Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
The 2026 Hardlines Conference will take place at the historic Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa, in collaboration with LBMAO. As the only national event for the home improvement industry open to all banners and suppliers, the Hardlines Conference welcomes leading retailers, buying group executives, wholesalers and manufacturers from across the country.
A highlight for many at the Hardlines Conference, the Outstanding Retailer Awards will once again celebrate the achievements of hardware, home improvement and building supply dealers and their staff. In its 32-year history, the program has honored more than 180 retailers. Winners are selected in seven categories: Best Hardware or Paint Store, Best Building Supply, Best Building Supply/Home Center, Young Retailer of the Year, Marc Robichaud Community Leader, Best Large Surface Retailer and Pro Dealer of the Year.
Hardlines president and publisher David Chestnut sat down with Hardware Retailing to share highlights of this year’s show and major industry trends Hardlines will address at the event.
Hardware Retailing (HR): What are you most excited for at this year’s event? What are some of the highlights you’re looking forward to?
David Chestnut (DC): What excites me most is the continued convergence of independent dealers, buying groups and big-box players in one room—a rare mix in Canadian retail. The Hardlines Conference has built a reputation as the place where competitors set aside rivalry to talk candidly about supply chain, labor and consumer shifts. I’m especially looking forward to sessions that connect macroeconomic trends, such as interest rates, housing starts and renovation spending, to actionable strategies for store owners. The value isn’t just the content—it’s the sharing of best business practices. Plus, it is also the 30th anniversary of the conference.
HR: Is there anything new attendees will experience at this year’s event?
DC: Conferences like this typically evolve their programming to reflect current pressures—expect a sharper focus on e-commerce integration, omnichannel fulfillment and how AI and data tools are reshaping merchandising and customer service. We are having a dealer panel dedicated to this topic. New attendees should also watch for expanded content on labor shortages and succession planning, which have become urgent for independent dealers. Session formats often shift too, with more interactive panels and roundtables replacing pure lecture-style keynotes. If this year follows recent patterns, expect a stronger emphasis on sustainability and private-label strategy as retailers respond to margin pressure. We are confirming the final agenda, but directionally, that’s where the industry conversation is heading.
HR: What are some returning favorite aspects of the conference?
DC: The Outstanding Retailer Awards remain a signature draw—celebrating excellence keeps morale and ambition high across the sector. The economic outlook keynote is another perennial favorite, giving attendees a grounded read on housing, renovation spending and consumer confidence heading into the new year. We have a well-rounded lineup of speakers built around ample time for the all-important networking with peers and customers.
HR: What are some of the educational opportunities that will be available at the conference?
DC: Expect sessions spanning digital transformation, workforce development and financial literacy for independent operators. Retail psychology and merchandising sessions typically help dealers rethink store layout and the customer journey. Supply chain resilience—sourcing, freight costs and diversification—also tends to feature prominently. These sessions are usually built by practitioners for practitioners, prioritizing frameworks attendees can implement within weeks of returning to their stores, not abstract theory.
HR: What networking opportunities will be available at the conference?
DC: The conference’s real value often lies outside the formal agenda—meals, receptions and the social events create natural space for dealers, suppliers and buying group reps to connect. Award ceremonies and evening receptions tend to loosen the atmosphere, making it easier to build supplier relationships that turn into better terms or exclusive product access. For independent dealers especially, these informal conversations with counterparts from other regions are often cited as the single most valuable part of attending, more than any single session.
HR: Tell us about the Outstanding Retailer Awards. What is the importance of the ORAs?
DC: The ORAs matter because they spotlight independent and regional retailers who often don’t get recognition outside their local markets. In an industry increasingly dominated by national chains and big-box competition, celebrating operational excellence, community engagement and innovation among independents reinforces that scale isn’t the only path to success. Winners typically demonstrate strong customer service, smart merchandising or creative responses to local market conditions—providing a template other attendees can study and adapt. Beyond morale, the ORAs create case studies: Attendees leave with concrete examples of what’s working elsewhere in Canada, which is often more persuasive than any keynote statistic. Producing and holding the Outstanding Retailer Awards is one of the most fun and meaningful things that Hardlines does for our industry.
HR: What is one trend every Canadian home improvement retailer should be paying attention to and how will the Hardlines Conference address this trend?
DC: The trend I’d flag is the maturing of omnichannel expectations. Customers now expect independent hardware and home improvement stores to offer the same convenience—online inventory checks, click-and-collect seamless returns—as national chains, even with far smaller budgets and staff. This isn’t optional anymore; it’s table stakes for retaining younger, digitally native customers. I’d expect the conference to address this through sessions on affordable tech stacks, case studies from dealers who’ve successfully digitized without losing their community-store feel, and panels on balancing personalized service with digital convenience. The retailers who solve this cost-effectively will be best positioned over the next five years.
