In late September 2024, Wickstrom Ace Hardware opened its doors in Carson City, Nevada, with a weekend of raffles, grilling demonstrations, and doorbuster discounts. The event is a small story with a wide lesson: local hardware stores are where community construction starts. When a family plans a deck, a contractor bids a remodel, or a […]
Every October, lumber dealers across the western United States open the newest issue of The Merchant Magazine, a trade journal that has tracked their industry for more than a century. The October 2024 edition leads with a Show Guide for the upcoming NAWLA Traders Market, and that pairing of editorial and event planning explains why
In late 2024 the independent home improvement channel reached a turning point: the largest member-owned hardware and lumber cooperative in the United States submitted a bid to acquire substantially all the assets of a Chicago-based hardlines wholesaler that had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy under private equity ownership. If the deal closed, the combined store
Architectural coatings are the paints, stains, and protective finishes applied to the inside and outside of buildings. They cover walls, ceilings, trim, siding, and masonry across every building type, from single-family homes to large institutional projects such as educational facilities that need durable, washable surfaces. The industry behind those products is substantial, and paint and
A 28-year-old building supply yard closes, and within days its regulars are driving to the next town for lumber, fasteners, and advice. The announcement itself is short: a final operating date, a statement thanking employees, and a pointer to a sister store that will keep serving the same communities. For builders and homeowners who relied
When a new hardware store opens its doors, the event is bigger than a ribbon cutting. The grand opening held by Graber’s Ace Hardware in El Dorado, Kansas, in November 2024 gave shoppers a first look at the products, services, and people behind a local retail operation. Hardware stores sit at the junction of home
Most salespeople try to bring value by giving customers exactly what they ask for. The sellers who consistently win bigger orders create value by giving customers what they asked for and more: they bring options. Instead of quoting one price for one product, they lay out two or three ways to meet the need, each
Consolidation is reshaping the businesses that supply construction and home improvement. In the hardware and building materials channel, one of the largest recent moves brought two longtime competitors together: a member-owned buying cooperative acquired a rival distributor with significant inventory, brand rights, and paint manufacturing facilities. The result is the largest cooperative in its segment,
Monthly trade journals have been part of the lumber industry since 1922, when the first magazines for dealers and distributors in the western United States began publishing. A century later the format has changed, but the job has not: tell the people who sell lumber and building materials what is happening in their market, which
Independent hardware stores and lumberyards plan their year around seasonal buying events. These markets bring vendors, dealers, and buying groups together for a few days of product previews, price negotiations, and order writing. When two retail organizations combine after an acquisition, the merged event typically grows into one of the largest gatherings in the industry,
