Ace Hardware reports 5.9% revenue growth in second quarter
Ace Hardware Corp. reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $3.0 billion, up 5.9% from the same period a year earlier, while net income increased 31% to $155.6 million.
The company said wholesale revenues reached $2.7 billion for the quarter ended July 4, an increase of 6.3% from the second quarter of 2025. Ace said grilling, outdoor power equipment, paint sundries and impulse and front-end categories posted the largest gains.
“We are grateful that more consumers continue to choose Ace, resulting in the highest quarterly revenue and earnings in the company’s storied history,” said John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “Solid same-store sales growth, double-digit digital growth, continued expansion of our store footprint and the entrepreneurial spirit of our local retailers fueled a 5.9% increase in revenue to $3.0 billion and a 31% increase in net income to $155.6 million. My thanks to the hard-working Ace team for these record results.”
About 4,000 Ace retail stores that share daily sales data reported a 1.1% increase in U.S. retail same-store sales during the quarter. The increase was driven by a 3.1% increase in average ticket, partially offset by a 1.9% decline in same-store transactions.
Ace added 34 new domestic stores during the second quarter and canceled 17 stores, bringing its domestic store count to 5,283 at the end of the quarter. That was an increase of 88 stores from the second quarter of 2025.
Wholesale merchandise revenue from new domestic Ace stores activated between January 2025 and June 2026 contributed $67.2 million in incremental revenue during the quarter. Wholesale merchandise revenue from comparable domestic Ace stores increased $56.6 million.
Ace Retail Group reported $280.7 million in retail revenue, up 2.1% from the second quarter of 2025. The group operated 268 stores at the end of the quarter, compared with 261 a year earlier.
Wholesale gross profit increased to $399.6 million, up $37 million from the second quarter of 2025. The wholesale gross margin was 14.8%, compared with 14.2% a year earlier.
Ace reported $225.7 million in net income for the first six months of 2026, compared with $149.4 million during the same period in 2025. For the first half of the year, wholesale revenue totaled $4.99 billion, compared with $4.60 billion a year earlier.
The company reported $70.2 million in purchases of property and equipment during the first six months of 2026, down from $74 million during the same period in 2025.
