How a Local Hardware Store Built a Tool Library That Tripled Foot Traffic

Small Business Success with Fexingo: Local Companies, Main Street Stories, and Community Commerce · Jun 8, 2026 · 11m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna visit Cooper's Hardware in Burlington, Vermont, where owner Jenna Russo turned a slow inventory problem into a community-driven tool library. Instead of trying to compete with Home Depot on price or selection, Russo noticed that customers were buying $40 hedge trimmers to use once a year. She launched a lending program: $15 annual membership, borrow any tool for 48 hours. The result? Foot traffic tripled, repeat visits surged, and the store became a neighborhood hub. Lucas breaks down the numbers: how the tool library added $60,000 in membership revenue…