October 28, 2026 Vol. 18, No. 20
THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER
ALSO INSIDE How’s Business? Retailers Report From Across the Country Inside Harbor Freight’s Tool Strategy
+
Industry News & People Making Moves
October 28, 2026 Vol. 18, No. 20
THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER
ALSO INSIDE How’s Business? Retailers Report From Across the Country Inside Harbor Freight’s Tool Strategy
+
Industry News & People Making Moves
2 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
TheHardwareConnection.com
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY #3
A STORY ABOUT CONTINUING A LEGACY Whenever I’m asked what makes Morris Hardware special, I start with our story. Founded in 1845 by George Morris, our business has been part of the McConnelsville community for 180 years and remains one of the oldest continuously operating, family-owned hardware stores in the country. Today, his great-great-great-greatgreat-great-grandson, Tom Schanken, and I are honored to carry that legacy forward. This business has weathered wars, depressions, pandemics, and the rise of big-box and online competition. Through it all, our small-town spirit and commitment to serving our employees, customers, and community have held strong. Our customers are our neighbors—contractors, farmers, and DIYers—and we take pride in being the heart of Main Street. But even a 180-year-old business must evolve. When we realized our previous supplier wasn’t helping us stay current, we looked for a partner who shared our values. That came in 2023 when we were introduced to Orgill. I first got to know Orgill through our sales rep, Jake Thompson, whose genuine kindness and willingness to help made a lasting impression. When it came time to make a change, the choice was clear. Orgill’s team worked alongside us during the conversion, helping modernize assortments, refresh key departments, and refine pricing—while respecting our independence. Today, Morris Hardware is better positioned to serve modern customers while proving that personal service and community connection never go out of style—and we’ve found those same values in our supply partner.
Shayna Roberts
Shayna Roberts Co-Owner, Morris Hardware | McConnelsville, Ohio
Helping Our Customers Be Successful Since 1847
Orgill.com/success | 800-347-2860 Ext. 5141 | customerservice@orgill.com
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HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 3
Gillman Home Center in Batesville, Indiana, gives customers plenty of choices in the hammer aisle, stocking multiple brands along with different faces and designs suited to specific jobs.
CONTENTS
OCTOBER 28, 2026 | VOL. 18, NO. 20
DEPARTMENTS
34
46
08
Shelf Life
10
Amazing but True Hardware Stories
12
How’s Business?
44
Upcoming Events
46
In the News
BY DOUG DONALDSON
12
SPECIAL SECTION: HAND TOOL MARKET REPORT 20
Grasping the Opportunity
24
Go Deep to Build a Destination
30
Competition Insider: Harbor Freight’s Hand Tool Strategy
34
Product Spotlight
40
Category Report: Pliers and Snips
Replacement demand and professional use keep the hand tool market growing, while rising costs, specialized products and expanding competition put pressure on assortments and margins.
Here’s how independent hardware retailers are tailoring hand tool assortments to local demand through specialty brands, broader selections and creative merchandising.
With more than 1,600 stores and expanding hand tool lines, see how Harbor Freight is competing for a broader range of hand tool customers.
From redesigned pliers and screwdrivers to new layout tools and jobsite problem-solvers, here, we showcase fresh approaches to familiar tools and tasks.
The top 30 pliers and snips account for just 32% of unit sales. See what that sales spread—and the latest category data—can tell retailers about managing the assortment.
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HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 5
ADVERTISERS INDEX Do it Best/True Value PUBLISHER / PRESIDENT
Scott Wright
swright@YourNHPA.org EDITOR / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
doitbestonline.com | truevaluecompany.com. . . . . . . . 19
Midwest Fastener Corp.
fastenerconnection.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Lindsey Thompson
NHPA RetailWise Training
EDITOR
NHS Concept to Commerce
lthompson@YourNHPA.org
Doug Donaldson
doug@thehardwareconnection.com 646-508-7904 NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
Dan Beck
dbeck@thehardwareconnection.com 518-852-9624 SENIOR DESIGNER
Autumn Ricketts
aricketts@YourNHPA.org
Hardware Connection is published 24 times a year by The North American Hardware and Paint Association. All editorial contents copyrighted 2026 by the publisher. No editorial may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.
The North American Hardware and Paint Association 1025 East 54th St. Indianapolis, Indiana 317-275-9400 NHPA@YourNHPA.org YourNHPA.org
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YourNHPA.org/retailwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CENTURY CLUB SPONSOR
nationalhardwareshow.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Orgill
orgill.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
Sika
usa.sika.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Shurtape
shurtape.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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6 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
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SHELF LIFE
HANDED DOWN, PICKED UP By Doug Donaldson
T
here are screwdrivers on my workbench that belonged to my dad, who made his living fixing scales with some of these very tools. You can tell. The handles are beat up with paint stains and dings. One tip has been ground back straight, presumably after somebody used it repeatedly for things a screwdriver was not designed to do. Yeah, it was me. I did that. They still work. There’s something wonderfully enduring about hand tools. We use them to tighten a loose cabinet hinge, repair a faucet, hang a picture, build a deck or shape a piece of wood. They can be highly specialized or almost comically simple. A hammer is a weighted object you swing at another object. Thwack! It’s an idea humans worked out a very long time ago and have yet to improve much. Yet using these tools well is a skill. My son, Matt, has become far better with tools than I could ever hope to be, particularly when it comes to building a house, repairing a window or woodworking. A little
while ago, he was giving me a lesson in carving and emphasized the importance of keeping tools sharp. It is fundamental advice, passed from one person working with his hands to another for generations: Take care of the tool, understand how it works and let it do the job it was designed to do. There is something oddly gratifying about the fact that the lesson has now traveled backward in my family. I inherited tools from my father; now I’m learning how to use other tools better from my son. I guess that’s what happens when most of the work I do is from a keyboard, not a workbench. However, that connection is there. Nick Offerman understands the attachment. About this time last year, the actor and accomplished woodworker appeared on The Wirecutter Show and professed his affection for Estwing claw hammers. His favorite was the Estwing E3-16C, a 16-ounce claw hammer. Offerman talked about the value of starting with a relatively small collection of good tools and learning what they can do.
8 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
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competition and customers who can summon an enormous assortment to their doorstep with a few taps. We also look at how independent hardware retailers are responding—with fine-tuned assortments, well-known brands, specialty products, prominent merchandising and the kind of product knowledge that helps customers walk out with the right tool. A screwdriver can last long enough to pass from father to son. A lesson about sharpening a carving tool can come back the other direction. And somewhere today, someone is walking into a hardware store because something needs fixing. That’s where you come in.
