Wow, that's a really lame hardware store. The one closest to me is used to seeing me every weekend, a couple of the guys always want to hear what my plans are, as they usually have to deal with the same household repairs & questions over & over. They love helping to brainstorm with my aquatics projects, and are always well stocked.
yes it sad. that sort of shop has almost gone now in the uk. we were once called a nation of shopkeepers, now we are a nation of people who want to get rich, but not do any work for it. we must be the only country where people buy BMWs and Mercs for the business before they have sold a bolt. that said these shops still exist, just finding one is hard.