Legacy Cambridge hardware store Rockler closing Dec. 30 after 40 years in business
The Rockler woodworking store in North Cambridge, seen Sunday, has announced its permanent closing. (Photo: Marc Levy)
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware announced Wednesday that it is closing its Cambridge location at the end of the year. All merchandise at the Porter Square store is 30 percent off until doors close forever Dec. 30.
Staff members and customers expressed their disappointment. “Based on the customer response we’re seeing, it’s a really devastating loss to the community,” store manager Peter Rochibaud said Thursday.
The store has a legacy in Cambridge, having opened on Massachusetts Avenue in 1983, when it was called The Woodworker’s Store. Employees say their commitment to their customers is reminiscent of an earlier time too, making for a kind of store experience that has fallen out of fashion at other chain hardware stores. Rockler stocks everything from lumber to drill bits and offers expert advice as well as woodworking classes.
The store Thursday was abuzz; nearly every customer that came in demanded to know why they were closing.
“It’s really kind of sad, because there’s nothing wrong with the store. It just doesn’t fit what Rockler wants to be the model,” staff member Nick Land said. “They want stores that are much larger.”
Rockler is crowded Sunday with shoppers. (Photo: Marc Levy)
Vice president of retail at Rockler Joe Kester, based in Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, confirmed the issue: “The size and accessibility limitations of the Cambridge location hinders our ability to present the great retail experience that we strive to offer for our customers across the country at our newer store models.”
Former employee Palo Coleman, who was in Rockler on Thursday as a customer, said he knew the Cambridge location had not been a priority of the parent company’s for a while. “They never fixed certain things, they wouldn’t fix the lights,” Coleman said. “The store is small, it’s old, it’s just not what they want their image to be.”
Shoppers on Sunday were grieving the store’s closing but appreciating the closing sales. (Photo: Marc Levy)
The company’s roots go back to 1954, when Norton Rockler started Minnesota Woodworkers Supply Co. in Minneapolis. Though he died in 2020, his company lives on as a source for woodworking and hardware needs. There are 49 stores nationwide, most concentrated in California and Texas, where there are seven each. There are few on the East Coast, and the Cambridge location is the only one in Massachusetts.
“It’s a resource for knowledge and expert advice,” said Rochibaud, who has worked at Rockler for 18 years, a dozen of them as manager. “Yes, we sell products, but it’s really more about the experience you get when you come into the store.”
In-store experts
Ken Loomis, who was shopping Thursday, said he’s “very sad” about the closing. Clint Clements, another customer, said Rockler occupies a niche. “I come here when I can’t find things at the big hardware stores,” Clements said.
Clements, who travels from Wellesley to visit Rockler, said he often shops online anyway – so he’ll continue to shop with the company, but will miss the in-store experience.
Once it closes, the closest option for Rockler shoppers will be Salem, New Hampshire. They can shop online like Clements, but that doesn’t give shoppers what an in-person store does, said Coleman, who worked at Rockler for seven years.
“To work here, you have to know a ton,” Coleman said. “People come from all over to find what they need, to ask questions, and they come here because they know the people who work here actually have answers.”
What’s next, and where to turn
Coleman, who now teaches at the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society and Umbrella Arts Cellar in Concord, said the real shame of the closing is Cambridge residents losing that resource. “The expertise is what sets Rockler apart. We’re all way overskilled and underpaid; the reason I got a job here was not for the pay – it was to be around other woodworkers and get to help customers who cared,” Coleman said.
Rockler workers don’t earn commission on what customers buy, so “what I recommended was whatever was really the best thing for a customer,” Coleman said. “Now they’re going to go online, and people who might have questions or don’t really know what they’re looking for will end up getting the wrong thing or not knowing what to get, and they will lose time and money.”
Woodworkers in the area may yet have sources to turn to, such as Longleaf Lumber and Anderson & McQuaid in the Cambridge Highlands, and the community around the makerspaces at The Foundry community building in East Cambridge. What’s next for the Massachusetts Avenue space is unclear.