Hardware retailers have understood that idea for a long time. Hand tools are so fundamental to the retail hardware business that hammers, saws, wrenches and screwdrivers have found their way into hardware store logos for generations. They instantly communicate what happens inside: This is where people come when something needs to be built, fixed, tightened, loosened, cut, shaped or put back together. And while the tools themselves can feel timeless, the business of selling them continues to change. In this issue’s Hand Tool Market Report—including the article “Grasping the Opportunity”—we look at a category facing rising product costs, online
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HARDWARE HUMOR
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S TORIES
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e had someone who had apparently gotten out of jail at 8 a.m., and by 7:05 that r evening, he was in our powe wn tool aisle shoving a tool do steal his pants. He managed to went an angle grinder and then ed to Fleet Farm, where he us a the grinder to cut through deadbolt.
Jason Bartel Co. Door County Hardware in Sturgeon Bay, Wiscons
P
eople bring us just ab out “If you’re willing to si anything when they’re t on my paint trying co un te r an d ho ld this machine in your to match a paint colo r. Cabinet lap, I’ll match the colo doors, fabric swatches r of your pants.” , random pieces of this and that—we’ S he ho pp ed up on the counter. ve seen plenty. N ot exactly what the mac A little while ago, a yo ung woman hine was walked in and asked de si gn ed for, but we got the mat if we could match ch. the paint to the pants she was wearing. And somewhere out there is now a wall Sure. We could do that that coordinates perfe . There was ctly with pants. just the small matter of getting her pants Ian Yorks under the color-match ing machine while Noble’s H ardware she was still wearing th em. Cobleskill, New Yo rk
10 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
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Welcome to the Hardware Connection Century Club! The Hardware Connection Century Club, sponsored by the NHS Concept to Commerce, recognizes “The Innovators and Survivors Who Helped Build America.” Our Century Club currently includes 804 hardware and LBM retailers, 21 wholesalers and 207 manufacturers that were founded in the United States of America and remain in business after 100 or more years. You can find the complete list of Century Club members including old store photos and links to company history by clicking here. We congratulate the following retailers who have been added to the Hardware Connection Century Club this past year: Andrew Posey & Son Hardware, Jasper, AL—1924
H&W Hardware, New York, NY—1924
Bourassa True Value Hardware, New Bedford, MA—1924
Kelly Seed & Hardware Co., Peoria, IL—1905
Bowling’s Feed and Hardware, Catlettsburg, KY—1924
Learned Lumber, Hermosa Beach, CA—1924
Braun Building Center, Manitowoc, WI—1905
Legg Lumber Company, Holt, MI—1884
Carl Eliason & Company Lumber & Hardware, Sayner, WI—1924
Lummus Building Supply Co., Atlanta, GA—1925
Chairtown Lumber Company, Gardner, MA—1924 Clark Devon Hardware, Chicago, IL—1924 Congleton Lumber, Lexington, KY—1905 Denver Lumber Company, Denver, CO—1923 Dettinger Lumber Company, Pittsfield, MA—1926
Morrison Terrebonne, Houma, LA—1924 National Lumber Company, Baltimore, MD—1919 Newton’s True Value Hardware, Cherryvale, KS—1924 Page Lumber, Poughkeepsie, NY—1924—1,000th Centrury Club member
Gennett Lumber Company, Fletcher, NC—1901
Paschal Brothers Hardware & Lumber, Jacksonville, FL—1924
Guy C. Lee Building Materials, Smithfield, NC—1924
Ransom Brothers Lumber & Supply, Ramona, CA—1924
Hamilton Building Supply, Hamilton, NJ—1924
Requarth Company, Dayton, OH—1860
Hamm Hardware Prosperity, SC—1926
Rocky’s Ace Hardware, Springfield, MA 1926
Heller Lumber Company, Arlington Heights, IL—1924
Southern Builders Supply, Valdosta, GA—1880
Holman Supply Company, Moultrie, GA—1920
Union Lumber Company, New Albany, MS—1902
Howell Hardware, Millville, NJ—1924
Valley Park Elevator & Hardware, Valley Park, MO—1874
Hunter’s Hardware, Berkley Spring, WV—1870
Western Materials Inc., Yakima, WA—1915
SPONSORED BY
How’s
Business? David DeRonne of DeRonne True Value Hardware in Eastpointe, Michigan, says customer service and services such as screen repair, key cutting and equipment tune-ups help the business stand apart, especially during a challenging 2026.
CENTRAL
How have sales and customer counts been in 2026? Very slow and for us it’s been a double whammy of the economy with fuel prices and road construction right in front of our store. There’s a temporary dirt road in front of us. We get on social media and have one of those blow-up, waving arm guys to let customers know we’re open. 12 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
It’s always slow after school starts, but we’ve been much slower to rebound this year than in the past. What’s unique about your business? Our customer service and services, which is becoming a rare find for our customers. We offer window and screen repair, key cutting, lawnmower and snowblower tune-ups. We think that diversity sets us apart from the competition. TheHardwareConnection.com
Best niches? Carhartt is a big niche for us. It used to be a hot seller in the cold months, but now Carhartt is in demand all year round. At each of our two stores, we have about 1,000 square feet devoted to Carhartt. Any recent surprise best-selling products? When Pink Cleaner hit and was a social media craze, we had that. When POOPH air freshener took the world by storm, we had that. We’re always looking for the next big thing. What plans do you have for 2027? Do it Best and True Value are doing a planogram line review, so we are watching to see what happens with planograms. We’ll freshen up the store with some of those. David DeRonne DeRonne True Value Hardware Eastpointe, Michigan
EAST
How have sales and customer counts been in 2026? Good. I’m up about $50,000 in sales over last year and about $35,000 in purchases. I took over the store in June 2024 after being an employee here for 30 years. The owner got sick and passed away, and I took over basically to keep the store open. TheHardwareConnection.com
Carhartt has become a year-round bestseller at DeRonne True Value Hardware, which operates stores in southeast Michigan, with about 1,000 square feet at each location devoted to the workwear brand.
For about five years before that, he had been pulling back on buying and investing in the store. Once I took over, I started bringing in things customers had been asking for. I tell my employees to listen hard to customers. If somebody asks for something we don’t have, we write it down and try to have it in stock the next week. If I get asked for something two or three times, it’s HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 13
HOW’S BUSINESS? definitely going into stock. Our economy used to be heavily factory-based, and several large manufacturing companies have downsized quite a bit. The workforce is shifting more toward service-oriented jobs, while health care is still strong with a lot of nursing homes and hospital facilities in the area. Internet shopping has also affected us a lot. If I tell somebody I can special order something but it won’t arrive for six or seven days, they can go online and have it in two days. So we’re focusing more on neighborhood convenience and asking, “What are customers going to need now?” A customer might start a project and realize halfway through that they forgot something. Are they going to drive 25 miles back to a Home Depot, or are they going to run down the street to the neighborhood hardware store? That’s the niche we’re filling. What’s unique about your business? Our location is important because we’re between a couple of villages. There’s a lumberyard about 7 miles one way and Home Depot about 20 miles the other way, so we’re really the only game in between. We’re also heavily focused on service. We cut keys, glass and plexiglass, and we custom mix and color match paint. We’ll bend over backward to solve a customer’s problem, even when that particular transaction doesn’t make us much money. We might spend half an
After 30 years as an employee, Christopher Tuttle took over Village Variety Hardware in 2024 to keep the Unadilla, New York, store open—and has since expanded its assortment and grown sales.
