On Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:43:19 -0500, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:


Just happened to notice the other day, for the second time in
approximately 5 years that we've "lost" a Woodcraft store in Northern
Illinois.

Have others across the country seen a decline in brick and mortar
woodworking stores in their area? Not limiting this to Woodcraft stores.

I'd never seen much traffic at that stores location which, to me at
least, seemed like a bad one. Pretty much a dead shopping center,
hidden back in the corner, not a lot of traffic. The former location, a
bit south on a busier highway had much higher traffic and visibility in
a fully occupied strip mall.

Then again, with online sales going the way they have been, I'd hate to
be a brick and mortar store for anything but maybe clothing and
perishables, groceries.

Think about it. You read or hear of a tool, you can all but touch it
via a YouTube video and see it put through its paces better than
handling it in the store. Then, if you want it, you can scout out the
best price (damn near always cheaper than in the store) and have it in a
day or two.

In the last five years, we've added a Woodcraft and a Rockler (two of
each now). The new Rocler is even further than the old, so I haven't
bothered. The new woodcraft is 25mi across sparsely driven county
roads (no interstates needed), so it's easy for me to get there a
couple of times a month. They're very well stocked, though they've
been having problems getting stationary tools, like everyone else.
They normally display a lot of them but lately it's been slim
pickings. I bought my lathe and drum sander out of store inventory.

We also have the independents Highland and Peachtree, both with large
showrooms (Higland's has been curb-service only for the last year).
From this, my guess would be that the hobby is doing quite well here
in Altlanta and not so much in Northern Illinois.