 store chain of Aubuchon hardware stores has just turned out the lights and pulled the plug on their key duplicating machine at their eleven year old Laconia store. With stores spread across NH, Vt, MA, and NY, and over one hundred years experience in the hardware biz, their management team must know very well when it's best to close up a store and call it quits. For most Aubuchon's, it's much more likely to be a small town anchor, and a go-to spot for whatever hardware one needs.
Oh well, not every store can be a winner. Aubuchon's hung in there for eleven years before deciding to close up. No doubt competition from the nearby Home Depot, Lowe's, Gilford & Tilton Wal-Marts and the very popular owner-operator Moe's Service Star Hardware all contributed to its' demise. Could be that the Aubuchon did not have too good visibility from passing traffic being set back from Court St?
It joins another fine, nearby and long time neighborhood store into the Laconia graveyard of dead businesses, Walter's Market, which closed in September 2009, and was in business since the 1930's. Toss in NOK-Freudenberg-Laconia, the New Hampshire State Prison-Laconia, and Molex Manufactoring, and it all adds up to a school of dead business with plenty of terminated employees.
Seems like the Moultonborough and Meredith Aubuchon's do very well. One thing I noticed in Laconia is that the City of Laconia appears to buy everything it needs from Moe's Service Star, while the Towns of Meredith and Moultonborough go to the Aubuchon's within their town, so could be that makes a big differance. Hardware stores really need to have regular business customers that keep coming back, again and again.
About ten years ago, the Aubuchon bought out the inventory of Lucky Lennie's Tru Value and was selling it all off flea market style. Wonder if the Laconia Aubuchon inventory will wind up in Meredith and Moultonborough at 90% off-price?
"We'll fix you right up............at 90% off.........ho-ho-ho!"