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Village Variety Hardware’s location between several small communities makes it a convenient stop for customers who might otherwise travel as far as 20 miles for their project needs.
hour helping somebody find a 25-cent screw, but the next day that customer comes back and buys windshield washer fluid, caulk and other products without needing any help. That personal attention is where we set the bar. Best niches? We’re a Benjamin Moore paint dealer and almost half hardware store, half paint store. Color matching is a big specialty for us. I’ve been doing it since before the color-matching machines, and people travel from Pennsylvania for color matches. I even have color matches in museums in Salem, Massachusetts.
want to use the pool that afternoon, they can come in and get it right now. What plans do you have for 2027? We’re talking about buying or building on the property next door We’ve also shifted our inventory and expanding. We share a parking more toward hardware and building lot, so we could have two buildings materials since a dollar store came with the parking lot in the middle. to town. We focus on the things they We’re thinking about putting lumber can’t do—mix paint, cut keys and cut and some building supplies around glass—and that keeps us pretty busy. the second building. I might move Any recent surprise best-selling plumbing and heating over there and products? Pool supplies. We added possibly connect the two buildings that as a new category, and it took off. in the back, which would also let I started with a few products, and now me focus the current store more on I have almost a full 8-foot section of paint and decorating. We haven’t pool supplies. The timing worked out acquired the building yet, so it’s still because our local pool supply store in process. closed around the same time. Now Christopher Tuttle we’re the closest option within about 20 miles for pool supplies. If somebody Village Variety Hardware needs shock or chlorine because they Unadilla, New York TheHardwareConnection.com
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 15
SOUTH
How are sales and customer counts in 2026? Very good. We’ve been in the new store about two years, and we’ve doubled our sales from the old store. We’ve doubled or tripled the inventory. What’s unique about your business? It’s more personal. People come in and we try to get things resolved for them. That’s the biggest thing. Best niches? Our contractor product line and catering to contractors. That’s the biggest. Our contractor-DIYer split is probably about half and half. We were known as a go-to for contractors, and now we have a bigger store and are bringing in more homeowners. Any recent surprise best-selling products? We really upped our Milwaukee offerings, so that’s one of our biggest things. We sell a lot of it. Jeff Stubbs Stubbs Home Center Southside, Arkansas
Jeff Stubbs says personal service and a focus on solving customers’ problems remain at the heart of Stubbs Home Center’s approach.
The Stubbs Home Center team outside the Southside, Arkansas, store, where sales have doubled since the business moved into its larger location about two years ago.
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Happy Valley Ace Hardware serves a fast-growing part of the Portland metro area, where former farmland has given way to new suburban development and a growing mix of rural and city customers.
WEST
How have sales and customer counts been in 2026? We’re down overall, about 5% or 6%. Locally, we’ve had a couple of newer stores open in our territory that are drawing customers away. We had been pulling from an underserved part of town. Most of our downturn came at the beginning of the year, when there was a lot of uncertainty in the market, but we’ve seen an upturn recently. We’re in an
TheHardwareConnection.com
area of the Portland metro that used to be farmland. The suburbs were built up around 2008, then development sat dormant for a while, and now it’s exploding again. People are moving out from central Portland, so population growth out here is strong. The demographics are also trending toward higher-middle-income households. What’s unique about your business? We serve a wide range of customers. We still have people coming in from farms and ranches
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 17
HOW’S BUSINESS? who need things like sump pumps and feed, while we’re also serving what amounts to city dwellers. We’re a small, family-owned business with four stores, and this location has a lot of family members, young employees and a diverse workforce. We have a hometown, small-town feel even though we’re in a strip mall. We also serve some specialized customers. We have hot rod guys and garages that build cars from the ground up, so we carry chrome and stainless fasteners and a lot of metric. Best niches? Fasteners are a strong niche, particularly with customers working on older hot rods. We’re also getting stronger in paint and becoming more of a paint destination. We’re surrounded by Benjamin Moore dealers, so what I’m bringing to the store is 30 years of experience in the paint business. We can talk customers through the products and offer custom color matching. Taking the time to do it right and providing that level of service keeps people coming back. Any surprise best-sellers recently? I can’t believe the amount of birdseed we sell. There’s a dedicated birding store just up the street, and we still sell a lot of it. We also sell a lot of STIHL—more chainsaws and trimmers
18 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
than I expected—as well as Traeger and Blackstone products and pellets. What new initiatives do you have planned for 2027? We’re going to bring in a lineup of electric bikes. We live in an area where they’re a big deal, so we’re going to jump on that bandwagon. We’re expanding EGO as well and moving further into battery-powered outdoor equipment. The city of Portland is phasing out gas-powered equipment, so people are switching over. We’re also becoming a Starlink internet dealer. Sean McFerren Happy Valley Ace Hardware Happy Valley, Oregon
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INDEPENDENT DOESN’T MEAN ALONE.
Any sales rep can take your order. We’ll also help you increase sales. As your partner, we share strategies, offer support and give you the tools you need to succeed.
Put the strength of the co-op to work for you.
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HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 19
MARKET REPORT
GRASPING
OPPORTUNITY
REPLACEMENT DEMAND AND BROAD PROFESSIONAL USE KEEP THE HAND TOOL MARKET GROWING, WHILE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND RISING COSTS CONTINUE TO RESHAPE THE CATEGORY.
H
and tools occupy an unusual position in the hardware store. A homeowner may postpone buying a new power tool or delay a major project, but a contractor with a worn-out pair of pliers, a missing socket or a broken screwdriver still needs a replacement.
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A broad hand tool assortment lets retailers serve both customers looking for an everyday replacement and professionals seeking specialized features, greater durability and higher performance.
That everyday utility helps keep the category moving across a wide range of users and applications. Grand View Research estimates the U.S. hand tools market generated $5.87 billion in revenue in 2025 and will reach about $6.16 billion in 2026. The research firm projects a 5.1% compound annual growth rate through 2033, when the market is forecast to reach $8.71 billion. Wrenches and spanners represented the largest U.S. product segment in 2025, according to Grand View Research, while pliers and pincers are projected to be the fastest-growing segment.
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A September 2026 analysis from Arizton, a market research and consulting firm that tracks the U.S. and global hand tools industries, reinforces the importance of the products found throughout a traditional hardware hand tool department. General-purpose tools accounted for about 64% of the U.S. market in 2025, with pliers representing the largest share within that segment. Demand extends across construction, automotive repair, industrial maintenance, utilities, manufacturing and residential users. A Mature Category Keeps Evolving A pair of pliers remains fundamentally recognizable as the same tool generations of customers have carried in their toolboxes, but that does not mean product development has stopped. Manufacturers continue to refine tools around the way tradespeople work, with product development emphasizing durability, performance and productivity. That can mean improvements to leverage, cutting performance, grip and ergonomics, along with tools designed for increasingly specialized applications.
