Rain dampens hardware stores' sales

By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon @ fredericknewspost . com

FREDERICK — Murky water gurgled into hoses while the din of water pumps signaled the end of recent storms last week.
     The sound of recovery echoed in basements across Maryland, waking dormant cash registers in hardware stores. Rains spoiled sales of most home improvement items, from lumber to lawn and garden supplies.
     “It's a two-edged sword,” said Leroy Strawsburg, owner of Brunswick Hardware, on Thursday. “You sell a lot of some things, but it cuts back on everything else.”
     Mr. Strawsburg anticipated an increased demand for sump pumps, water spout extensions and waterproofing supplies ahead of the storms. He stocked shelves with more than twice the normal inventory for such items.
     He sold the last of a dozen wetdry vacuums Tuesday. He expected to fill the shelf again after a shipment Friday.
     Gail Hudlow, manager of Ace Hardware in Mount Airy, said all water removal equipment rentals have been booked since Monday.
     “It's hard to judge what you need when rain comes this fast in such a short period of time,” she said. “So we've been selling and renting anything and everything you can use to get water out of a basement.”
     She was surprised by an increase in the sale of interior paint during the storms.
     “The paint department was very busy and sales have been up because people knew they were going to be inside for a while,” she said.
     Sales at May's Hardware in Frederick were down at least 20 percent during the storms, said manager Karl Zimmerman. The most popular items this week next to pumps were rolls of polyethylene and caulking.
     “How do you prepare? You might remember the last big storm, but until it gets here you don't really think about it,” he said. “That's when people find out the sump-pumps are not functioning.”
     Paula Erickson, director of communication for Ace Hardware Corporation in Chicago, has yet to see the increase in orders from retailers that often comes with extreme weather.
     “When we saw footage of the flooding on TV, we definitely expected to see spikes in sales of sump-pumps and shop-vacs,” she said.
     So far, the 325 Ace Hardware retailers in the Mid-Atlantic region have been able to keep up with demand with in-store inventory, she said.
     Ace Hardware is a cooperative of independently-owned stores. Ms. Erickson said stores in areas that were not affected by the storm probably shared stock with stores that were low on inventory.
     Chris Jensen, executive editor of Hardware Retailing, a monthly trade magazine, said the more than 20,000 independently owned hardware store nationwide did what they could to help people during the severe weather.
     “These hardware store owners are some of the most industrious store owners around,” he said. “What we're most proud of is that retailers in our industry are so dedicated to their community. They live in the community and they serve their community on a daily basis, but during a disaster they go the extra mile for them.”

Potential scams
Some businesses try to take advantage of people during a disaster, according to Elizabeth Williams, spokeswoman for the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC). Scam artists often travel from state to state chasing disasters.
     “When you have a situation like these floods you do get the folks that show up on your door step wanting to make discounted repairs,” she said. “A lot of people are inclined to take a good deal, but in a lot of these situations it's the worst thing they could have done.”
     Mr. Jensen said people who take advantage of disasters tar nish the spirit of recovery.
     “For every 10 people trying to help, there is someone looking to take advantage of the situation with a scam,” he said.
     Ms. Williams said homeowners are at risk for shoddy repairs or theft.
     Homeowners should work exclusively with MHIC licensed contractors, she said. Such companies have at least two years of experience, keep $50,000 of liabili ty insurance and their work may be covered by the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund.
     The fund provides qualified homeowners with as much as $15,000 for losses resulting from poor or incomplete work by MHIC licensed contractors.
     “The emotional state people are in can lead them to make rash decisions, but it can cause you more trouble financially and emotionally in the long run,” she said.