As for the possibility of a new store in Massachusetts – one that could offer customers the Rockler experience while fitting the corporation’s ideas about size and features – “it’s possible,” Land said, “but I don’t think it will happen.”
This story was updated Nov. 6, 2023, to correct a typo on the name of Palo Coleman.
Another For lease sign going up without a prospective tenant in sight along the plastic pylon graveyard. No it’s not directly related – what is though are commercial properties along mass ave are toxic now. Keep the red war paint and plastic pylons coming – we can just all use Amazon and sit inside.
Amazing Visionaries!
@prc, there are no new bike lanes on that stretch, it’s unchanged for years now… and they have a private parking lot.
It’s common sense ITT – there isn’t a small business on mass Ave that isn’t terrified of the red war paint plastic pylon expert brigade to show up.
In fact it was some years ago the “experts” showed up on cold winter nights, overnight on north mass ave. It was so cold the red war paint is all peeled up not maintained and looks like little kids designed and installed it. So make shift the “Dedicated” bus lanes are now parking spots. No joke so now the buses swerve into the parking lot of so called auto lane. Embarrassing.
Yes actually if you own / operate a small business parking is an essential as well as being able to get to the store. My goodness the small local painters that used to go City Paint actually can’t ride their bikes to get their paint. The road is effectively closed from 7-9am. Gee I wonder where the painters now go to get their paint ?? It’s NOT City Paint anymore. It just keeps getting more ridiculous. So yes of course Rockler wow to get there trying to drive down mass ave I mean have you seen it from 7am to 9am m-f ? It’s laughable. And to know this is coming to the rest of mass Ave wow run while you can. Or resign a 5yr commercial lease? Umm RUN.
I’m actually looking forward to seeing the red war paint plastic pylons go straight into H Sq. Wokeville needs to bottom out before Cambridge can return to a prosperous, common sense economy for all. Not some unhinged lobby.
“It just doesn’t fit what Rockler wants to be the model.”
With most of their stores in CA and TX, Rockler’s model depends on car culture. But couldn’t they have looked at, say, Target’s metro-sized stores and seen the trend going that direction? Ticks me off because I just got into refinishing furniture and spent about $200 there over the past couple years, mostly because I passed by while walking and remembered I needed more sandpaper or something, and then I ended up buying other things too. One of the employees once told me that artists would come there for classes to learn how to make wood frames for paintings. That was on my list to do some day. Hey, any woodworkers reading this, please offer a class like that at the Foundry!
Makes it all the more remarkable that Whole Foods never closed down the Prospect St. store–though I think they tried. I live in N. Cambridge and shop at five different Whole Foods, going on foot or by public transportation, and the Prospect St. one is my favorite because I can be in and out quickly–leaving me more time to pop into other Central Square stores while I’m in the square. And the turnover rate of employees at Prospect St. seems pretty low–they must enjoy the experience of working there. Sometimes smaller means workers are more closely knit.
Losing a great store that helps build community. We’ll likely get another bank. They’re the only ones who can pay the outrageous rents. One day, Mass Avenue will have wall-to-wall banks. Who owns this real estate doesn’t care as long as it lines their pocket.
Perfect location for a big bicycle shop, we need several more in Cambridge.
@prc There are no bike lanes there. They have a parking lot. The owners give a bunch of reasons why they are closing. It has nothing to do with bike lanes or parking.
Next, you’ll blame the weather on the bike lanes.
Noted from above FrankD.
“there isn’t a small business on mass Ave that isn’t terrified of the red war paint plastic pylon expert brigade to show up”.
I’m sure I’m to believe business is up at fast Phil’s or city paint or any of the small cos along north mass Ave. The writing is on the wall – well in this case streets painted with red war paint. And it’s coming all the way to HSq. As also noted let’s get it done! Let’s see how today goes and if the few thousands of bikers throw their bikes on the floor or gleefully have the city finish spending 500m dollars.
Don’t know anyone against bike lanes. Know lots of people against the cost, design and implementation of them.