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 21
MARKET REPORT In an interview with Hardware Connection earlier in the year, Ryan DeArment, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Channellock, says he expects hand tool development to become increasingly trade-focused and productivity-oriented. He also sees a sharper distinction developing between products aimed at DIY customers and premium tools intended for professionals, who may put greater value on durability, performance and warranties. That segmentation gives hardware retailers room to build assortments around different customers rather than treating a product such as pliers as a single purchasing decision. A homeowner replacing a basic pair of slip-joint pliers and an electrician buying a tool that will be used daily arrive with different expectations about features, durability and price. For independent retailers, understanding those differences becomes especially important as higher acquisition costs put more pressure on both retail prices and margins. Pricing Takes Center Stage One of the biggest hand tool stories of 2026 is cost. The Producer Price Index for hand and edge tools reached 333.664 in
September 2026, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, up 5% from 317.751 a year earlier and about 4% since December. The increase followed substantial gains during 2025, extending pricing pressure into another year. Steel is central to the price equation. Pliers, wrenches, sockets, hammers, files and many other hand tools rely heavily on steel and forged metal components, leaving the category exposed to changes in material costs and trade policy. Section 232 tariffs affecting steel and certain derivative products have added another cost variable, although the duty on an individual finished tool depends on its classification, country of origin and other factors. Independent hardware retailers are seeing the effects beyond the hand tool aisle. A couple examples: Brownsboro Hardware & Paint owner Doug Carroll reported that his business had moved from reviewing prices about monthly to doing so weekly. J-Town Hardware & Rental co-owner Brad Carson reported changing about 200 price labels each week because of tariff-related costs. For a category containing numerous individual SKUs and price points, those changes make regular cost and margin reviews particularly important. Identical products can arrive at different acquisition costs as distributors and
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manufacturers replenish inventory, leaving retailers to monitor both replacement costs and the prices customers see on the shelf. Value Beyond Price Those pressures arrive as customers have more ways than ever to buy hand tools. Online sellers offer enormous assortments around the clock, big-box retailers compete for project purchases and tool specialists continue pursuing both DIY and professional users. That competitive landscape also includes Harbor Freight, which has built a massive retail footprint around value-priced tools while increasingly courting more demanding tool users. For more, see “Competition Insider: Harbor Freight’s Hand Tool Strategy” on Page 30. For independent hardware retailers, that environment puts greater importance on understanding what different customers value. DeArment sees trust and expertise as particular strengths for independent retailers. Associates who understand the assortment and can recommend the appropriate tool give customers something beyond a shelf full of choices. Manufacturers can support that role with product and selling training, flexible merchandising,
TheHardwareConnection.com
Gillman Home Center in Batesville, Indiana, gives customers plenty of choices in the hammer aisle, stocking multiple brands along with different faces and designs suited to specific jobs.
appropriately sized assortments and marketing resources. The hand tool itself may be one of the oldest products in the hardware store. The market surrounding it continues to change. Growing demand, increasingly specialized products and higher costs are giving retailers new reasons to pay attention to a category whose basic purpose has remained remarkably constant: putting the right tool in a customer’s hand when there is work to be done. n
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 23
GO DEEP
TO BUILD A DESTINATION
INDEPENDENT HARDWARE RETAILERS ARE USING ASSORTMENT DEPTH, SPECIALTY BRANDS, MERCHANDISING AND PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE CUSTOMERS REASONS TO SEEK OUT THEIR HAND TOOL DEPARTMENTS.
T
he internet can offer a seemingly endless hand tool assortment, and a national tool specialist can fill thousands of square feet with its own brands. Independent hardware retailers have neither reason nor room to compete SKU for SKU.
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DeRonne True Value Hardware in Eastpointe, Michigan, takes hand tools beyond the pegboard, using a tool belt as a creative display that connects products with how customers use them.
MARKET REPORT The result can be an assortment built around a local market and local customer demand rather than a national planogram.
But you can decide where to go deep. To capture more of their local hand tool market, independent hardware stores are tailoring assortments to the customers they know best, whether that means dedicating substantial space to the category, specializing in professional mechanic tools or adding brands in response to customer demand.
Depth Becomes a Service At DeRonne True Value Hardware in Eastpointe, Michigan, David DeRonne devotes two 40-foot aisles to hand tools and related power tool accessories. DeRonne says he created that breadth because customers have become accustomed to finding virtually any tool online at any hour. DeRonne says his store has lost some sales to online competitors, increasing the challenge of keeping enough selection on hand to satisfy customers who come through the door. White Horse Hardware & Supply in Gap, Pennsylvania, demonstrates how a sought-after tool line can make a store a destination for a specific customer base. Despite its large Amish customer base, the store has developed a reputation for high-quality auto mechanic tools, carrying a large selection of Wright wrenches, drivers and sockets. That assortment draws some customers from an hour or more away to shop for mechanic tools. For those customers, carrying a sought-after brand of hand tool becomes part of the service. Having a particular wrench, socket or driver
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available when it is needed can matter as much as carrying the category in the first place. Hunter’s Hardware in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, takes a similar approach with a nationally recognized brand, promoting a deep DeWalt assortment spanning tools, bits, sockets and accessories. The selection gives customers another reason to shop locally rather than making a big-box run. Berlin Myers Lumber in Summerville, South Carolina, also makes brands part of its proposition, highlighting the hand tool manufacturers it carries on its website. Let the Local Market Decide Going deep does not require going equally deep everywhere. At Randy’s Hardware in Virginia, owner Christian Herrick brought KNIPEX into the hand tool assortment in response to customer feedback and gave the brand prominent space on a dedicated endcap. The decision demonstrates an advantage independent retailers can bring to hand tools: Customers can help shape the assortment. A store serving electricians may find additional opportunity in longnose, lineman’s, diagonal-cutting and specialty pliers. A customer base heavy with plumbers can support
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greater depth in tongueand-groove pliers and plumbing tools. Automotive, agricultural and woodworking customers create different opportunities. Instead of attempting to reproduce an extensive online assortment, retailers can identify the categories, brands and price levels where their customers expect them to have answers. Product knowledge strengthens that strategy. Associates who understand differences in jaw design, leverage, cutting capacity, ergonomics and intended applications can help customers move beyond comparing packages and prices. Ryan DeArment, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Channellock, says that trust and expertise remain important advantages for independents and encourages retailers to focus on knowledgeable employees, contractor engagement and assortments adapted to local demand. Take the Tools to the Project Depth, however, accomplishes little when customers do not see the product. Research from the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA)
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MARKET REPORT
Randy’s Hardware, which operates multiple locations in Virginia, added KNIPEX to its hand tool assortment in response to customer requests and gives the specialty brand prominent merchandising space.
