Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Embracing a new space, the Ace Hardware Spring 2026 Convention welcomed retailers to the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky, to build new relationships and foster existing ones. Along with discovering the newest products and getting insights into the latest product trends from over 5,000 vendor representatives, attendees could explore Ace’s Discovery Edge, Savings Showcase and New Vendor Market for product inspiration. 
Out on the show floor, retailers connected with vendors and one another, sharing opportunities and challenges. Jared Brown, director of business intelligence for The Aubuchon Company, says the convention is always an ideal time to solidify relationships.
“At this show, I am looking to find the newest products and even get ahead of some of the product trends and get those products in our stores,” Brown says. “I’m also looking for what other merchandising options are there. Many of our stores are under 8,000 square feet, so I’m looking for creative solutions to still provide the breadth and scope of products we want to offer in our stores.”
Jonathan Miller, owner of Miller Hardware Company in Valdosta, Georgia, says he appreciated the smaller market feel in Louisville as he looked for products that would help his business increase margin.
In Ace’s Retail Training Center, retailers dove into topics that included driving sales in lawn and garden and paint, improving the customer experience, embracing leadership, engaging in multistore ownership, handling cyberthreats and B2B growth.
One of the sessions provided a comprehensive look at one of Ace’s newest programs, Hey ARMA, an AI-fueled digital assistant. The Ace Retailer Mobile Assistance App (Hey ARMA) gives employees instant access to product and project-related information and provides detailed product specs and step-by-step instructions for a myriad of DIY projects. Ace began building the platform in the second quarter of 2025, piloted it in 300 stores in Q3 and Q4 of 2025 and plans a full launch in the coming weeks. 
George Mantia, Ace director of store systems, says they hope to have over 2,000 Ace stores using Hey ARMA by the end of 2026. The Hey ARMA team will also be monitoring speed, relevancy and accuracy and refine the platform based on retailer feedback.
“During 2026, we also want to enhance and develop new functionality and have plans on partnering with a vendor for smart headset integration,” Mantia says.
Key features of Hey ARMA include voice input, instant answers, store and chain specific data, scanning functionality and integration with retail service center (RSC) data. Retailers can also view current promotions that correspond with any product.
“We’re not trying to change operations but enhance operations with Hey ARMA,” says Jake Kipp, Ace store operations consultant.
Reigning in Convenience
During the general session, Ace president and CEO John Venhuizen shared that Ace has lost its convenience crown.
“Ace is no longer the most convenient consumer experience at retail, and that’s totally unacceptable,” he says. “We’ve let it slip and we need to do something about it.”
During the convention, Venhuizen sat down with Hardware Retailing and shared more details on several operational areas and project initiatives where Ace is working to regain its convenience crown while still maintaining high levels of customer service.
The consumer perspective on convenience is continually evolving and that is leading to a number of operational changes at Ace, Venhuizen says, including completely rethinking logistics.
“We turned our entire logistics upside down. Every distributor in any business, especially ours, was trying to take large orders to local stores infrequently,” Venhuizen says. “But with the desire for speed, we turned things upside down and now are getting small orders to local stores more frequently. We are at the point now where north of 90% of our stores get three shipments from Ace per week, which is 180 degrees different.”
At the store level, logistics are also changing, especially when it comes to delivery, where Ace retailers are being encouraged to make delivery more relational and less transactional by not only offering free assembly and delivery, but going the extra step.
“We’re encouraging stores, and many are already doing it, to not just assemble and deliver the grill for free, but bring them a free bottle of barbecue sauce and a hand-written thank you note,” Venhuizen says. “To have someone show up in a red vest and provide that little extra touch, that kind of delivery is much different than transactional ones and goes a long way in amazing our customers.”
Responsible new store growth is another operational area where Ace is focusing its attention. Currently, 75% of the U.S. is within 15 minutes of an Ace store, but Venhuizen says the company wants to fill in the gaps where there aren’t stores. In 2025, Ace opened 180 new stores, and the pipeline for 2026 is 170 to 185 new stores.
That growth will come in three ways—conversions, new investors and existing owners opening up new stores.
“The pool for conversions is shrinking, so that’s not going to be as big for us in the future as it was in the past. But that’s still an important and wonderful way to grow,” Venhuizen says. “The biggest growth, and what I think is the health of our organization, will come through existing owners who want to open another store. Of our 180 new stores last year, 93 of those were existing Ace owners opening new branches, which is the highest we’ve had in a while.”
A top project initiative continues to be the ELEVATE³ Ace store format, which reimagines the traditional hardware store by creating immersive brand experiences in four key areas: paint, power, backyard and barbecue and home preservation.
Currently, just under 100 stores have implemented ELEVATE³ Ace as part of a remodel and these stores saw same-store sales increases in 2025 of 12.2%. New stores that are adding the ELEVATE³ Ace format are seeing sales of $184 per square foot, the highest Ace has ever seen, Venhuizen says.
Like with every convention, Venhuizen wants retailers to leave feeling better about their company than when they arrived and be able to check off all the operational tasks they come to achieve at the events.
“More importantly, it’s the relationships retailers are creating and continuing,” Venhuizen says. “There’s a familial sense here for sure. We’re in it together, and the mindset is that the future is very, very bright.”
Ace Names Vendors of the Year
Ahead of the opening of the 2026 Convention, Ace Hardware announced its 2025 Vendors of the Year, recognizing a select group of vendor partners whose leadership, innovation and collaboration played a critical role in helping Ace retailers succeed over the past year.
“Our vendor partners are essential to the strength of the Ace brand and the success of our independent retailers,” says Chris Huot, corporate vice president of merchandising. “The 2025 Vendors of the Year represent the very best of our vendor community, bringing a deep understanding of what it takes to help local Ace retailers win. We are grateful for their partnership and proud to recognize their outstanding contributions.”
The following companies were recognized as Ace Hardware 2025 Vendors of the Year: Flanders, Kohler, QJT, SodaStream, Vanco and Weber.
Warmies was also recognized as the Ace Foundation Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Vendor of the Year for its generous support of the Ace Hardware Foundation and ongoing commitment to helping improve the health and well-being of children in local communities.
