Ace Hardware Reports Record First-Quarter 2026 Results
Ace Hardware reported record first-quarter 2026 revenues of $2.5 billion, an increase of 10.9 percent from the same period last year, while net income rose to $70.1 million from $30.3 million in the first quarter of 2025.
The Oak Brook, Ill.-based retailer says approximately 4,000 Ace stores that share daily retail sales data posted a 4.9 percent increase in U.S. retail same-store sales during the quarter. The increase was driven by a 4.2 percent rise in average ticket and a 0.7 percent increase in transaction count. Hardware-format same-store sales increased 6.1 percent, while digital sales climbed 30 percent.
“Our record first quarter results reflect a simple truth: when we serve our neighbors with excellence and urgency, growth follows,” president and CEO John Venhuizen says in the company release.
Wholesale revenues reached $2.3 billion for the quarter, up 11.3 percent from the prior-year period. Ace cited lawn and garden, outdoor power equipment and power tools among the strongest-performing merchandise categories. The company says new domestic stores activated between January 2025 and March 2026 contributed $72.3 million in incremental wholesale revenues during the quarter.
Ace Retail Holdings reported first-quarter revenues of $185.8 million, an increase of 6.1 percent, while same-store sales rose 4.1 percent.
Ace opened 35 domestic stores and closed 19 during the quarter, ending the period with 5,266 domestic locations. Worldwide, the company operated 5,991 stores at the end of the quarter.
