I went to a mom and pop store while helping a friend with a plumbing project. The 10 year old kid who helped me was absolutely amazing in his knowledge of copper pipe fittings.
It was really cool.
I’ve been to a few hardware show’s the co-ops (Do it best, ACE etc) put on. It’s really cool to see entire families there buying stuff for the store.
Our local Ace store is CRAMMED with products floor to ceiling. It’s got a real old-time feel to it. The owner, Henry, knows all his regulars. He hires the best people, too. When his girls were little, they all worked in the store, but they are grown now. His wife used to run the bathroom section, but the eventually shut that down. It’s the best hardware store for miles around. I always shop there and avoid HD whenever possible.