The province of Santiago has the highest concentration of hardware stores, while the province of La Altagracia and the entire tourist area of eastern Dominican Republic have experienced the greatest growth in recent years due to urban and tourist development in the area.
SANTO DOMINGO– Maintaining a home means protecting your investment and ensuring the property's appreciation. The lightbulb on your balcony burns out and needs replacing, your living room outlet needs updating because time has yellowed it, your kitchen faucet has reached the end of its lifespan and needs replacing, your bathroom fixtures have deteriorated and need replacing—because a home is like a hardware store.
It's no coincidence that this sector is one of the most vital businesses for human coexistence and one of the most dynamic in a country's economy. There is no nation without construction, and construction cannot exist without the helping hand of a hardware store owner to meet its needs.
Hence, its existence dates back to the very moment of the Republic's founding; even the family of the nation's founder, Juan Pablo Duarte, traded in hardware. "At that time, the available materials were parts and spares for ships, which were the most prevalent commodity in our country," explains engineer Arturo Espinal, president of the Dominican Association of Hardware Store Owners (ASODEFE).
Speaking to El Inmobiliarioabout the upcoming Expo Ferretera 2022, the leader emphasized the importance of the event. “There is no development involving large urban centers where hardware stores are not present, as they are the spearhead for the construction of homes, businesses, and the urban development of any city in the world.”.
The last census carried out in 2018 by the entity he heads, revealed that there were 6,700 hardware stores in the country at that time, distributed throughout the national geography, says Espinal, who clarifies that many are entrepreneurial ventures that provide hardware services in neighborhoods, rural areas and other localities.
The province of La Altagracia and the entire tourist area of eastern Dominican Republic, he asserts, is where the greatest growth of hardware stores has occurred in recent years as a result of the urban and tourist development that the area has experienced.
The hardware sector has gone through various stages, moving from traditional shelves to much more friendly spaces where the customer can meet a wide range of needs, in line with the growth of the country which has experienced a large-scale urban revolution in recent decades.
“Generally speaking, the construction sector, when not driven by the government, has a private sector that has given it all the necessary support to remain one of the economic sectors that contributes the most to the economy. The hardware store sector has been blessed and seeks growth every day, since it brings well-being to families and the development of the industrial, commercial, and urban sectors of our country,” explains the president of ASODEFE, who has been involved with the association for nearly 40 years.
The province of Santiago has the highest concentration of hardware stores, notes engineer Espinal, who clarifies that before the territorial division, it was the National District.
“Expo Ferretera is the ideal space to showcase the products that each industry or company produces. We will have a select audience geared towards the exhibition itself. Furthermore, the hardware sector is very dynamic, consistently demonstrating drive and growth, and therefore it is important to be present in this space. It won't be an expense, but rather an investment for each participant, given the attractions it offers, such as business matchmaking sessions, visits from associations throughout the country, and from organizations of architects and engineers. In short, it is an event where we will do business and where each company has the opportunity to grow and strengthen the products and services it provides.”.
The three-time president of ASODEFE points out that hardware stores grew during the pandemic. “We had three months where the world was paralyzed in terms of production, but not consumption, and when commerce reopened, there was unmet demand.”.
He argues that the sector is experiencing difficult times due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, one of the largest steel producers, and whose situation has triggered continuous price increases in that product and its derivatives.
“Every time a primary product for housing development rises in price or becomes scarce, it first affects the costs of housing and related projects, and tends to create situations where some projects may be left unfinished and not completed.”.
He understands that some economic factors have led to price increases, although he notes that others are far more significant. “That’s why we’ve made some suggestions to our authorities through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce: that they investigate the production costs of the items that have seen large price hikes in recent months, both locally and internationally, to see if they are truly justified. We believe that a large portion of these increases lack a real justification,” stated the president of ASODEFE, an organization with a national presence and 1,300 members.
