Ace Hardware just dropped its best Q3 on record, and one number in particular should make every hardware retailer sit up a little straighter:
Online sales surged 34.9% in a single quarter.
Not YoY. Not over a season. One quarter.
That stat—paired with Ace’s $2.48B in revenue (+5.5%) and jump in net income (+15%)—tells us something loud and clear:
Customers are shifting their buying behavior online even faster than we expected.
And here’s the big question for local owners:
Are your store-level acehardware.com sales growing at the same pace—or are you falling behind the national trend?
We’ve heard from multiple Innovators that their online sales reporting feels… fuzzy. Some stores don’t track it at all. Some owners assume online revenue is “bonus money.” Others believe local websites are “nice to have, but not essential.”
But with numbers like these?
Not tracking online revenue is like flying blind.
Why This 35% Digital Surge Matters for Local Stores
Ace’s report isn’t just corporate hype—it reflects what customers are already telling us through their behavior:
- They research online before they drive into town.
- They want confirmation that a product is in stock locally.
- They expect curbside, quick fulfillment, and easy checkout.
- They buy online and pick up in store at double-digit growth rates nationwide.
- Seasonal spikes (heaters, plumbing issues, OPE, grilling) now start online.
- Many customers never set foot in a store before placing an online order.
Ace’s digital team is clearly investing heavily, and it’s paying off.
Now the pressure shifts to local retailers:
Are you capturing your share of that 34.9% growth—or losing it to stores that are more digitally visible?
Local Websites Are Quietly Becoming a Revenue Advantage
Across dozens of Innovators and hardware retailers we work with, a pattern is emerging:
Stores with active, modern local websites consistently outperform stores without them.
Not in vanity metrics—
In revenue.
In BOPIS volume.
In customer retention.
In average ticket.
Let’s break it down.
1. Higher Search Visibility = More Online Orders
Customers rarely search for “Ace Hardware.”
They search for:
- “key cutting near me”
- “DeWalt sale St. Louis”
- “ice melt in stock”
- “heater repair parts near me”
A strong local website—optimized, structured, and aligned to the area—ranks for those real-world searches.
Ace’s default microsite usually doesn’t.
More visibility = more orders routed to your store.
2. Better Conversion Rates vs. Default Ace Pages
We see this in analytics:
When shoppers land on a local website, conversions increase. When they land only on a generic Ace.com template, they bounce faster.
Why?
Because stores are no longer faceless. The website:
- Shows your people
- Shows your services & rentals
- Builds local trust
- Reinforces that their purchase supports the community
That human connection translates directly into transactions.
3. Higher Average Ticket From Local Traffic
Local websites also widen the cart.
Customers discover:
- Blade sharpening
- Screen repair
- Propane exchange
- Local events
- Seasonal project guides
- Add-on products
This creates larger, more meaningful orders—online and in-store.
Is There Evidence That Local Websites Drive Higher Online Revenue?
Probably—and we’re continuing to dig deeper.
What we already see:
- Higher year-over-year online revenue in stores with active websites
- Faster BOPIS growth
- Higher checkout completion rates
- Stronger ranking for “Ace + city” and “hardware store near me”
- More repeat online customers
Ultimately, having a local website doesn’t replace the Ace.com ecosystem.
It amplifies it.
It funnels more motivated, high-intent shoppers into Ace’s cart.
So—Are You Riding the Wave or Fighting the Current?
Ace’s record-breaking Q3 tells us exactly where the industry is heading.
Customers are buying online faster than stores are adapting.
And the retailers who win that business will be the ones who show up:
- In search results
- With local credibility
- With helpful content
- With a seamless path to purchase
- With a website that reflects their store’s personality—not just their co-op’s template
This isn’t just a marketing conversation.
It’s an operations conversation.
A recruitment conversation.
A technology conversation.
A future-of-your-store conversation.
And it’s one retailers should be having together.
This Is Exactly the Kind of Topic Our Innovators Are Tackling Right Now
If online sales are growing nearly 35% nationally, then the questions you should be asking aren’t small:
- Are we capturing our share of this surge?
- Is a local website boosting (or limiting) our online revenue?
- Which stores are winning online—and why?
- What technology or processes actually make the difference?
- How do we justify digital investment to our leadership team or partners?
These are the conversations too big—and too important—to figure out alone.
They’re also the exact conversations happening every month inside the Hardware Innovators Mastermind Group.
A collaborative space where owners, GMs, marketers, and B2B pros compare notes, share data, and help each other solve the hard stuff faster.
Want to Dig Deeper Into This with Other Retailers Who Are Asking the Same Questions?
Join us for an upcoming Hardware Innovators Mastermind.
No sales pitch.
No jargon.
Just real retailers sharing real numbers, real wins, and real lessons on how digital growth is reshaping their stores.
Let’s make sure your store is riding the 34.9% wave, not watching it pass by.
Come learn what other retailers are doing—and figure out your next move with a room full of peers who get it.