Ace Hardware Outperformance Encouraging for Building Trades

Record revenues for its fourth quarter and full year provide positive signs for the business going forward.

The big national hardware cooperative reported consolidated revenues rose 9.9 percent to $2.5 billion for the three months ending Jan. 3. Total wholesale revenues were $2.3 billion, an increase of 10.0 percent compared to the prior year fourth quarter.  

Increases were seen across most departments, with lawn and garden, power tools, bulbs and batteries, and hardware showing the largest gains.

Total retail revenues from Ace Retail Holdings for the quarter increased 9.5 percent to $221.5 million. Ace Retail operated 268 stores at the end of the quarter.

For the full year, consolidated revenues were $10.0 billion, up 5.8 percent from 2024 revenues. Ace Retail Holdings’ revenue rose 7.2 percent to $884.6 million. 

Ace, the largest hardware cooperative in the world, added 180 new domestic locations in fiscal 2025 and cancelled 74 stores. This brought the company’s total domestic store count to 5,250, an increase of 106 stores year over year.

“Comparable store growth of 0.7 percent from our hardware format stores, accelerated new store growth and a 27 percent increase within our digital business fueled a very encouraging 5.8 percent increase in revenue for the year (including the 53rd week),” said John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “With record revenue, record shareholder dividends and a 40 percent pre-tax return on shareholder equity, the Ace team is to be commended for the discipline, productivity and stewardship with which they managed our resources and opportunities.”

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