and its predecessor, NRHA, offers a particularly relevant example for hand tools. In NRHA’s 2002 Merchandising for Profit Study, rolling racks stocked with hand tools—including tape rules, hammers, snips, diagonal cutters, files and sanding tools—were placed in prominent locations with signage. Unit sales for the assortment increased 134% during the test. The lesson remains relevant nearly 25 years later: A hand tool does not necessarily have to stay in the hand tool aisle. Aviation snips can be merchandised where customers shop for sheet metal, ductwork, roofing or gutter projects. Tongueand-groove pliers can appear near plumbing repair products, while long-nose and cutting pliers can be positioned with electrical supplies. The secondary placement connects the tool with the reason the customer came into the store. NHPA’s 2025 Merchandising for Profit Study provides more recent evidence for that approach. Work gloves placed on clip strips recorded a 200% sales lift, while products supported by in-aisle feature-andbenefit signage saw a 50% increase in the categories tested.
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The specific products differed, but the principle translates readily to hand tools: Put relevant products in the customer’s path and make their purpose easy to understand. That can be particularly useful with pliers and snips, where a customer may confront multiple tools that look similar but perform very different jobs. Signage identifying cutting direction on aviation snips, material capacity on cutters or the intended application for different plier designs can make a dense pegboard easier to shop. Give Customers a Reason to Make the Trip A hand tool department does not have to be the largest in the market to become a destination. White Horse Hardware & Supply demonstrates what can happen when
a retailer earns a reputation for depth in a particular segment. Randy’s Hardware shows how listening to customers can uncover demand for a specialty brand. Hunter’s Hardware uses a deep assortment from a recognized manufacturer to strengthen its local offering. Those approaches share a common idea: Hand tool assortments become more valuable when retailers make deliberate choices about what to stock, how deeply to stock it and how to help customers find the right product. Online competitors may have more SKUs. National specialists may have more selling space. Independent retailers have the opportunity to build the department around the people who actually walk through their doors— and make sure the right tool is waiting when they do. n Berlin Myers Lumber in Summerville, South Carolina, gives hand tools substantial selling space, using assortment depth and recognizable brands to strengthen the category for local customers.
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With more than 1,600 stores nationwide, Harbor Freight is expanding its reach while targeting multiple hand tool price points through proprietary brands including Pittsburgh, Quinn and ICON.
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COMPETITION INSIDER
HARBOR FREIGHT’S HAND TOOL STRATEGY
I
ndependent hardware retailers competing with Harbor Freight in hand tools face a company that is building its assortment around multiple price and performance levels while continuing to expand its store network. Harbor Freight says it now operates more than 1,600 stores nationwide and has served more than 75 million customers, ranging from homeowners and hobbyists to professional contractors and technicians. The company has also made its intentions toward professional users increasingly apparent, describing its stores as a way to bring “professional-grade tools” closer to customers. Hand tools are spread across several Harbor Freight-exclusive brands. Pittsburgh-branded tools provide much of the value-oriented
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COMPETITION INSIDER: HARBOR FREIGHT assortment; Harbor Freight currently lists nearly 400 Pittsburgh hand tools, including pliers, sockets, torque wrenches and hex keys. Its Quinn assortment includes more than 100 products, with offerings such as sockets, ratcheting wrenches and screwdrivers. At the upper end, Harbor Freight is making a concerted push for professional users through ICON. The company describes ICON as its professional hand tool line and has continued investing in the brand. In April 2026, Harbor Freight introduced five next-generation ICON G2 ratchets, followed by 15 additional models in June. Harbor Freight press releases claim the G2 ratchets feature precisionmachined nickel-chrome-moly gears, sealed heads and designs intended to reduce back drag. The company says the ratchets are designed and engineered in the U.S. and carry a lifetime guarantee. Harbor Freight’s broader strategy also emphasizes eliminating traditional distribution costs. Company owner and CEO Eric Smidt says Harbor Freight directly sources tools from factories to remove middlemen and reduce prices. The company says its engineers develop
32 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
exclusive tools intended to deliver performance comparable to leading competitors at lower prices. Where Independent Hardware Retailers Can Compete That strategy makes competing strictly on price difficult for an independent hardware retailer. Instead, independent hardware stores can make assortment, expertise and project-focused merchandising bigger parts of their hand tool strategy. National brands provide one point of differentiation. An independent can also tailor its selection to the trades and projects important in its market, building depth in areas such as electrical, plumbing, woodworking, automotive or agricultural tools rather than attempting to match Harbor Freight SKU for SKU. Employee knowledge can make those assortments more valuable. Staff who can explain differences in jaw design, leverage, cutting capacity, ergonomics or intended applications can help customers select a tool based on the work ahead rather than price alone. Merchandising can reinforce that advantage. Pliers positioned
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Harbor Freight is using its ICON hand tool line to pursue professional users, expanding the premium brand while positioning its products against established professional tool brands.
with electrical supplies, specialty plumbing tools near repair parts or cutting tools alongside the materials they are designed to cut connect the tool directly to the problem a customer came in to solve. Harbor Freight has built a formidable hand tool proposition around exclusive
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brands, aggressive pricing, product development and a growing store network. Independent retailers have another proposition available to them: pair a well-chosen assortment with the product knowledge and project expertise that help customers leave with the right tool for the job. n
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 33
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT CHANNELLOCK LEVELS & LAYOUT TOOLS
• Expands the CHANNELLOCK hand tool lineup into professional levels, squares and layout tools.
• Offers accuracy of ±0.0005 inch per inch in all 10 working positions. • Durable aluminum frames are designed for demanding jobsite conditions. • Impact-resistant end caps protect levels against drops and everyday wear. • High-contrast vial surrounds improve visibility and make readings easier in varied lighting.
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• I-beam and box levels are offered in magnetic and nonmagnetic configurations. • Level sizes include 24-, 48-, 72- and 78-inch models. • Layout assortment includes rafter, framing and combination squares, billet torpedo levels and a T-bevel. • Layout tools feature permanent laser-etched markings designed for long-term visibility. CHANNELLOCK 800-724-3018 channellock.com
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OATEY ALL-FLASH NO-CAULK FIVE-IN-ONE ROOF FLASHING
• New five-in-one design fits common plumbing vent pipe sizes from 1¼ inches through 4 inches. • All-Flash design gives contractors greater flexibility while reducing the number of flashing sizes they need to carry. • Two-step tearaway collar uses marked guides to customize the opening for the required pipe diameter. • Fewer tearaway points help provide controlled
sizing and reduce accidental over-tearing and product damage. • Self-sealing collar creates a watertight seal without requiring caulk on the base or collar. • Designed for residential and commercial roof applications. • Available with galvanized steel, aluminum, thermoplastic and copper bases. • Materials are engineered to withstand weather and extreme UV exposure. • Offered in 15 variations across the product line. Oatey 800-321-9532 oatey.com
MARSHALLTOWN BUCKY SCRAPE PRO
• Snaps onto standard 3- and 5-gallon plastic or metal buckets. • Stainless steel scraping edge removes excess mortar, drywall mud, grout or adhesive from trowels. • Scraped material falls back into the bucket, helping reduce material waste.
