West Kelowna Home Hardware closing after 30 years

Photo: Jay Norman

In the wake of a rent hike and a drop off in customer spending the owner of Home Hardware in West Kelowna has decided, reluctantly, to throw in the towel.

In the wake of a rent hike and a drop off in customer spending, the owner of Home Hardware in West Kelowna has decided, reluctantly, to throw in the towel.

Jay Norman told his five employees recently that they’d be losing their jobs in the months ahead.

Some of them had been with the company for as long as 20 years, and Norman said he’s thankful that they all said they’d stick with him until the last day of business.

That date has yet to be determined.

First Norman will have to liquidate all of his inventory, bidding adieu to a business he took over five years earlier. It had been in that spot for 30 years, a time period in which there’s been a lot of change and that may be part of the reason why it’s time to say goodbye to the business.

“They work better as a hardware store in a small town,” he said.

“When it came to Westbank, it was a small town. Now there's lots of competition.”

Also, much of that competition isn’t from brick and mortar entities.

“Unfortunately, I think people are watching their pennies and shopping more online with Amazon and corporations that can weather the (economic) storm better than smaller mom and pop or independent business,” Norman said.

“I think it’s a sign of the times.”

Another sign of the times Norman’s noticed is his costs for products has risen a “crazy” amount in a time when people are “more or less buying what they need.”

“They're either buying a flyer, item that's on sale, or they're buying a necessity,” Norman said. “They're not being frivolous in their in their expenditure.”

Then there’s a rent hike he recently had to contend with.

He said it’s nearly 60 per cent higher than his previous lease and untenable. It’s a situation that several others people who lease in the building have also had to contend with.

The company that manages the complex said a number of contracts are coming up for renewal this year. Most are at or close to market rates and negotiations with each tenant is being done directly and fairly to remain competitive at market.

"We hope that the existing tenants do stay as we value their commitment to our mall," a company representative said.

"Where we have those who choose to move on, we will work to find tenants who offer services that fit the mix of the property and create the best possible experience and offering for the surrounding community."

Norman said he hopes that people will swing by in the weeks ahead and get a bargain or two as they do.

His clearance sale starts on Wednesday, when everything will go for 20 per cent less its listing price.