The home improvement and hardware retail sectors have been dominated by Home Depot and Lowe’s for decades, shoving hardware cooperatives True Value Hardware and Ace Hardware out of the way and brushing off independent hardware retailers.
Home Depot captured an average of 29% of the home improvement market in the third quarter of 2025, while Lowe’s followed behind with 17% of the market, and Amazon had about 11%, according to the Numerator Home Improvement Tracker.
With three national retailers capturing 57% of the market, hardware cooperatives and small, independent hardware stores are having difficulties staying in business, including retailers that have been in business for over 50 years…