• Designed for drywall, masonry, painting, flooring and tile applications.
• Helps prevent material buildup along bucket walls during use.
• Compact design weighs 0.30 pounds and measures 9 inches long.
• Heavy-duty, built-in magnets provide a place to securely park a trowel between uses.
• Suitable for professional contractors as well as DIY users working with bucket-based materials.
• Lift tabs allow the accessory to be quickly removed from the bucket rim for cleanup.
MARSHALLTOWN 800-888-0127 marshalltown.com
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT MAYHEW TOOLS HAMMERLESS #1 & #2 NAIL SET • Spring-powered design countersinks finish nails and brads without requiring a hammer. • Delivers up to 3,500 pounds of striking force. • Includes No. 1 and No. 2 nail-setting tips for different finish applications. • Users position the tip, pull back the spring mechanism and release to deliver the strike. • Controlled action helps reduce mis-hits and glancing blows that can damage finished surfaces. • Designed for trim, molding, casing, baseboards and other detail work.
• Suitable for professional finish carpenters, woodworkers and DIY applications. • Carded packaging makes the specialty tool suitable for pegboard merchandising. • Made in the U.S. and backed by Mayhew’s full lifetime warranty. Mayhew Tools 800-872-0037 mayhew.com
ARROW HAND TOOLS COLLECTION
• Marks Arrow’s first complete line of Arrow-branded hand tools. • Collection is designed for DIY, home improvement, repair, renovation and furniture-upcycling projects. • Current assortment spans 60 hand tool products. • Includes utility knives and replacement utility blades. • Screwdriving offerings include multibit, ratcheting and stubby screwdriver configurations. • Pliers assortment includes tools such as 9-inch linesman pliers. 36 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
• Measuring and layout products include tape measures and a 9-inch torpedo level. • Assortment also includes folding hex-key sets and other everyday hand tools. • Designed with professional-grade strength paired with comfort and accessibility for DIY users. Arrow Tool Group 800-776-2228 arrowtoolgroup.com TheHardwareConnection.com
KNIPEX COBRA ES WATER PUMP PLIERS • Redesigned Cobra ES combines a slim profile with expanded gripping capabilities.
• New 7¼-inch version provides a more compact option for everyday carry.
• Long, narrow jaws provide access in confined spaces and other hard-to-reach areas.
• Compact model handles round and hex material up to 1¼ inches.
• New front-gripping serrations allow users to grip components from the end. • Cross groove helps securely hold smaller round materials such as nails. • Redesigned 10-inch model increases round-material capacity from 1¼ inches to 1½ inches. • Slimmer head on the 10-inch model improves access in confined work areas.
• Push-button adjustment provides 18 positions on the 7¼-inch model and 25 on the 10-inch version. • Designed for service, maintenance, automotive, equipment repair and general industrial work. KNIPEX Tools 877-564-7398 knipex-tools.com
TEKTON NEW SCREWDRIVER LINE
• Redesigned screwdriver program replaces TEKTON’s previous Hard Handle and High-Torque lines. • Initial rollout includes 34 individual Phillips, metric slotted, Torx and square drivers. • Handle transitions from a round front for quick spinning to a trilobe center for higher-torque work.
• High-contrast size markings appear in four locations for faster identification. • Through-hole allows hanging storage or attachment of a safety lanyard. • Black manganese-phosphate-coated tips provide a textured surface intended to improve screw engagement.
• Flared front helps keep the user’s hand from sliding forward while pushing and turning.
• Sets are available with modular organizer options, with select configurations offered in foam storage.
• Rigid polypropylene core is surrounded by a slightly soft, textured TPE overmold.
TEKTON 616-214-8887 tekton.com
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ESTWING TIMBER TITAN SPLITTING TOOL
• Long-handle splitting tool is designed to provide added leverage and force when splitting wood. • Contoured blade concentrates force to help initiate splits and penetrate deeper into logs. • Curved blade provides leverage points that make the tool easier to free if it becomes lodged in wood. • Extended cutting edge provides a larger initial contact area. • One-piece forged-steel construction combines the head and handle. • Designed for homeowners, campers and outdoor users processing firewood.
MALCO TOOLS S9RHD 9-INCH HEAVY-DUTY HAND SEAMER
• Designed for heavier metal roofing, flashing, fascia and trim forming applications. • Wide 9-inch forged-steel jaw forms longer sections of material with each pass. • Wider working surface can reduce the number of bends required along long edges. • Compound-leverage Redline handle increases forming force while reducing user effort. • Rated for forming up to 24-gauge painted steel. 38 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
• Secure grip provides additional control during repeated swings. • Powder-coated blade helps protect the steel against rust. • Offered in black and blue versions, with a special-edition leather-grip model also available. • Made in the U.S. using American steel. Estwing 815-397-9558 estwing.com
• Smooth jaws help protect painted metal surfaces during forming. • Outer jaw incorporates ¼-inch graduation marks for quick reference when setting bend depth. • Provides a maximum bend depth of 2 inches. • Heavy-duty forged-steel construction is designed for demanding professional roofing and sheet-metal applications. • Backed by Malco’s limited lifetime warranty. Malco Tools 800-328-3530 malcotools.com TheHardwareConnection.com
HYDE TOOLS 9-INCH ROUND SANDER KIT
• Complete sanding kit is built around HYDE’s 9-inch radial sander. • Round sander uses a pivoting hinge and circular design to help prevent flipping and wall damage. • Lightweight construction is intended to reduce fatigue when sanding large areas.
• Kit includes 25 sheets each of 120- and 180-grit round sandpaper. • Includes a microfiber duster with drawstring for capturing sanding dust and cleaning surfaces.
• Hook-and-loop attachment allows abrasives to be changed quickly. • Sander accepts 9-inch round hookand-loop abrasive material.
• Two HYDE Net Abrasive sample sheets are included for reduced clogging and use with appropriate dust-extraction systems.
• Acme-threaded connection allows the sander to attach to compatible extension poles.
HYDE Tools 800-872-4933 hydetools.com
WERA TOOL-CHECK MODULAR SYSTEM
• Available modules include a seven-piece L-key set.
• Individual Tool-Check Modular components can be combined, exchanged or expanded as tool needs change.
• A 22-piece Micro bit module serves precision screwdriving applications.
• Rigid 9549 adapter connects separate modules into one organized unit.
• Complete Tool-Check Modular sets combine multiple modules into portable assortments.
