Downtown hardware store is tooling along despite big-box competition

Tag : Hardware And Tools
Those two qualities can be hard for small, independent hardwarestores to maintain. As a result, many have been driven out ofbusiness by bigger retailers. Sutton hasn't been quick to fold,however, because business has been good for its typical client baseof commercial developers, contractors and construction workers inthe downtown area, said Pete Burke, one of Sutton's owners.
"I think the myth is that Cleveland's economy is bad," Burke said."There's a lot of commercial stuff going on, and that's basicallyour business."
It also helps that Sutton primarily carries Ace brand products.Ace's ability to buy in bulk allows small stores like Sutton to keep prices comparable to those found at major retailers. Eventhough Home Depot and Wal-Mart have set up shop in the nearbySteelyard Commons shopping center, Sutton hasn't seen an exodus ofcustomers. Revenue last year was between $3 million and $5 million,said Ron Thorpe, who handles sales.
Sutton has been a fixture on St. Clair for more than 60 years. Inthat time, it has sprawled from one cramped shop to three separatelocations on the same block -- one handling tool rentals, anotheroperating as a retail store and the third as a warehouse.
By moving, Sutton pulls all three divisions under one roof andbumps its square footage to 20,000, or 5,000 square feet more thanthe three current spots combined. The site of a former wholesaleflorist, the new space lacks the small-store charm of the oldlocations but boasts a 55-spot parking lot.
"We hate to leave St. Clair after all those years," said Tod Votaw,another Sutton owner. But "it's the right move for us."
The current store is a cluster of narrow aisles, chock full of weedkiller, charcoal, gardening gloves, mousetraps and other hardwarestore staples. Shoppers renting heavy equipment have to lug it tocars or trucks parked on the street.