Look at what would seem to be a straightforward one Linear Path. No small businesses no bus lanes no parking a path just a path. How long has this one been in “Design Update” 2021? its 2024 in 2 months. Not one thing done. The experts are impressive – let’s re count the trees. Wow.
@prc. The owners said why they are closing. They said nothing about bike lanes or parking. It doesn’t get any clearer than that.
@prc And they have a parking lot!
Rockler Woodwokers has been a great tenant for the past 40 year. However, they did not exercise their 5 year option as this store did not fit their model. I offered to work with them for a shorter term and additional space. However, the decision was made by corporate headquarters.
We own retail spaces in several cities in Massachusetts including Cambridge and Somerville and can attest to the difficulties that small retail outlets have encountered. There are underlying factors in my opinion: retailers endured three years of pandemic, construction on most major throughways, competition from online Internet sales, increased costs (including real estate taxes), and most importantly the removal of parking spaces (bike and bus lanes). Commercial real estate is responsible for over (70%) of the revenue to the City of Cambridge. Therefore, there has to be a satisfactory solution to the parking needs of residents and retail facilities.
We will continue to seek a tenant replacement that will best serve the City and the neighborhood.
Charles R. Laverty, Jr.
Trustee, Laverty Family Trust
Not sure how else to say this but yes exploding traffic into Arlington on mass Ave has consequences for small businesses in Cambridge. Ask the city paint store… flat out painters openly say they don’t come anymore because it’s a parking lot to get into Cambridge.
The adhoc solution of now allowing parking in the “dedicated bus lane” was another blow. Yes it helped load and unload goods (why this wasn’t thought of who knows) but in turn exploded the traffic because it in real terms took 4 lanes down to 2 lanes. So duh already bad traffic doubled shocker.
Hopefully the solution moving forward makes a real dedicated bus lane, have parking for small businesses and all can make it work. What happened in n cam has spilled onto side streets into Arlington etc with red war paint peeled up plastic pylons missing wow this is the future. Amazing!
Thanks Charles! Heck I don’t even own commercial real estate in Cambridge and since you do it’s high time to speak up or else get used to paying property taxes with no rent 👀
FrankD from the building owner himself. Geez can’t fix ignorant.
**and most importantly the removal of parking spaces (bike and bus lanes).**
Anyways with the election results seems less small businesses with more red paint and pylons being built in our future!
FrankD on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 5:15 pm
@prc. The owners said why they are closing. They said nothing about bike lanes or parking. It doesn’t get any clearer than that.
The misleading misinformation you provide frankd should not be allowed. If I owned operated cam day I’d suspend your account from posting full stop.
Its really pathetic people like you propagate lies and misinformation to force an agenda.
See below for the fact – not some frankd misinformation.
“most importantly the removal of parking spaces (bike and bus lanes).
Charles R. Laverty, Jr.
Trustee, Laverty Family Trust” aka the building owner not some keyboard bike liar.
@prc the building owner is stating an opinion not fact. This is the building owner’s belief however it is not supported by data and it is not a fact. Data on the issue of bike lanes vs. parking clearly show that there is a positive impact to business when bike lanes are deployed to a street. The top hits on Google when searching for “bike lanes and business” are studies and articles that overwhelmingly support the claim I made above. Please show evidence to the contrary where bike lanes have reduced local business. Here is a link to a news article outlining my earlier claim.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954
Furthermore, Rocker corporate stated their claims for closing shop and could have easily cited loss of parking due to bike lanes if they had an axe to grind, but they did not because it wasn’t a factor in their decision. On the Cambridge subreddit one prominent post on this article was an anecdote of how sad someone was to see this business leave and they specifically cited that they only discovered it and the joy of wood working because they walked by the store. Very few people stop in from their cars at a store they see on their ride home because they are focused on driving and not casually walking or cycling. It’s really not hard to imagine why business is better in places that are cycling and pedestrian friendly. It’s why business on Route 1 is booming and business in Harvard Square is dead and I right? Obviously Harvard Square is much more valuable retail space because business is better there despite all of that easy car access on Route 1.
This foolish and ignorant stance against bike lanes is costing lives and costing local businesses money. It needs to stop.