The old saying “evolve or die” applies in the business world as much as anywhere, even for longtime neighborhood institutions like Mike’s Hardware & Supply.
Located at 4233 Elysian Fields Avenue, right off the intersection with Gentilly Boulevard, the store was opened by the parents of the current owners in 1981.
“This was truly a neighborhood hardware store when our parents opened it,” recalled Rob Lafleur, co-owner of Mike’s with his brother, Bob, “but now there are no other hardware stores anywhere near us.”
As a result, while Lafleur estimates that about half his clientele is still from the Gentilly area, he draws customers from all over the city.
“We’ve evolved into a destination store, especially for contractors and plumbers,” he said. “Now the biggest part of our business is plumbing.”
As in many other retail fields, the arrival of big-box stores has played a substantial role in the demise of the neighborhood hardware store. Lafleur uses a variety of strategies to remain competitive.
“We feed off of what they don’t do, they can’t do,” he explained. “We don’t sell barbecue pits or lawn mowers, but we have a lot of hard-to-find specialty items, especially in plumbing, that they don’t have. We’ve evolved to our niche.”
Lafleur cites an example from another type of business, grocery stores.
“Maybe Dorignac’s doesn’t have those 48-packs of toilet paper like Costco does,” he said, “but they probably have 20 different types of Italian cheese.”
The focus on specialty products is backed up by staff expertise and experience. Of the store’s 10 staff members, more than half have worked there for nine years or longer.
The location is also an asset — not only the proximity to the area’s two largest streets, but the nearby presence of large institutions including Dillard University, Brother Martin High School and the Baptist Seminary. The trade term for what big customers like this require is MRO: maintenance, repairs and operations, and Mike’s carries the kind of items they use most.
“Everybody needs light bulbs, AC filters, keys,” he noted.
As is the case for so many smaller businesses — even a neighborhood fixture located on a main street — drawing in new customers is a never-ending struggle.
“One big challenge right now is reaching residents who maybe don’t know we’re here,” Lafleur said. “Years ago, we used to do a lot of direct mail. Now it’s social media, but it’s tough to stay on top of that.”
To meet the challenge, Mike’s is partnering with complementary businesses, such as Ricca’s, which sells refurbished old building materials, on combined social media outreach.
Still, the big boxes loom large; Lafleur finds that many members of a critical demographic — young, new homeowners — can be intimidated by the thought of coming into a hardware store after years of casual shopping in the larger outlets.
“We have to get them in here so they can see we’re not a bunch of grumpy old hardware guys behind the counter,” he said with a laugh.
But building a personal connection and providing a tailored service remains the cornerstone of Mike’s Hardware’s success.
“My brother and I have worked here since we were kids,” Lafleur recounted. “Our customers have watched us grow up. I even used to live upstairs. We’ll always be a part of this neighborhood.”
Mike’s Hardware & Supply
4233 Elysian Fields // New Orleans // 504-283-8778 phone // MHSNola.com
