Nominations Open for 2026 Beacon Awards
Across the country, independent hardware retailers are solving problems, building stronger stores and serving their communities in creative ways. The 2026 Beacon Awards, presented by Hardware Connection, will recognize the retailers whose work stands out. Winners will be recognized at the Independent Home Improvement Conference, July 29-30, at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.
In addition to the Beacon Awards, the event will offer independent hardware retailers opportunities to network, share ideas and attend breakout sessions about better business practices.
Introduced in 2013, the Beacon Awards recognize the best of the best independent hardware and home improvement retailers across the country while encouraging a new generation of retailers to make their mark in the industry.
Do it Best and Orgill are wholesale sponsors of the Beacon Awards. Other 2026 sponsors include Epicor Software, Ettore Products, Fluidmaster and WD-40.
For each participating wholesaler, the 2026 Beacon Awards will honor the Retail Beacon Award winners and Best New Stores. The Retail Beacon Award is a lifetime achievement award for a retailer or company. The Best New Stores category honors existing retailers opening a branch store or a newcomer opening a ground-up business. Recipients of these awards represent the cutting-edge future of the industry.
Digital Beacon Awards Return with More Online Accolades
Sponsored by WD-40, the Digital Beacon Awards honor hardware stores and home improvement centers that excel in digital marketing, engagement and innovation. Recognizing creativity and effectiveness in the digital space, these awards highlight excellence in categories such as Best Social Media Campaign, Best Website or E-commerce Experience, Most Innovative Digital Engagement, Outstanding Community Engagement and Top Digital Advertising Campaign.
The highest honor, the Beacon Award for Digital Excellence, will be presented to the single best overall submission at the Independent Home Improvement Conference. Nominations are open through May 1, 2026, for digital initiatives launched between May 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026.
Submit nominations by visiting Hardware Connection’s Digital Beacon Awards nomination page, where you’ll provide a brief description and relevant links.
Deadline for Nominations Is May 1
The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2026. Retailers can nominate their own stores, and nominations are accepted from wholesalers and sponsors.
For the Retail Beacon Award and Best New Store Award, judging will be based on the following criteria: financial performance (sales, profits, margins); community involvement; store design; merchandising displays; promotion activities; specialized product areas or niches; employee training and recognition programs; and innovative retailing concepts.
Best New Store nominees must have been open at least one year to a maximum of four years. The store could be one built to replace another destroyed by natural disaster, or it can be a new branch store. Nominated stores must feature all the core departments: electrical, hardware, lawn and garden, plumbing, paint and tools.
The Digital Beacon Awards will be evaluated by a Hardware Connection team of digital influencers and the staff and will be based on engagement, campaign and post results and creativity.
The 2026 Beacon Awards will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla. Honorees will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference including conference registration, airfare, ground transportation, hotel and meals. They will also receive a Beacon Award trophy and be featured in an article in Hardware Connection magazine.
Email Nomination Information
To nominate a store, please include detailed information for each of the judging criteria, attach any relevant pictures, list the date of new store opening and also provide retailer name, store name, square footage, address, phone number and email address. Email nominations by the May 1, 2026, deadline to editor Doug Donaldson at doug@thehardwareconnection.com.
2025 Beacon Award Winners
Each year, the Beacon Awards recognize independent hardware retailers whose ideas, leadership and service stand out across the industry. Here are the 2025 Beacon Award winners:
Retail Beacon Award
Randy Andes — Randy’s Hardware, Ruckersville, Virginia
Peter Grebeck — Peter’s True Value Hardware, Milford, Michigan
Theisen Family — Theisen’s, Dubuque, Iowa
Beacon Award for Best New Store
3 Sons Hardware True Value — Big Lake, Minnesota
Coulee Hardware — Grand Coulee, Washington
Matt’s Building Materials — Pharr, Texas
Beacon Award for Digital Excellence
Sullivan Hardware & Garden — Indianapolis, Indiana
