Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
According to the Home Improvement Research Institute’s Quarterly Homeowner Project Activity Tracker Q1 2025, home maintenance projects were the most popular type of home improvement project completed at the beginning of 2025, with 78% of homeowners taking on plumbing, electrical and other home preservation projects.
Although more homeowners are taking on these projects, confidence to execute them has remained low. The Consumer DIY Trends Shaping Retail Opportunities in 2025 study from 3M found that 25% of homeowners feel they don’t have the right tools to approach DIY tasks to begin with, and 43% of respondents said they would attempt more home improvements and DIY tasks if they knew they’d get it right the first time.
Independent hardware stores are an ideal place for customers to receive the tools, expert advice, education and confidence they need to complete home maintenance projects, bringing them back to your store again and again when new issues arise in their homes. The plumbing, electrical and HVAC categories are prime departments to focus on in your operation to attract DIY customers taking on home preservation projects.
Discover how two retailers support customers in starting and finishing projects in plumbing and electrical maintenance.
Electrical Expertise
Rick Holt, store manager of Montgomery True Value Hardware in Skillman, New Jersey, has also seen an upswing in DIYers engaging in home maintenance projects among his customers.
“We’ve seen the biggest increase in the electrical area,” Holt says. “Our customer base tends to tackle basic DIY projects—replacing a light switch, fixing a broken sink stopper and the like.”
Equipping employees with the knowledge and expertise to assist customers on any level, whether it be a basic task or a more complicated project, is essential in establishing your store as the go-to destination for DIY assistance. Nearly a quarter of homeowners say they purchase from stores where staff have the best knowledge, according to the Consumer DIY Trends Shaping Retail Opportunities in 2025 study from 3M.
“As people convert to LED bulbs, they are replacing dimmers and standard outlets with combination outlet USB fixtures,” Holt says. “The most common questions we get in this category involve the appropriate gauge of wire for the circuit to be worked on, outlet types and reading wiring instructions, so my employees are trained to be able to answer their questions.”
Putting the Pieces Together
At Vickery Hardware Company in Smyrna, Georgia, owner Susan Harlan has seen a noticeable increase in DIY activity in maintenance, particularly in the plumbing category. As an independent retailer, Harlan recognizes her store’s unique position to offer personalized advice to customers needing supplies to tackle projects in these categories.
“I think people are increasingly concerned about learning how to take care of their homes themselves,” she says. “What
better place to learn than your local hardware store?”
Rewiring a light fixture, managing an air conditioning system or repairing a leaky faucet can be more intimidating for homeowners than simpler projects, like painting a wall or installing shelving. Harlan breaks down plumbing projects for customers in an approachable way, starting with smaller, digestible instructions anyone can follow and instilling confidence in her customers.
“Most plumbing is just a puzzle that needs to be solved,” she says.
According to the Consumer DIY Trends Shaping Retail Opportunities in 2025 study from 3M, 36% of homeowners said no one has ever shown them how to do basic DIY projects, with more women agreeing with this statement than men.
As a woman in the male-dominated hardware industry, Harlan hopes her unique perspective can encourage customers—male and female alike—to tackle DIY projects.
“I think that because I am a woman and can take on these projects, many people reason that if I can do it, they can too,” she says.
With DIY instructions easily available online, Harlan recognizes having customers who choose to come to your store for expert advice is something to cherish.
“My favorite time in the store is that ‘aha’ moment that comes when a customer realizes they actually can fix that toilet or install that faucet,” Harlan says. “It’s especially gratifying when they come back in with a grin and a picture to show you.”
