Staying home more prompts refreshes and re–dos

April 30, 2020 | Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com

GREATER SPRINGFIELD – COVID-19 shelter-in-place advisories seem to have been a boon to one part of the economy. As people are required to spend more time in homes and yards than they have in the past, many are also deciding it’s time for a little refresh.

“A lot of customers are doing projects,” Lou Courteau, manager of the Rocky’s Ace Hardware on Liberty Street in Springfield told Reminder Publishing. “We live such busy lives, people are taking advantage of the time; those projects, maybe they’d pushed off, they’re doing them now.”

Courteau said the two biggest purchases he’s seen in what he called a “very busy” store have been things for interior refreshes and materials for sprucing up the yard.

“Painting is one of the biggest projects right now,” Courteau said. “[Customers] even tell you, ‘I’ve been meaning to paint my room for the past three or four years, and now I can get to it.’”

Courteau said the customers who have been putting off these painting projects now seem to be looking at it as an opportunity to make a major decor upgrade.

“A lot of customers are changing colors, whether it is living rooms, kitchens or bedrooms. I think one of the most popular shades is the greys. There’s still a little bit of the tan [neutrals], but definitely more of the greys,” he said.

Hardware refreshes are another area where customers are looking for a change right now, Courteau noted. “We’re seeing customers doing faucets and new hardware in their bathrooms. I haven’t seen a lot of light fixtures, more painting and more of the decorative [changes],” he said.

Lawn and garden projects, always popular spring projects, are also seeing a bump in popularity, thanks to people spending more time in their yards, Courteau said.

“We’re selling a ton of fertilizer [and] a lot of long handled tools – rakes and shovels. If people are not inside the house, they are outside working in the yard - and grilling on the grill.” Courteau noted. “Garden seeds is another big one right now. A lot of consumers are growing their own tomatoes and vegetables, their own flowers.

“If you have the kids at home it’s giving them something to do as well…starting from the seed to a plant to watch it grow,” he said.

Topsoil, pelleted lime, mulch and weed preventatives like Preen have also been big sellers recently, he added. Another popular item is propane tanks. “They’re not going to restaurants, everyone is cooking at home, and in the back yard,” Courteau said. “Grilling season is starting early!”

Though deemed an essential business under Gov. Baker’s rulings because they supply items for necessary home repairs as well as cleaning products, Courteau said there are some services Rocky’s is not offering at the present time. The weekend popcorn is gone he said, to the disappointment of regular customers. Rocky’s also is not making chip car keys because “you have to get into someone’s car” to complete the process, he said. Rocky’s is also not doing screen or glass repairs, but will provide the materials to customers, and offer resources for doing it themselves. “I will pull my phone out and go to YouTube and show them how to do it right in the aisle,” he said. The stores are also not renting out rug shampooing equipment.

He said the stores are also following the rulings about social distancing and cleaning to keep both employees and customers safe. “We put the plexiglasss up at the  registers to make sure not only the cashiers and the customers are protected  – they really are appreciative of that – and we have signs about social distancing.” He said employees are also disinfecting carts, counters, registers and payment machines at regular intervals during the day.

Courteau said the hours at his store, and most of the other Rocky’s in the area, have been adjusted slightly for the foreseeable future. The hours at the Liberty Street, East Longmeadow and Agawam stores are now 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, he said.

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