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Remember the local hardware store that made you feel as welcome
as a neighbor? That's because you probably were, and the proprietor
was an old and trusted friend who'd give you the best service
and advice he could. You'd stay and chat awhile and go home with
exactly the item you had in mind. Those days are gone forever,
you say. Well, not completely. Village Hardware, on Ft. Hunt
Road in Alexandria is an olde tyme hardware store that still
believes in personalized service and neighbors helping neighbors.
Larry Gray opened Village Hardware in 1979 and still believes,
even more so, in the business practices that made his business
such a success. Twenty years of 7-days-a-week hard work have
paid off for Larry and his family who are all involved in the
business in one way or another. Larry's mother-in-law has been
the company's bookkeeper for 15 years and also helps out with
the younger members of the Gray family. His sister-in-law works
full time in the store and his brother, part-time. "They're
a big asset," Larry says. "Everybody pitches in."
Larry's wife even helps with deliveries and running errands.
Larry is obviously very proud of his business and how far they've
come in 20 years and thinks it is important to give back to the
community what it has given him. He does a lot of work with the
youth of Alexandria and surrounding areas and has a strong sense
of community involvement. Many of the young people Larry has
hired over the years say it was the best education they could
have gotten, and have gone on to become successful in their own
careers.
The Village Hardware store is warm and inviting the moment you open the door. Some customers think of it as a gathering place where they can come to exchange ideas on home improvement, gardening or just to browse around in the Weber showroom downstairs. As an exclusive Weber, 5-Star Dealer, Village Hardware carries everything Weber makes, plus tools and accessories. Larry Gray's commitment to his business, and loving what he does, shows in everything inside the store. He particularly enjoys the merchandising and buying part of the hardware business and finds it challenging to solve customers' problems.
After having visited several of the warehouse-type stores
and becoming frustrated by the general lack of product knowledge,
many patrons wind up at Village Hardware. "They wish they'd
come here first," Larry says. After the courteous and personal
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Larry Gray, owner of Village Hardware, believes in personalized
service.
service they receive, they become customers for life. People
will drive miles out of their way to shop at Village Hardware
because they know they'll get the best product at the best price.
Maybe a neighbor or a friend has bought a lawnmower or a grill
at Village Hardware and couldn't help but brag about the great
deal and friendly service. Before long, word has gotten around
that the olde tyme hardware store in Alexandria is the only place
to shop for anything you need to maintain your home.
Larry says without his many loyal customers, he wouldn't have
a business. He credits his father with teaching him the value
of hard work when he was a boy as he watched his father working
in the construction business.
Some people have the misconceived idea that prices at Village
Hardware are higher than at the larger, discount chain stores.
But, actually, 75% of the items available in this store are cheaper
than the bigger stores. As the only independent hardware store
left in Alexandria proper, Village Hardware services customers
from all over Northern Virginia. They sell everything from hammer
and nails to the Genesis Gold gas grill and everything in between.
And it's rare not to have a product delivered on the same day.
They have a huge inventory of lawn and garden supplies and will
deliver for free, 10 bags or more, most of the time on the very
day they're sold. The large, chain stores charge a $35 fee for
delivery.
Every new customer who visits Village Hardware says they wish
there was one like it in their area. Most of Larry's customers
have been coming to him for a long time and all agree that the
quality of service and knowledge of the product is without equal
in the hardware business. Thanks to a great staff, whose honesty
and integrity have made Village Hardware outstanding and unique,
this is the place to shop. Visit Village Hardware at 7934 Fort
Hunt Road, in the Hollin Hill Shopping Center, for grills and
all your painting, plumbing, electrical, garden supplies, and
general hardware needs. Stop by today or phone them at (703)
765-1555.
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