Page Hardware & Appliance Co. Making Some Changes

Anyone who has shopped at Page Hardware & Applicance Co. in Guilford recently can see that something is going on. There are signs indicating that construction is underway, some products are disappearing forever, some new lines are taking their place.

Amy Earls, vice president of operations at Page, said the store is undergoing a remodeling project that should be complete by late August, early September. There will be new signage, and a different product mix. Plumbing and electric supplies will shift significantly to put the emphasis on one brand that will offer something in every category. The housewares products offered will shift as well.

"We're a small store," Earls says. "We're looking at what is relevant for our customers. We don't need five different kinds of coffee makers, we need three. People, come fall, can expect to see a slightly different mix in the store, it will be better organized, in a way that makes sense to them."

Some changes coming to hardware and housewares

Some of the changes will be taking place in the store's housewares section, which is managed by Therese Osborn. Some of those changes have already been implemented, with new additions being marked by signs along the shelves. Earls said the housewares section--brimming with a wide selection of unique items that include Dr. Seuss baby bibs, aprons for men and women, tea accoutrements, cast iron pans, and dehumidifiers in cheerful animal shapes--is an important niches for the store, one that makes it unique among hardware stores. "Most hardware stores don't have a section like that," she said. "This is one of the more female-centric hardware stores that you'll ever walk in to."

At the same time, there will be many things that won't change at the venerable store that has been owned by three generations of the same family for more than 70 years. The store will retain its historic look and feel. The store itself includes several buildings, including one that dates from the 1850s. The squeaky hardwood floors? Staying. The nail bin? It'll be in a different spot, but it'll stay. And the long-time employees, like Roger Tucker, who has worked there for 55 years, aren't going anywhere, says Earls.

Well, he's not going anywhere, unless it's to walk home, which is right down the street and maybe he'll stop at the Guilford Food Center on the way home, says Earls, who has worked there for 17 years. She also lives within walking distance. She isn't walking home right now since she is in the late stages of a pregnancy, but "I will when I'm not pregnant," she says, with a smile.

Mid-Summer Night Open House on July 28th a community affair

Being a committed part of the local community is another thing that won't change, Earls said. Their upcoming Mid-Summer Night Open House on Saturday, July 28th from 2 to 7 p.m.  is one example of their commitment to that community. Designed in part to show off new Miele, Viking, and Wolf/SubZero kitchens, the event is being done in cooperation with Take The Cake, a Guilford bakery, Frank's Package Store in Guilford, and the Guilford Food Center, which will be making food as part of the event.

The kitchen designers, Fletcher Cameron Design of Guilford, and Rose Adams of Westport, also will be on hand to talk about kitchen design, as will Marble and Granite Inc. of Milford and the Stone Workshop of Bridgeport. "They'll be here to talk about their work and show off their kitchens" Earls says.

Representatives from Miele, Viking, and Wolf/Subzero will attend as well and be on hand to talk with customers.