• Modular system lets users build a compact tool assortment around specific applications.
• Flexible 9550 hinge allows connected modules to fold together for compact storage and transport. • System is designed to unfold when tools are needed and fold together when the job is finished. TheHardwareConnection.com
• Two 21-piece modules support manual and machine-operated screwdriving.
• Current lineup includes metric and Imperial configurations. Wera Tools 800-267-5541 wera.de HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 39
CATEGORY REPORT: PLIERS & SNIPS Sales of Pliers and Snips Products (Independent Hardware Channel) 12 Months % Change vs. Year Ago
Source: Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics
Pliers and Snips Products: Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –4.4% Pliers and Snips Products: Dollars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.63% Unit Sales Breakdown for Pliers and Snips Products Total of 1,234 Items ith Sales Total Category Top 5 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.2% Top 10 Items % of Unit Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.3% Top 20 Items % of Unit Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.2% Top 30 Items % of Unit Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.0% Seasonality Sales of Pliers and Snips Products (Index=100) 160
Source: Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics
140 120
100 101
100
99
92
80 60
Oct 2025
86
103 100
112
106 105
102 94
Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept 2025 2025 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026 2026
Pliers and Snips Products by Type (Latest 12 Months)
Tongue & Groove
15.8% 13.6% 13.6% 11.6% 10.2% 9.8%
Snip Crimp & Snip Locking Cutter Set Long-Nose Pliers
9.3% 4.7%
Lineman
0
2
4
6
8
10
40 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
12
14
16
Source: Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics
Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics tracking information is based on sales from a representative sample of hardlines retailers located throughout the U.S. For more information, call 512-278-5800, visit Epicor’s website or email epicorindustryanalytics@epicor.com.
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PLIERS & SNIPS MERCHANDISING CHECKLIST Help customers quickly match the right pliers or snips to the material, cut and project with these categoryspecific merchandising checks:
q Organize pliers by function. Keep
slip-joint and tongue-and-groove pliers together for gripping and plumbing applications, long-nose pliers for reaching and bending, and lineman’s and diagonal-cutting pliers with cutting tools.
q Separate snips by cutting
application. Make straight-cut, left-cut and right-cut aviation snips easy to identify and distinguish them from general-purpose tin snips and other specialty cutters.
q Show the size choices.
Merchandise common plier sizes together so customers can compare jaw capacity, reach and leverage without searching across the display.
q Make cutting capacity visible.
Help customers identify which pliers and snips are designed for wire, cable, sheet metal and other materials through shelf tags or feature-and-benefit signage.
q Check the core assortment.
Watch for holes in high-use types such as tongue-and-groove, slip-joint, long-nose, lineman’s, diagonal-cutting and locking pliers, along with common aviation snips.
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Woodstock Hardware in Woodstock, New York, gives customers plenty of options in pliers and snips, a category in which the top 30 items account for just 32% of unit sales, according to Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics.
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 41
Hand tools have deep roots at Hunter’s Hardware in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, which traces its history to an 1870 harness and wagon shop that later expanded into farm machinery and hardware.
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CATEGORY REPORT: PLIERS & SNIPS q Cross-merchandise with the job.
Put tongue-and-groove pliers near plumbing projects, wire-cutting and long-nose pliers near electrical supplies, and snips near sheet metal, ductwork, roofing and gutter products.
q Merchandise sets alongside
singles. Give customers tackling multiple jobs an easy way to compare individual pliers with multipiece plier or snip sets.
q Keep identification visible.
Face packages and straighten peg hooks so customers can see tool type, size and cutting direction without removing several products from the display.
q Ask what they’re cutting or
q Call out specialty features. Highlight insulated handles, compound-action designs, comfort grips, hardened
cutting edges and other features that can explain differences in price and performance.
gripping. Knowing the material and task gives associates a direct route to the right pliers or snips— and the other products needed to finish the job.
The Best is Even Better FrogTape Advanced™ Painter’s Tape
Engineered with everything you love about FrogTape® plus advanced performance in conformability and shred-resistance, giving you the confidence of professional results – when it matters most. Visit FrogTape.com
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HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 43 ©Shurtape Technologies, LLC 2026/ASW01138
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER
Orgill Winter Online Buying Event 2026 Nov. 2-15 North American Wholesale Lumber Association Traders Market 2026 Nov. 4-6, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California DIY CON Nov. 6-8, Fair Park Dallas, Dallas
Deck Expo/International Pool Spa Patio Expo Nov. 17-19, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
DECEMBER
2026 Irrigation Show & Education Week Dec. 7-10, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
LBM Expo 2026 LBM Advantage Fall Planning Dec. 9-10, Earth Expo & Convention Conference Nov. 9-11, Encore Boston Harbor, Boston Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut HDA Executive Planning Conference Nov. 10-12, The Westing La Paloma Northeastern Retail Lumber Association Annual Meeting Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona Dec. 10, Earth Expo & Convention ISSA Show North America Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Nov. 16-19, Mandalay Bay Convention Connecticut Center, Las Vegas Automated Retail & Kiosk PLMA Store Brands Marketplace/ Innovation Show Private Label Trade Show Dec. 14-16, Miami Beach Convention Nov. 15-17, Donald E. Stephens Center, Miami Beach Convention Center, Chicago STAFDA 50th Annual Convention & Trade Show Nov. 15-17, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California
JANUARY 2027
Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show Jan. 5-9, Dallas Market Center, Dallas
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National Retail Federation: Retail’s Big Show Jan. 10-12, Javits Center, Manhattan, New York World of Concrete Jan. 19-21, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Mid-States Toy Extravaganza Jan. 25, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix
Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) Feb. 2-4, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Shoppe Object New York Feb. 7-9, Starrett-Lehigh Building, Manhattan, New York Orgill Spring Dealer Market Feb. 25-27, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
MARCH 2027
Mid-States Winter Rendezvous Jan. 27-28, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix
Do it Best & True Value Spring Market March 5-7, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
House-Hasson 2027 Winter Dealer Market Jan. 28-30, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee
Building Envelope Contractors Conference March 7-9, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, San Diego
FEBRUARY 2027
ALLPRO Spring Buying Show March 10-13, J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix
The International Surface Event Feb. 1-4, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas
Ace Spring Convention March 14-16, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta
International Builders’ Show Feb. 2-4, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
Blish-Mize Spring Buying Market March 18-20, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kansas
For a complete listing of calendar dates, click here.
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HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 45
IN THE NEWS
Grant Farnsworth, president of The Farnsworth Group, presents contractor research at the Home Improvement Research Institute’s 2026 Home Improvement Insights Summit. Research presented by Farnsworth found 47% of contractors say their project mix has shifted toward repair and replacement during the past year.
HOMEOWNERS SHIFT TOWARD SMALLER PROJECTS AS SPENDING OUTLOOK WEAKENS Home improvement spending is showing signs of greater pressure heading into 2027, with new research from the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) pointing to homeowners scaling back spending plans and contractors seeing more customers reduce the scope of projects.
