Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known asDIY stores, sellhousehold hardware forhome improvement including:fasteners,building materials, handtools,power tools,keys,locks,hinges,chains,plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares,tools,utensils,paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for use at home or for business. Many hardware stores have specialty departments unique to its region or its owner's interests. These departments include hunting and fishing supplies, plants and nursery products, marine and boating supplies,pet food and supplies, farm and ranch supplies includinganimal feed, swimming pool chemicals,homebrewing supplies and canning supplies.[1][2][3][failed verification]
In Australia hardware stores specialise in home décor and include large selections of paint. There are three major hardware companies in Australia:Bunnings,Mitre 10 andHome Hardware. Home Hardware is aretailers' co-operative and has many banners which store owners trade under.
Since the acquisition of Bunnings byWesfarmers in 1994, the big-box store concept has changed how new hardware stores are built. In 2004, Mitre 10 built its first supercentreMitre 10 MEGA with an average store size of 13,500 m2. These were later either closed or turned into large-concept Mitre 10 stores. In 2011Masters Home Improvement entered the market and opened more than 49 stores, with an average footprint of 13,500 m2. Masters Home Improvement, which was the second-largest hardware chain in Australia, closed in December 2016.[4]
Bunnings also operates in New Zealand, competing againstMitre 10 New Zealand andHammer Hardware. The Australian Bunnings and Mitre 10 Mega format have also been introduced to New Zealand.[5]
Home Hardware,Rona, Canac,BMR Group andRéno-Dépôt are Canadian hardware retailers.Aikenhead's Hardware became the Canadian unit ofThe Home Depot in 1994.Canadian Tire, Central,Kent Building Supplies,Lowe's and many smaller chains also sell hardware in Canada.
Most hardware stores in China, whether in the city or rural areas, are small, family-owned, non-franchise companies. They provide similar products to Western hardware stores, including plumbing and electrical supplies, tools, and some housewares. They do not normally carry lumber, fishing supplies, gardening products, or boating supplies. Some rural hardware stores supply animal feed, such as chicken feed.
Common to most non-Western countries, China has specialty hardware stores, dedicated to selling products in a particular category. These stores are usually grouped together in a shopping district. Examples are groups of stores that specialize in:
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European-based stores include:
In theUnited Kingdom, hardware stores can also be known asDIY stores and home improvement stores. The biggest chain isB&Q, followed byWickes. Trade counter retailers are also popular, includingScrewfix andToolstation, where customers collect their order from a desk.[6]
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InIndia hardware stores are mostly small businesses, with no major store chains that carry a large selection of products. Stores lack ample floor space compared to their Western counterparts, but are usually stocked with a wide variety of items.
Indian hardware stores are similar to hardware stores around the world, offering products from several categories such as plumbing, machinery, household, gardening, manufacturing, cobbler, carpenter, and electrical.
Hardware stores inPakistan vary from small family-owned shops to large wholesale markets. Major cities likeKarachi,Lahore, andIslamabad have well-established hardware markets catering to contractors, electricians, and DIY enthusiasts.
Some of the well-known hardware markets in Pakistan include:
Many stores import tools and materials fromChina, theUAE, andEurope, while local manufacturers also contribute to the supply chain. The rise of e-commerce platforms likeDaraz and OLX Pakistan has also enabled online hardware sales.
Larger hardware stores may also sell building supplies including lumber, flooring, roofing materials and fencing. Such stores are often referred to ashome-improvement centers or home centers.
There may be fewer hardware stores in the US now than in the past, but according to the US Census Bureau, there were still 14,300 hardware stores in the US in 2005, employing on average 10 employees each.[7] Despite competition from large chain stores (commonly referred to asbig-box or destination hardware stores, e.g.,The Home Depot,Lowe's andMenards) new hardware stores in the US continue to open.[8]
There are four major nationwide wholesale suppliers to hardware stores. All four report more than US$1 billion in annual sales.[9][full citation needed] Two of them operate asretailers' cooperatives:Do It Best Corp, from Fort Wayne Indiana, andAce Hardware from Oakbrook Illinois.[9][full citation needed] Hardware store owners purchase stock in these suppliers and may choose to include the name of the cooperative in the advertised name of the store.
Hardware stores also purchase from a variety of regional wholesalers and specialty manufacturers. Some hardware stores operate rental businesses which can offer equipment from construction tools to inflatable playhouses. The major hardware cooperatives provide brand name rental advertising and support for hardware store owners including Just Ask Rental, Party Central, Grand Rental Station and Taylor Rental, all four of which are brands owned by the True Value Company.
Elwood Adams Hardware ofWorcester, Massachusetts claims to be the oldest operating hardware store in the US, having begun business in 1782.[10][11]
Part of the popularity of American hardware stores is the range of services they provide. Most retail outlets only sell goods, while some hardware stores custom-make or repair a large variety of household items. It is common for a hardware store in the US to repair broken windows and screens, repair power equipment such as lawn mowers, re-key entry locks, make copies of house keys and car keys, re-wire lamps and vacuum cleaners, sharpen knives and cutting tools, make minor repairs to faucet and shower parts, repair kerosene heaters and cut and thread plumbing pipe.
The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA[12]) is a membership organization that provides training and resources for hardware store owners and publishes a trade magazine in print and online.
Media related toHardware stores at Wikimedia Commons