Framing The Business
By Larry Myers —
At River Ridge Hardware in Spokane, Washington, a dedicated frame shop-within-a-shop has become a steady driver of traffic, margin and community connection.
Every day when I walk down the stairs to my office in the store basement, there’s a beautiful little moment I cherish.
Our frame shop is down there, too, with framed pieces lined up and ready for pickup—family photos, sports jerseys, puzzles people spent weeks putting together, military uniforms, artwork that all means something to somebody. You see it all in one place, and it’s hard not to stop for a second. The frame niche at River Ridge Hardware is one of most rewarding parts of what I do.
When I bought the store in 2017 as the third owner, the frame shop was already here. River Ridge Hardware has been around since 1954, and the second owner had carried the framing operation with him when the store moved in the ’80s. It was already part of its DNA. One of the reasons I was able to buy the store is because I wasn’t going to get rid of the frame shop. That mattered to the previous owner. It mattered to the community. And it very much matters to me.
I’ve always looked at my business as more than a hardware store. Sure, hardware is the core, but getting people in the door has always been the challenge. The more reasons you give someone to walk through the door, the better off you are. For us, that means a rental center, a strong garden center, paint—and the frame shop.
How Framing Expands the Customer Base
Framing brings in a completely different customer. It’s not always the person who’s coming in for fasteners or plumbing parts. It’s someone who might not normally step foot in a hardware store, but they’ve got something important they want to preserve or display. Once they’re in, they’re in your store. That’s the whole point.
The frame shop itself takes up about 1,000 square feet in the basement, with another 200 square feet of framing displays upstairs. It’s like its own business. It has its own computer system, the Bidding POS System for estimating projects, its own workflow, its own equipment. We’ve got a computerized mat cutter that works a lot like a CAD system—you bring in a design, and it’ll cut it with precision every time. We can work with wood, metal, plastic, different types of glass, everything from basic clear to museum-grade.
The specialty equipment, like the mat cutter, Valiani by Crescent, is only one aspect, though. The team, the people—that’s what keeps the frame shop a vital part of our community.
Two employees are dedicated to the frame shop, and that’s important. You can’t just drop someone in there and expect it to work. Customers are making decisions that can more than double the cost of what they’re framing, and they need someone who can guide them through that. There’s a lot of trust involved. The art community is particular about who they use, and once you earn that reputation, you have to protect it.
At the same time, I didn’t want the store to operate in silos. If the frame shop needs help, people step in. If the main store needs help, the frame shop helps. We’ve worked hard to break down those barriers so everyone understands the, ahem, bigger picture.
Putting the Community in the Frame
The community side of it is what really stands out. We’ve framed pieces for local events, for businesses, for the nearby Air Force base when someone retires. We’ve done Native American artwork for the nearby casinos, awards for local companies and a lot of personal projects that carry a lot of meaning. One of the more memorable ones we did was a shadowbox with a uniform and medals for a family after someone passed away. That’s something people will keep forever.
We also see the everyday side of it. People bring in puzzles they’ve completed, photos for grandparents, diplomas, things like that. It keeps us busy year-round, but the seasonality is different than hardware. November through January is huge for framing—holiday gifts, family photos, that kind of thing. When the weather turns and people stop working on projects, the frame shop keeps moving. May and graduation season with diploma framing is also busy.
From a business standpoint, framing is about 15 percent of our gross sales. I look at it as one more reason for someone to choose our store. If a niche breaks even and brings in new customers, that has value. If it makes money—and it does—that’s even better.
Margins in framing are strong—50 to 60 percent—but there’s also complexity. Glass alone has multiple tiers, and each step up adds cost. You need the right equipment, the right processes and, most importantly, the right people. It’s not something you dabble in.
When I’m asked about adding niches, I say that the key is to understand your market. We’re the oldest hardware store in the area, and we’ve built a following over time. The frame shop fits here. There isn’t a lot of direct competition, and there’s a strong community around art and local events. That combination makes it work.
You also have to be willing to stick with it. A niche doesn’t build overnight. You’ve got to invest in it, promote it and let people know you’re there. We’ve done that through separate marketing for the frame shop, its own website and tying into community events. We’ve handed out framing discounts at local festivals, done promotions around holidays and even set up interactive booths where people can engage with what we do.
At the end of the day, when I walk back upstairs, seeing those finished pieces lined up and knowing they’re about to go back into someone’s home or business—that’s what makes it worthwhile.
Larry Myers is owner of River Ridge Hardware in Spokane and Peter’s Hardware in Spokane Valley, Wash., which was a 2025 Do it Best Member of the Year.
6 Ways to Build Niches Your Customers Need
Finding the right niche starts with understanding your market, your space and your team—and then committing to making it work. Here, Larry Myers, owner of River Ridge Hardware in Spokane, Wash., shares his insights.
- Start with your space. Take a hard look at how much square footage you can realistically dedicate to a niche. You don’t need a massive footprint, but you do need a defined, functional area that allows the service to operate efficiently. Trying to force a niche into leftover space rarely works.
- Build it in stages. Avoid the temptation to go all-in on day one. Start with the basics, prove the concept and grow from there. Add equipment and services as demand builds, rather than investing too heavily before you know for sure what your customers actually need.
- Put the right people in place. Every niche requires ownership. Whether it’s framing, rental or garden, you need someone who understands the service and takes responsibility for it. Without that dedicated focus, even a good idea will struggle.
- Think beyond direct revenue. A niche doesn’t have to carry the entire store financially to be valuable. If it brings in new customers, increases visits or strengthens your role as a community resource, it’s contributing to the overall business.
- Match the niche to your market. Look for gaps in your area. If there’s already heavy competition, it will be harder for you to stand out. The best niches fill a need that isn’t currently being met and align with the interests of your local customer base.
- Commit and promote. A niche takes time to build. Support it with consistent marketing, tie it into local events and give it visibility in your store and online. The longer you stay committed, the more it becomes part of your identity in the community.
