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These were once as much a part of American small town culture as the drug store soda fountain and local church, but in recent years larger "building materials" centers have outmoded them. In the United Kingdom, hardware stores are traditionally called ironmongers, and larger, out-of-town hardware shops are called DIY centres .

In the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in many older hardware stores are organized as retailers' cooperativeA retailers' cooperative is a business entity which employs economies of scale on behalf of its members to get discounts from manufacturers and to pool marketing. It is common for locally-owned grocery stores, hardware stores and pharmacies. List of retais, but newer big box chains such as Lowe'sLowe's is an American chain of home improvement and major appliance retail stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now operates ( as of 2004) over 950 stores in 45 states and is #60 on the Fortune 500 list. Their primary riv and Home DepotThe Home Depot is a home improvement retailer that aims for both the do-it-yourself consumer and the professional in home improvement construction. The company operates more than 1,500 stores across North America and claims to be the largest home improvem have been for-profit corporationA corporation is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a natural person. Civil law systems may refer to corporations as "moral persons;" they may also go by the name "SA" (anonymous society) or sos.