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Reed Risks It All, Again

By JUSTIN PEEPER
For the second time in eight years, Gregg Reed is risking everything he and his family have worked for since 1976.
Reed, the owner of Reed’s Hardware and Radio Shack and Reed’s Hardware and Farm Supply, has made some changes at both stores to modernize his businesses and carry them into the future, much like when he and his dad took a risk opening the north store in 1995.
“I know some people think we’re crazy with all of the different things that we do, but you have to,” Reed said. “I am making these changes to establish our foothold in the community.
One of the main reasons for the changes, which include extensive renovations, revolves around new competition coming to town, rivalry like Reed has never faced before in Bluffton: Lowes.
Despite competition from the big hardware store’s move into town later this fall, Reed believes his businesses will survive for several reasons.
“We have a plan in place we’ve been working on now for a year,” he said. “We have an aggressive way of doing business. It doesn’t matter who the competition is. We’ve been here for 28 years, and as long as Bluffton uses us, we will still give it our all.”
Reed would not discuss the specifics of his strategy, but he said the new plan is only one key to his stores’ future success in spite of Lowes or any other “big box” that comes to town.
Reed has also diversified his stores’ offerings by carrying more category-specific items.
Another key component to surviving the competition focuses on the personal customer service his 40 employees give every day, Reed said.
“People can walk in here and see me, the guy that owns the company,” Reed said. “A lot of our customers are friends and they like doing business with us because we know them by name, we know their backgrounds and we care about their needs.”
Reed believes he has good customer service at both stores, but he said room for improvement always exists.
“We’re always trying to invent new ideas and things that’s going to help us in the future, whoever the competition is,” Reed said.
This service, coupled with quality merchandise and competitive prices, will carry Reed’s stores into the future, he believes.
Reed thinks his stores could feel Lowes’ impact for six months to a year, but after the smoke clears, he said he’ll still be standing.
“I think there’s a definite need for Lowes, but then there’s also a definite need for a hardware store, a convenient store,” Reed said. “Most of the time when you go in and shop in Lowes or a bigger store, it takes you an hour. You can be in and out of my store in three to five minutes. I think there is a place for both in Bluffton, as well as any other market.”
Reed also explained not one hardware store in Fort Wayne has closed because of bigger franchises such as Lowes, Home Depot and Menards.
“Everybody and their brother is in the Fort Wayne market and (smaller stores) are prospering,” he said.
To ensure a place exists for both businesses in Bluffton, Reed has made and is making multiple changes to diversify both stores so they do not offer the same items.
The north store, which Reed remodeled this past spring, now houses Radio Shack. Not only did he remodel the store, but he also changed franchises from Ace to Do it Best.
“In the future, where we’re taking our business, I think it’s catered more toward Do it Best,” Reed said.
Other services and products the north store will offer include rentals, paint, lawn and garden, bulk products, mulches, soils and rocks, feed and clothing.
The north store, located at 1879 N. Main St., carries Carhartt clothing and Wolverine boots. The paint department now stocks Valspar paint.
The south store, housed at 1623 S. Harrison Plaza, will become more of a convenience hardware store.
This store will also carry more farm supplies, animal products and clothing, including carry bibs, coveralls and work boots.
Reed plans to use the south store to fill the niche Quality Farm and Fleet left.
“We’re going to switch gears on the south store (because) it will be more of a farm supply place with all the unique products,” Reed said. “We hope to have all of these changes done by December.”
Similar to the north store, Reed will remodel the south store by the end of the year.
Reed’s Hardware moved to the south location in 1992 from 221 W. Market St., the business his parents, Richard and Beverly Reed, opened in 1976. They opened the north store in 1996
Reed purchased the north store from his parents in 2000, and bought the south store the following year. In 2001, he bought Radio Shack from the Butler brothers.
With the past changes and those now under way, Reed does not see Lowes or any other company driving him out of business.
“They force us to be better and I guess if we reject being better in the new ways of doing business in the future, then I guess our destiny will prove itself,” he said.