Ace Pushes Faster Service, Delivery at Spring Convention
CEO John Venhuizen opened the Ace Hardware Spring 2026 Convention by centering his message on a renewed push for convenience. Speaking during the Feb. 24 General Session at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky., Venhuizen outlined the need for faster fulfillment, broader participation in delivery marketplaces and fewer friction points across the customer experience — all aimed at restoring what he described as Ace’s long-held “convenience crown.”
“For decades, consumer research showed the No. 1 reason people chose Ace was convenience — and we’ve let that slip,” Venhuizen said during his General Session comments. “That’s totally unacceptable.”
Venhuizen pointed to routine online shopping moments where the customer experience breaks down, including shoppers who can’t get delivery to their area, get pushed to competitors when delivery isn’t offered, or balk at delivery fees that outweigh the item price. He described speed as “the new service” and called for stores and the co-op to move faster “one store at a time,” pairing “helpful faces with modern fulfillment.”
And to illustrate the operational complexity behind faster fulfillment, Venhuizen pointed to the breadth of Ace’s assortment. The co-op stocks about 110,000 SKUs across its distribution network to support local stores — compared with Costco, which he noted generates about $275 billion in revenue with roughly 5,000 SKUs. That depth supports local relevance, he said, while also adding complexity to efforts aimed at speed and delivery convenience.
Ace Expanding Same-Day Reach
Elements of that strategy are already taking shape through new delivery partnerships designed to extend store reach without adding operational strain. That push for convenience showed up in the Spring Convention through a mix of marketplace and last-mile delivery options discussed and showcased during the event.
Venhuizen urged retailers to view marketplaces such as DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats as sources of incremental demand rather than competitors, emphasizing same-day use cases and noting Ace’s ability to reach customers beyond the four walls of the store.
On the bulky end of delivery, Ace is also rolling out Bungii as a big-and-bulky delivery partner. Harrison Proffitt, founder of Bungii told Hardware Connection his company’s service is designed for items that don’t fit in a typical vehicle—grills, patio furniture and heavy bulk purchases such as multiple bags of mulch—and can be scheduled same day, next day or up to 30 days out. Proffitt said retailers can request access through Bungii’s Ace portal, with the first delivery free and deliveries priced at $59 afterward, leaving stores the choice of how to pass along or subsidize the fee.
Energy on the Floor of the Ace Hardware Spring 2026 Convention, Retailers Respond
Attendance and activity at the convention reflected strong retailer participation. Ace reported more than 12,000 total registered attendees for the Feb. 24–26 event at the Kentucky Exposition Center, including 4,566 Ace retailer registrations and more than 5,000 vendor representatives on site. Winter weather across parts of the East Coast disrupted travel early in the week, delaying arrival for some retailers and vendors heading to Louisville. Ace also reported more than 4,000 general session registrations, alongside 597 registered Emery Jensen Distribution retailers.
Retailers Hardware Connection spoke with described a show that balanced education with practical buying decisions and operational learning. Faizal Thobani of Ace of Vienna in Vienna, Va., who was attending his first Ace Convention, said his time was centered on training and category knowledge, particularly in live goods.
“Plants — a lot of indoor and outdoor plants — we learned a lot about that,” Thobani said, adding that he also spent time with his district manager walking through how to evaluate and place show orders. “Just getting as much knowledge as possible.”
Ron Hahn of Hastings Ace Hardware in Afton, Wyo., characterized the event as busy with his attention directed toward seasonal categories.
“Christmas is huge for us,” Hahn said. “Bringing in something in the store that people are excited about keeps the footsteps in the door.” He pointed to lighting and village displays as areas of interest as well. Hahn also noted that Venhuizen’s remarks on convenience aligned with challenges at the store level.
“If that’s what the customer wants — delivery — then we’re going to have to do that,” Hahn said, noting the operational strain when staff must leave the store to fulfill orders.
Steve Donaldson of Donaldson’s Ace Hardware in Bryan, Ohio, attended with an eye toward discovery as his store undergoes an interior refresh. “Just basically the new stuff — discovery,” he said. “We’re going to redo the inside of the store.”
Cam Radmall of Santaquin Ace Hardware in Santaquin, Utah, described the event as well organized and noted early interest in emerging products. A drinkware line called Wild Jug “really caught our eye,” she said, pointing to the mix of established brands and newer vendors on the floor.
Seasonal Focus Drives Show Floor Activity
On the show floor, seasonal merchandising carried a visible presence, including a large holiday-focused footprint positioned near the center of the expo hall. The space brought together multiple newer vendors in a unified visual presentation designed to help retailers think through fourth-quarter assortments and in-store execution.
Nearby, Ace’s “Elevate” model store concept drew steady traffic as retailers evaluated layout strategies and merchandising ideas that could translate to their own locations.
Throughout the three-day event, several vendors described order activity as lively in core seasonal and project-driven categories, reflecting a focus on securing deals and refining assortments while buying teams and vendor programs were in one place.
