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Farewell Orchard Supply Hardware Store Orchard Supply Hardware's (OSH) parent company Lowe's announced all OSH stores permanently close on Dec 31, 2018. All participating stores are liquidating their inventory with sales. Discounts increase as the days move closer to Dec 31, 2018. I share my memories and feedback below:

*Light bulbs. I'm attracted to light bulbs. I walked to the light bulbs aisle first when my family shopped at OSH when I was a child.

*Indoor plants. I purchased two indoor plants for my cubicle when I worked at Palo Alto Networks in Nov 2014. The air was dry on my floor. The indoor plants somehow made my cubicle bearable.

*Last purchase before liquidation. I purchased silicon tape for my car in case a tube cracked. The silicon tape temporary seals the cracked tube to drive home safely.

*A true hardware store. OSH was the hardware store I shopped before The Home Depot and Lowe's opened their stores in the Bay Area. I wrote a blog titled SOMT: When A Supermarket Was Just Buying Family Groceries on Dec 5, 2012. I wrote a grocery store is buying groceries, an auto store is buying auto parts, a drug store is buying drugs, and an office supply store is buying office supplies. There was no Costco, Target, and Wal-Mart in my childhood.

*Bad management. Many employees know people leave bad companies because of bad management. Perhaps Lowe's intentionally managed OSH terrible to the point of closing stores to eliminate competition.

*On the other hand . . . I believe out with the old and in with the new. Nothing lasts forever. If OSH failed to keep up with today's retail business environment, then it's inevitable OSH permanently closes. I hope for the best for the OSH employees.

*Black Friday purchases. I purchased a leaf blower in 2009. I purchased a flashlight set in 2014.

*We pay the sales tax. OSH promoted customers pay no sales tax on weekends.

*How To Fair. OSH's yearly event at a fairgrounds or convention centers. The How To Fair was like a trade show or home improvement convention. The fair attracts home improvement companies to sponsor, home improvement celebrities, free samples, classes, and coupons. I have three How To Fair buckets. My last How To Fair was 2006 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

*Desk fan. My room got hot during the summers. Some days were not worth turning on the home air conditioner. The home air conditioner was poor keeping the second floor cool. I purchased a desk fan in Jul 2005. The fan works today.

Posted by Raymond Mar at 12:13 PM Labels: Consumer, Economy, Management, Money, Old, Remember, Retail, Sad, Shopping, The End, When I Was A Child, Workplace



