Ritner Hardware Store

Had parts for my storm door that home depot did not have good store.

This store is a neighborhood gem. The owner is knowledgeable, helpful and very courteous.
After much frustration that neither Home Depot or Lowe’s had the extra-​thick screen spline I needed, I thought of Ritner Hardware. Not only did they have the product I needed, I could purchase the exact amount that I needed. Next time, I’ll have to start my shopping here.

If you live in one of the fabulously falling apart rowhomes in south Philly, skip the big box stores and make friends with Ritner Hardware. I am ill-​suited for house repair (and so qualified to work at Home Depot), but I know how to read and think. I’ve been doing those two things for years now! My muscles are a bit atrophied, but I can call on a neighbor to do that grunt work. So when my 80+ year old bathroom sink required that I replace the pipes underneath, I figured this would be a good project to justify the purchase of that home repair book collecting dust on my bookshelf. I pulled it out, looked at all the pretty pictures, then realized it was useless and headed up to Home Depot, with pictures of the offending pipes.
After being sent home with not enough and/​or incorrect parts three separate times, I finally realized I had a hardware store just a few blocks away. (I know, I know — horrible community member. I should have checked that first! I’ve learned my lesson. Now can I take off that hair shirt?) I walked in, two gentlemen were just chatting away, an employee (owner, most likely) and what appeared to be just a friend. They stopped when they noticed my deer in the headlights look and immediately began to help — asking questions about the problem, what I’d done already, what it looked like, etc. — all with respect and an intent to provide a solution. After walking me through what was needed, the gentleman working gave me the phone number and said that if I ran into any problems, to call and he could probably just walk me through it over the phone. Luckily, I didn’t need to test that, as his instructions and the parts sold were enough, but I’m pretty confident he would have followed through. Don’t bother giving yourself a headache with the Orange or Blue Devils. Stick with the angel at Ritner Hardware instead.

I needed another house key, so I was told to go to Ritner Hardware. It’s perfect because it’s super close to the house and they make old keys (the door is 100 years old). I was shocked to see how small the place was but was told that there’s a warehouse in the back. Everyone was so nice and the price was fair, actually, super cheap.

I haven’t been here since I moved, but when I was fixing up my place around the corner I was here every Saturday and they always helped me out. Like a lot of family hardware stores, they love helping you problem-​solve and they are really well-​stocked for such a tiny place.

Ritner Hardware might be my favorite local business in South Philadelphia. For a long time I was conditioned to go to Home Depot or Lowe’s for my hardware needs, but they kept coming up short.
Then I remembered about a little place my great-​grandfather used to take me when I was a kid. I walked in and, considering the small size of the place, thought the chances were not very good that they would have anything I needed. I asked one of the friendly employees (proprietors?) and he went into the back and quickly came out with what I needed.
Again and again, I went in doubtful and came out surprised! Apparently they have a magic portal to a huge warehouse in the back, because they have everything. And, although I’ve never encountered the issue, I was assured that if they didn’t have something I wanted, they’d order it!
The prices are very reasonable, especially considering their David-​like stature in comparison to their Goliath competitors. The staff is very friendly and you can tell that they genuinely care that you leave satisfied.
Next time you get the Mr. (or Mrs.) Fix-​it urge, support a small business that’s been in the neighborhood for years, and teach the giant-​mega-​monster-​sized hardware stores and their apathetic and uninformed employees a lesson. In fact, next time you need anything at all, try a small local business before heading to Mega-​Chain-​Mart, Inc. You WILL be pleasantly surprised. My experiences with Ritner Hardware Store have changed the way I shop, for good.

Forget the chain hardware stores, Ritner Hardware Store is where it’s at. After Lowes failed twice at duplicating our house key, my wife and I thought, collectively, «Oh, why don’t we go to that nice hardware store around the corner.» We went there, told our story, and asked if they could make a copy of our key. The nice old man behind the counter smiled a toothy grin and said, «No problem, young whippersnapper! Is there anything else I can do for you today?»
Since that day we always head to Ritner Hardware Store first for all of our hardware needs.