Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
The gifting season is here. New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania rank among the highest in hardware and home improvement gift giving, with 77.35 hardware and home improvement gifts given for every 1,000.
These three states have some of the oldest owner-occupied housing in the U.S., showing the need for more maintenance than newer builds. Additionally, the median age of owners in these older homes is 58, suggesting they may have more resources to maintain their properties.
This region also faces 
extreme weather events that can accelerate home deterioration.
The team at Ace Hardware analyzed U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data over the past decade to identify the hardware and home improvement gifting hot spots. Based on its analysis, these are the top 10 most popular categories of home improvement gifts.
- Lawn and garden – 24.91%
- Major appliances – 18.18%
- Building supplies – 15.59%
- Home decor – 11.65%
- Indoor furniture – 8.39%
- Small appliances – 4.98%
- Storage and organization – 3.07%
- Lighting and electrical – 2.40%
- Paint and supplies – 2.09%
- Tools – 2.089%
Lawn and garden products accounted for almost one quarter of the gifts purchased between 2014 and 2024. According to Lawnstarter Research, over half of homeowners care for their lawns themselves and consider it one of the biggest home maintenance tasks. According to Today’s Homeowner, Americans spend an average of over 384 hours mowing the lawn in their lifetime.
Major appliances are the second-most-popular hardware and home improvement gift category, accounting for 18% of all purchases. Building supplies are the third-most-popular hardware and home improvement gift category, making up just over 15% of all purchases.
