Lexington’s oldest hardware store is a hidden treasure of PPE — and it’s expanding
When John and Lisa Justice finalized their purchase of Chevy Chase Hardware in December, they could not have planned for a global pandemic.
But the newcomers to entrepreneurship adapted swiftly. They worked with suppliers to acquire face masks, cleaning supplies, bathroom tissue and other items whose scarcity increased as consumers bought them in bulk as measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Located at 883 E High St. and a staple in the city since 1946, Chevy Chase Hardware has been able to maintain a steady stream of those products over the last month, allowing it to continue going toe-to-toe with national chains like Lowe’s and Home Depot while maintaining a small-town sensibility.
It’s had to go “outside the box” in terms of whom its working with to supply goods — Bluegrass Distillers, a local distillery, is providing hand sanitizer — in order to best cater to the current needs of its customers, but it’s made it work.
“We’ve been very lucky, we have pretty much kept bleach, gloves, hand sanitizer,” John, who previously worked for Samsung Electronics and Lexmark, said in a phone interview Wednesday. “And masks, we’re getting those from a couple people now in order to take care of everyone in the community.”
When the Herald-Leader spoke with the store, it had just receive large shipments of surgical and KN-95 masks; Gov. Andy Beshear has recommended that, beginning May 11, all Kentuckians wear masks while out of their homes. It also was awaiting a shipment from Denver of green light bulbs, which have become a fixture in the store, as well, in response to Beshear urging citizens to use the special lighting to honor fellow Kentuckians who’ve died as a result of the coronavirus.
CCH, Lexington’s oldest hardware store, recently partnered with the Fayette County sheriff’s department to help distribute LED bulbs at no cost, but it also has sold “thousands and thousands” of light bulbs in recent weeks.
“We cleaned up all of the east coast,” John said. “We have driven up to Columbus and gotten light bulbs just so people can purchase those. Our supplier the other day had a truck bringing them to a store in Russell Springs, so we drove over there and picked some up. We’ve been doing everything to make sure everyone has the opportunity to get ‘em.”
CCH this year also started selling more garden supplies, and those have been a hit with customers who’ve been confined to their homes.
“A lot of people have been coming out to get plants for their yard and they’ve been purchasing seeds and planting trays to start vegetables,” said Lisa, a recent retiree from the Madison County school system who now teaches at the Lexington School.
Business has been steady but still tough. The Justices had begun an expansion of the store prior to the pandemic, and expect that to be completed by the middle of May. They’ll soon be offering a robust paint selection and a greater number of larger home wares, like water heaters after they takeover the space next door in what was High Street Fly, a Kentucky-themed boutique store that closed March 10.
That project — which the Justices promise won’t dilute the store’s down-home atmosphere — has been a messy, but exciting distraction in a time of great uncertainty. The store, which the previous owner after 43 years put up for sale in June 2018, is something the couple didn’t want to see go away.
They’re determined to keep serving Lexington through the pandemic and well after COVID-19 has been conquered.
“Everything’s tough out there,” John said. “We just want to make sure that we’re taking care of the consumers. Hopefully we’re doing the best we can.”
Chevy Chase Hardware
Where: 883 E High St.
Hours: 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat; Noon-5 p.m. Sun
Call: 859-269-9611
Online: chevychasehardware.com
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 10:37 AM.
