Hardware Stores Flaunt Their Cattitude

Owners put feline influencers to work in marketing, advertising and merchandising. But first, a nap.

Bubbles at Aubuchon Ace Hardware in Vergennes, Vermont. The cat is one of the roughly 100 cats at Aubuchon’s 132 U.S. stores. / Lea Cassidy

Many hardware-store owners have long kept a cat or two at the shop to help keep mice out of bird feed and grass seed. But in recent years, they’ve discovered how cats are purr-fect marketing and advertising tools.

Most notable is Aubuchon Hardware, the country’s oldest family-owned and managed hardware-store chain. More than 100 cats, mostly rescues, are “employed” at its 132 144 U.S. stores [updated 7/13], and many of the kitties can be seen in photos posted on Instagram’s #storecatsunday hashtag. Customers can also buy a Hardware Store Cat Calendar, with proceeds going to the nonprofit Aubuchon Foundation to support community causes. (Bubbles, pictured on the ladder above, is Mr. October.)

In Charleston, Max and Emma, store cats at East Bay Hardware, developed a following through a series of social media posts that challenged viewers to spot them hidden in the merchandise. The chainsaw image above was particularly vexing, generating widespread network news coverage and thousands of page views for the hardware store. Can you spot the cat hiding in the shelves?

In Minnesota, Vergas Hardware sells premium maple syrup in a gift box branded with an image of Stanley, the store cat, who is known to push sales.

Elsewhere, the management at Shopper's True Value Hardware in South Portland, Maine, named Daniel “Employee of the Month” just two weeks after joining the team, although it was noted that he sometimes naps on the job.

In Baltimore, a sassy orange tabby has a dedicated Facebook page called “Benjamin, The Waverly Ace Store Cat” for fans who wanted to see him in action. The store also sold mini Benjamin-branded firepits. When the cat retired in 2023, the City Council passed a resolution commending him for his service.

In case you didn’t know, cats in hardware stores are kind of a thing all across the country. Here, see for yourself. They’re great little marketing tools, and customers multiply the effect by posting their own pics of hardware-store cats. Store owners welcome the free advertising, even though it’s impossible to know whether their feline influencers actually generate sales. Still, there’s no doubt that many hardware enthusiasts are nuts about cats.

For proof, there’s Francine.

Last year, the longtime store cat at a Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Richmond, Virginia, went missing, leading to a frantic search by employees and even customers, including a wheresfrancine Instagram account with more than 40,000 followers.

A review of the store’s security footage revealed that the cat had hopped into the back of a delivery truck at the back of the store. The truck was driven to a distribution center located 85 miles away. When the door was opened, Francine escaped. Humane traps were set up throughout the area and checked nightly by a volunteer. It took time, but Francine finally triggered one of the traps. A supervisor from the Richmond Lowe’s drove to the distribution center to bring the cat back to the store after a weekslong absence.

Lowe’s employees in Richmond, Va., welcome back Francine, the store cat, after she disappeared unexpectedly in September. / Kevin Ridley

According to an article by the Associated Press, a local brewery planned to host a “Francine Fest” community event to celebrate the homecoming, while the store was planning its own team party.

BONUS:
If you were wondering where the cat was hiding among the chainsaws at East Bay Hardware in Charleston, S.C., here is the answer: