He’s right.
Whenever I go to Home depot, I leave reminiscing about old hardware stores where the workers could answer questions and find the right items. They were helpful. Now, they’re only good for stocking shelves. Ask them a question and they read a label which I am quite capable of doing myself.
Sigh.... I miss the old days.
Our town still has one of those. Right at what used to be the crossroads of our town (we're an official suburb now). 4 generations, they still have the creaky wooden floors. Costs a little bit more (but not always). They survive by doing old hardware store things - repairs on machinery, carrying 1000 types of screws and bolts, specializing in high-end tools, garden equipment and BBQ sets.
I make a point to send friends in there. America's already become a corporate parking lot. we have to preserve the local community.
I remember Handy Dan’s, an of course Ace Hardware “With the helpful hardware man”, that has been replaced with “helpful hardware folks”.
Both were before Home Debit and Lowe’s were around, at least before they were around here in SE Texas.