The neighborhood brick and mortar independent hardware store owner is under constant attack for market share these days. Not only the "Big Boxes", but also almost every other kind of business imaginable, from the internet giants all the way down to the local gas station are now carrying items that were once the preferred, almost exclusive domain of the local hardware store. In this book hardware store marketing expert Phil Brakefield calls upon his 40+ years of serving the independent hardware trade to share a number of tips and strategies that will leave the competition quickly disappearing in the rear view mirror. Joining Phil as contributors to this book are a number of successful Chicagoland business owners who SEEM to have very different businesses...but in the final analysis, face very much the same challenges as a local hardware store owner. The insightful hardware store owner can quickly, easily and cost-effectively mine the gold from all the chapters in this enlightening book, and pick out the best tips and strategies that will best serve his/her store!