Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Clifton Hardware
Sitting in the heart of Clifton Village is an independent hardware shop that has been open for longer than many of the students who live up here have been alive. For the past 22 years, the shelves of the Clifton Hardware have been rammed full of light bulbs, fixtures, fittings, paints and plaster.
Co-owned by Simon Fitzherbert and Mac Johnson, the owners said they found a gap in the market and, having both worked at Oddbins before, decided to open their own hardware store.
Some of the many tools for sale in the store
Their unique selling point, Simon says, is their personal experience and expertise with hardware. “We get a lot of customers complaining about the service in some bigger hardware stores like B&Q. You can’t find what you’re looking for and none of the staff offer recommendations as it’s so big. Our shop is small, but we stock over 7,500 items, we offer good recommendations, local knowledge and can cut down the options instead of just offering you thousands of different solutions.”
is needed now More than ever
In their two decades of experience running the shop, Simon says he’s seen the number of students coming in to his shop decrease due to the Wilko on the Clifton Triangle, a “dream location” for student shopping. The majority of customers, however, have remained loyal despite the decrease in local shops like his – and there’s a sense of community amongst the other independents in Clifton Village.
Some of the many items on sale in this Aladdin’s cave of all things DIY
“A lot of people find hardware a bit scary, particularly students who prefer to rely on Wilko or the internet. But it’s very easy – if I can do it, anyone can!” he laughs. The shop has become famed for stocking almost everything you could possibly need: “customers are always shocked if they ask for something we don’t have because that so rarely happens!”
The back of the shop. Simon proudly says: “There’s no store room!”
The future, however, looks less appealing. Simon claims he knows of five hardware stores that have gone out of business as soon as the owners have retired, as it’s “not really something young people want to get involved in”.
For now, however, the shop that offers almost every piece of hardware you could want, remains a firm example of Bristol’s great legacy of independent shops.
Clifton Hardware
19 Regent St, Clifton
Bristol
BS8 4HW
0117 970 6260
https://www.facebook.com/CliftonHardware1/
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