Hardware Stores Meet Demand

Some local shops are seeing record sales despite shorter hours.

- CHARLENE OLDHAM

TIM BRANNEKY’S GREAT-GRANDFATHER opened for business in 1857 to outfit customers headed west on the Oregon Trail. Today, shoppers may need different supplies, but Branneky’s True Value Hardware retains its role as an essential retailer, supplying everything from sanitizer to potting soil.

“We’ve gone through close to 600 cases of toilet paper and 200 cases of gloves,” says Branneky, who co-owns the Bridgeton store with his brother, Jeff. “Then, if people come and get that, they’ll get other stuff.”

Typically the store might sell a couple of cases of toilet paper a month, but these are unusual times. Supply updates for such in-demand items as masks and disinfectant wipes are posted daily to the shop’s Facebook page. Landscaping supplies and materials for indoor projects are also popular. Branneky says sales are on pace to match a strong spring with good weather.