An Aubuchon Hardware store in Wells, Maine

Aubuchon Hardware competes with big-box hardware chains such as The Home Depot and Lowe's as well as retailers' cooperatives such as Ace Hardware and True Value.

History

Aubuchon Hardware was founded in 1908 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

For many years the company did not publish its stores' telephone numbers (it was thought phone calls would distract salespeople from giving in-store customers the best possible service); this policy has been eliminated. Aubuchon is noteworthy for its aggressive search engine marketing which has led to heightened brand awareness as well as strong sales growth of its online operations.

Some of Aubuchon's recent growth has come from buying out retiring hardware store owners and converting their franchised or independent stores to the Aubuchon banner. A number of underperforming stores have been closed recently, including those in Leominster, Massachusetts in early 2008, Enosburg_Falls and Springfield, Vermont, Claremont and Peterborough, New Hampshire, Au Sable Forks, New York, and Barre, Massachusetts. Other stores which have been closed in recent years include Canton, New York, Potsdam, New York and Massena, New York. A previously closed store in Rutland, Vermont has re-opened in a different location. A new store was opened in Chelmsford, Massachusetts around the same time the other stores were closed. The Canton store was reopened briefly after which a new store was opened in nearby Ogdensburg, New York.

External links

• Hardwarestore.com