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Bollengo, the rediscovery of DIY: good deals in hardware

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The owners: «Always open, even in the red zone. Luckier than other shopkeepers ». Many sacrifices, but the market holds. There are those who started with a vine and rebuilt the house

BOLLENGO. Among the categories that have suffered the least from the closures imposed by the pandemic, there is certainly that of hardware stores. Except for a very short period of suspension of activity in the spring of 2020, at the beginning of the emergency, they have always been able to keep open, satisfying the needs of a new and perhaps even unexpected clientele. “Many people, suddenly finding themselves at home from work, have decided to devote themselves to new projects that have often also been challenges”, recalls Fabio Stratta, owner with his brother Marco, of the Stratta Hardware in Bollengo.

“There have been couples who went off to paint a room and ended up painting the whole house.” The young entrepreneur continues: «In 2020, the interruption of supplies to companies due to their closure was offset by the influx of private individuals. Our experience has made the difference, especially compared to the DIY mega stores, because thanks to the knowledge of the products and working techniques we have given advice and suggestions that have allowed perfect amateurs to complete even complex projects. Decoration and gardening were the driving sectors that made us acquire new customers ».

Finally, Stratta turns his attention to the current year: «During the last lockdown the companies were open and therefore the work was distributed again. One of our strengths is that we have been part of a Veneto cooperative for years that has 54 members and which allows us to apply competitive prices ». For more than a year, the Rega hardware store moved to its new headquarters in Piazza Gioberti in Ivrea and saw an increase in work during the spring 2020 lockdown. that we offered them »says Paolo Gaida, owner. “People, fearing contagion, did not want to let workers into the house and therefore did their best to personally solve maintenance problems” continues Gaida. «This spring, work has decreased, thanks to a thinning of consumer savings and uncertainty about the future of work. We face supply problems on a daily basis because many suppliers fail to produce and delivery times expand beyond belief. Finally, there are the expenses for taxes and utilities that remain fixed, but the fact that we are a family-run business allows us to have no personnel costs: a real relief nowadays “he concludes.

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“We have practically never closed and until June of last year we worked well”, says Raffaella Sandon, owner of the Montalto hardware store in Montalto Dora. “The public turned to us for maintenance and gardening advice, allowing us to make known our experience and our skills, which resulted in the loyalty of new customers – continues the entrepreneur – The whitewashing works were the most popular. and fortunately we had a stocked warehouse with which we met the requests. In recent months, work has stopped, also because there are less savings and companies are struggling to fulfill orders due to production slowdowns due to the pandemic ». Sandon addresses a final thought to the most penalized categories: “I would not like to be the owner of a gym: I think we would have already closed in their place”. Roberto Leomagno, 52, owner of the homonymous hardware store in Strambino since 1982 says: “My category must feel lucky because after March and April last year, where we recorded a decrease of more than 50%, in the other months we are fortunately managed to recover ». Even Mariella Ruffinelli, 59 years old from Caluso, owner with her husband Paolo Apparigliato of the Biletta hardware store in Caluso, confirms: “Staying open with the alternation of the zones has allowed us to work, with strict compliance with anti-pandemic regulations, and not lose market as instead, unfortunately, has happened to many fellow traders ».

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