Heard a guy at the hardware store say tool libraries kill local sales

I overheard Mike from Ace Hardware complaining that our tool library cost him $200 in lost sales last month alone. But my takeaway is that he's ignoring the $150 I spent there on bits and blades after borrowing their router for a weekend project. Has anyone else dealt with local shops blaming the library for their bottom line?

2 comments

2 Comments

loganm5214d ago

Did Mike actually watch you walk out with that receipt in hand or did he just make an assumption based on his register numbers? Those monthly P&L statements can be real misleading when you don't account for every single add-on sale that came through the door because of the library. I ran into the same attitude at my local lumberyard until the owner personally watched me load up on sandpaper and glue after borrowing their planer. Showing him the actual purchase history from that same month forced him to admit he was guessing instead of tracking real customer behavior. Have you pulled your last few months of purchases to prove the library actually funnels money his way?

troymorgan16d ago

You talked to Mike directly? What did he say when you showed him the receipt for those bits and blades? I had the same thing happen with a bike shop near me - they complained I was borrowing torque wrenches, so I brought in a list of every tube and cable I bought after using their stand. Once they saw the numbers, the owner actually admitted the library brought him new customers. Maybe show Mike your whole order history from that month, not just his guess.