‘Quincaillerie’ Is French for ‘Hardware Store,’ but It Means So Much More
These quintessential shops are treasure chests offering a little bit of everything, and many have been run by the same family for 100 years or more.
These quintessential shops are treasure chests offering a little bit of everything, and many have been run by the same family for 100 years or more.
The window of the Quincaillerie Blondet in Lyon, France, displays a model of a Swiss Army knife, among its many other wares. Credit...
For such a filigreed word, its meaning is simple: “hardware store.” But this is not the humdrum Home Depot or Ace of France. Nay, the quincaillerie is a world of its own, full of curiosities and inspiration. More than anything, it is a uniquely old-fashioned and particularly French cultural experience.
The quincaillerie used to be where metal goods for the home were fixed or sold. The droguerie, on the other hand, was the place to buy household supplies, like linseed or walnut oils, soap flakes or the materials to create dyes and paints. Over time, the two kinds of store have drifted toward each other, with some quincailleries selling paints, dyes and cleaning products, and drogueries selling a few tools and metal goods, too.
But what remains true is that the French go to these stores to get advice and the materials to fix a problem, or to improve their homes.