The findings were among those presented at HIRI’s 2026 Home Improvement Insights Summit, Sept. 29-30 in Minneapolis, where researchers and industry leaders examined economic conditions, homeowner behavior and trends shaping the home improvement market.
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HIRI’s Q2 2026 Homeowner Project Activity Tracker, based on a survey of 1,193 homeowners, found 30% expect to spend less on home improvement during the next 12 months, compared with 27% who expect to spend more. It was the first negative net reading since HIRI began tracking the measure in the first quarter of 2024. The pullback is especially pronounced among households earning less than $80,000 annually. Just 17% of those households expect to spend more, while 39% expect to spend less. Among households earning $160,000 or more, 46% plan to increase spending and 16% expect to decrease it. Contractors are seeing a similar shift in project scope. Research presented by The Farnsworth Group found 73% of contractors say customers at least sometimes ask them to scale back a quoted project, while 47% report their project mix has shifted toward repair and replacement during the past year. Those trends could put greater emphasis on smaller repair, maintenance and phased projects for independent home improvement retailers. HIRI recommends leaning into products for repair projects and helping homeowners understand how larger improvements can be completed in stages. For hardware retailers, financing could help keep projects moving. TheHardwareConnection.com
HIRI’s September 2026 financing research found homeowners who use financing spend an average of $12,500 per project, compared with $4,250 among those who do not. At the Summit, David Smith of consumer financial services company Synchrony encouraged retailers and pros to introduce financing options earlier in the sales process as homeowners confront higher project costs.
NEW STORES, ACQUISITIONS
• R.P. Lumber opened its 100th location Oct. 12 in Monmouth, Illinois, marking a milestone for the familyowned company that began with a single lumberyard in 1977. The new home center occupies a former auto
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 47
IN THE NEWS dealership that R.P. Lumber extensively renovated, adding a warehouse. In other R.P. Lumber news, the company acquired White Mountain Lumber in Green River, Wyoming. • Deer Park, New York-based Costello’s Ace Hardware has opened two new stores, an 11,000-square-foot location in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and a 12,000-square-foot store in Henrico, Virginia, expanding the family-owned retailer’s presence to 67 locations across six states. • ABC Supply Interiors has opened four new locations in Chandler, Arizona; East Moline, Illinois; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Midland, Texas.
• Stine Home & Yard celebrated the grand opening of its expanded DeRidder, Louisiana, location, a 122,000-square-foot facility that includes a main store, lumber drive-thru and garden center. • Ogden Ace Hardware in Ogden, Utah, celebrated its grand opening Oct. 23-25 following a remodel and restocking of the store. • Avon Hardware & Supplies, owned Peter Vonglis, celebrated its grand opening Oct. 17 in Avon, New York.
KUDOS
• Hamm Hardware in Prosperity, South Carolina, is celebrating 100 years in business. Founded in 1926, the family-owned hardware and building materials retailer is now in its fourth generation of Hamm family leadership and is planning a new 15,000- to 20,000-square-foot facility as it enters its second century. For more read the full story here. • City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment organization, has named Maria Ford of Stanley Black & Decker, Michelle Newland of Oatey Co. and Dennis Trine of Champion Power Equipment as the hardware and homebuilding industry’s 2027 Spirit of Life honorees, leading a yearlong fundraising campaign supporting cancer research and patient care. • Ace Retail Group raised more than $20,000 for City of Hope through a September customer round-up campaign supporting cancer research and patient care.
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retailer for its many years of service and contributions to preserving and promoting the county’s history.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
• ECI Software Solutions has named Blish-Mize received Ad Astra Award Ron Books CEO, effective Oct. 26, succeeding Trevor Gruenewald, • Blish-Mize has received the who is retiring from Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s the role after nearly 2026 Ad Astra Award, recognizing six years and will remain the Atchison, Kansas-based on the company’s board. distributor for its leadership, Ron Books Books previously served advocacy and contributions to the as ECI’s CEO from 2009 state’s business community. to 2021. • Arrow Tool Group will host the final • Ace Retail Group community stop for the 2026 U.S. has named Capitol Christmas Tree Phillip Dalrymple Nov. 17 at Littlestown senior director of Ace Hardware merchandising, Phillip in Littlestown, Dalrymple overseeing product Pennsylvania. The assortment strategy, 76-foot Engelmann vendor partnerships and category spruce from Idaho performance across more than will stop at the store 260 Ace Hardware stores on its journey to the in 18 states. West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, with the • Orgill has named free event featuring holiday activities, Kaleigh Morgan live music and U.S. Forest Service communications displays. Read the full article here. director. Morgan has Kaleigh • Kabelin Ace Hardware has been Morgan been with Orgill for eight named one of La Porte County’s years and most recently 2026 “Historians of the Year,” served as a marketing advisor on the Orgill Marketing Services team. recognizing the La Porte, Indiana,
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IN THE NEWS
• ABC Supply has named Larry Sullivan chief information officer, effective Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Tony Vaden, who will retire after 13 years with the company. ABC Supply also named Steve Money Northeast region vice president, also effective the first of the year, succeeding Tom Kuchan, who will retire after leading the region for 27 years. • Fruitland, Idaho-based Woodgrain has promoted Daniel Banks to vice president of retail, overseeing account management, customer
service and in-store operations for the company’s big-box customers.
WHOLESALER, MANUFACTURER
• Trex’s executive leadership team rang the New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell Oct. 20 to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary and mark its goal of reaching $2 billion in annual revenue by 2030.
50 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026
TheHardwareConnection.com
• Shurtape Technologies has acquired Mavalus, an American-made specialty adhesive tape brand, and related business assets from Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based DSS Distributing. • Inteplast Group has agreed to acquire Fiberon, the composite decking, railing and cladding manufacturer, from Fortune Brands Innovations for $160 million. The deal includes Fiberon’s headquarters and manufacturing operations in New London, North Carolina, and its plant in Meridian, Idaho. TheHardwareConnection.com
• Central Garden & Pet has acquired W. Atlee Burpee Co., the 150-year-old seed, plant and garden supply company, expanding its garden portfolio. Burpee will continue to operate as a separate business under its current leadership and remain headquartered in Warminster, Pennsylvania. • Barge Forest Products is investing more than $8.3 million to expand its sawmill operations in Macon, Mississippi, adding a new production line designed to increase efficiency and annual production capacity. The expansion is expected to be completed in October 2027.
IN MEMORIUM
• Charles D. “Charlie” Bishop, 87, passed away Oct. 9 in Bonita Charlie Springs, Florida. Bishop Bishop joined Sunshine Ace Hardware in Naples, Florida, in 1969, starting in the paint department. He spent 38 years with the company and retired in 2007 as chief operating officer. HARDWARE Connection ■ October 28, 2026 ■ 51