Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
In the Mile High City, Do it Best members and True Value retailers continued their journey together toward integration at the 2026 Spring Market. As attendees walked the show floor, attended educational sessions and took part in networking opportunities, including a headline concert by country music star Dierks Bentley, the theme of innovation and integration permeated every corner of the Colorado Convention Center.
“Everything we’re doing at this market is about delivering measurable results for independent dealers,” says Do it Best Group CEO Dan Starr. “By investing in stronger systems, smarter analytics and fully unified operations, and launching Retail Pulse to turn insight into action, we’re giving store owners the tools and the team they need to grow faster and compete with confidence in a rapidly changing retail landscape.”
Before hitting the show floor, attendees could choose from a variety of educational sessions in Knowledge Central. Sessions covered the topics most-pressing to retailers, including embracing e-commerce, leaning into personalized marketing, motivating employees and succession planning. Out on the show floor, LBM training sessions invited attendees to take part in tracks to strengthen core categories and operational best practices.
Attending one of the educational sessions on e-commerce, Troy Helms, owner of Helms True Value Hardware in Selah, Washington, says the session was insightful as they have operated a website for about five years but recently enabled the ship to home feature.
“While our winter wasn’t what we expected, we have experienced a jump in online orders, including a number of orders to customers on the East Coast,” Helms says.
During the Market Kickoff event, Do it Best Group execs shared a roadmap for where the company is heading. Do it Best president Nick Talarico and vice president of field sales Eric Lane officially introduced Retail Pulse, a strategic intelligence platform that delivers real-time insights, performance analytics and actionable benchmarks.
“Retail Pulse is delivered the right way, through your territory sales manager, so it translates into execution, not just reports,” Talarico says.
At the LBM Industry Update lunch, LBM strategic business development manager Ryan Cooley; millwork and interior solutions merchandise manager Abeer Saeed; building materials division purchasing manager Laura Wilson; and LBM regional sales manager Dave Arnold shared updates on various product categories and LBM trends.
When it comes to design, Saeed says that people are craving warmth, including earthy tones, deeper colors and textured tiles.
“We expect a revival of stained wood cabinets, statement walls, ceiling treatments and wood slats as people are wanting that cozy lived-in look,” Saeed says. “These trends will create a lot of opportunity for retailers, and the availability and ability to sell the entire package and the vibe is what’s going to ultimately help close sales for dealers.”
In the Solutions in Action and Assortment City areas, attendees saw retail concepts brought to life through immersive merchandising and curated assortments. Contractor Solutions spotlighted assortments and programs that help retailers compete for higher-ticket jobs and repeat contractor traffic and Backyard HQ featured assortments and merchandising ideas across grilling, patio, outdoor décor, seasonal entertaining and related categories.
Other market highlights included market-only VIP deals and LBM VIP deals, Closeout Zone, Launch Zone, New Item Gallery and Pallet Zone, which all offered solutions to improve margin and keep assortments fresh and relevant.
Joy Henderson, manager of Indian Hill Trading Post, has been in the industry for over 30 years and was looking for new products for her store in Greenville, Maine, and says she appreciates the excellent product mix seen at the market. She also loves the social side of attending markets.
“These shows are so fun. They’re like a vacation where you can also get your work done,” Henderson says. “Every show is like a reunion with family and friends.”
