Carlyle Home Hardware helping other businesses is definitely a story to be shared.
Nancy Matthewson explained the conversation with her daughter Katie Gavelin about not having the Homespun Craft Show and Sale this year. The wonderful, two-day homemade products event was cancelled because of COVID.
鈥淪o many home-based businesses would have no chance to put their stuff out anywhere this year,鈥� Matthewson explained. 鈥淲ith so many people trying to shop local and avoid the city, we thought why don鈥檛 we try to give them an area in here (the Home Hardware store) where they can come and display the things they have created.鈥�
After designing the space and creating numbers in their system to keep track of sales, they put the idea out on Facebook to see if anyone thought it was a good idea. All slots for this opportunity filled up within a few hours. Sellers bring their wares in on a Friday and set up their display and the Home Hardware staff sells it just like all their other products. After two weeks, the totals are calculated, and the seller collects their goods and their total sales. The area is then ready for the next person鈥檚 display.
鈥淲e just thought we would do this leading up to Christmas, but the response has been amazing both from sellers and buyers. I guess it was a good idea and we will have to see where this goes,鈥� Matthewson smiled. 鈥淚 think a lot of people are very happy to be able to support local craftspeople and like the opportunity to shop like this.鈥�
Home Hardware will keep the seller鈥檚 information on-hand for anyone coming in to purchase after the two weeks is over.
Home Hardware has been very aware of the need for people to shop local for health and other reasons, so they have designed their store to accommodate that. 鈥淲e are trying to stock more and more so people who don鈥檛 want to shop elsewhere can find what they need here,鈥� Matthewson said. 鈥淎s an example, for Christmas, we will have many more gift ideas and stocking stuffers.鈥�
This local store can and will order in anything you need as they have so much available to them that they just don鈥檛 have the room to stock. Remember to order early with COVID in effect.
To keep up on all the vendors coming to Carlyle Home Hardware, follow them on Facebook.
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