Declining business dooms Peabody hardware store
Staff writer
Just less than four years after Jamie and Korie Hatton opened their hardware store in Peabody, Hatton’s Hometown Hardware is having its going-out-of-business sale
The sale will start at 9 a.m. Friday and continyue until noon Feb. 10. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Hours are subject to change as the inventory sells.
The store opened in May 2020. At first, supply chain problems during the surge of COVID-19 caused inventory to arrive slowly. The couple worked through setbacks and opened the doors a onth later than planned.
Before opening for business, the couple remodeled and rehabilitated a building at 124 N. Walnut St. where a previous hardware store had been.
A hardware store has stood there since the late 1870s. Now, declining business has taken its toll on the store.
Before deciding to close the store, Jamie worked part-time remodeling jobs to augment the family’s income.
That didn’t do enough to save the business.
In August, Korie announced on social media that the store would be open Mondays and Fridays only.
“Sales have declined the past two years,” she wrote, “and Jamie was hoping by working some remodeling jobs part time, we could stay open.
“However, he had to take a full -time position this past week. We hope this changes in the future and we can re-open 6 days a week and are currently exploring all options, but for now, these are the days and hours we will be open.
“We want to say thank all of our loyal customers these past three years.”