Product availability, competitive pricing and customer service – these appear to be the most important factors for Americans shopping for home improvement supplies.
But one store in particular ranked highest in all of these categories: Home Depot.
According to TODAY’s Homeowner Survey of more than 3,000 Americans, The Home Depot was the top home improvement store for consumers. The survey also found that Americans feel deep loyalty to their favorite home improvement stores.
This report comprehensively examines what American shoppers think of national and local hardware stores and how consumers shop for home improvement supplies.
See our findings below.
main findings
- Home Depot is the most popular home improvement store in 29 states and Washington DC
- Americans report incredibly high brand loyalty to their favorite home improvement stores, with only 7% of survey respondents saying they have no preference.
- On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 indicates low brand loyalty and 10 high), approximately 45% of respondents ranked their brand loyalty as an 8 or higher. In fact, 15% of respondents ranked their loyalty as a 10 out of 10.
- Ace Hardware has more than twice the number of stores than Home Depot and Lowe’s, but less than 6% of Americans say it’s their favorite home improvement store.
- Although younger Americans are more inclined to shop for household products online, demand for physical hardware stores remains high, as many customers want in-person sales assistance.
- Nearly 65% of survey respondents said they visit a hardware store at least every month.
Favorite Home Improvement Stores
Home Depot is the most favorite hardware store among those surveyed, receiving more than 44% of the vote. The retailer has nearly 2,300 stores in North America and at least one in every U.S. state and Washington, D.C.
Lowe’s follows close behind as the second most favorite home improvement store, with about 32% of survey respondents calling the chain their top choice. Lowe’s has fewer locations than Home Depot (about 1,700 stores) but it can also be found in every state and Washington, D.C.
With over 5,000 stores worldwide, Ace Hardware is far ahead of Home Depot and Lowe’s. However, less than 6% of Americans chose Ace Hardware as their first choice for home improvement purchases.
Local hardware stores are also struggling, with less than 2% of respondents preferring to shop local compared to the four major chains: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards and Ace Hardware.
The survey revealed that favorite home improvement stores vary based on geographic location. As mentioned earlier, Home Depot is the most popular home improvement store in 29 states and Washington DC and is especially popular on the East and West Coasts.
Menards is popular in the Midwest, ranking as the top home improvement store in seven states – Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. In six of those seven states (all except Nebraska), 40% or more of survey respondents listed Menards as their favorite home improvement store. Menards has nearly 300 stores in just 15 Midwest, Southern and Mountain states.
Ace Hardware was not the top home improvement store in any state. However, it is more popular in several Western states. Nearly one in five shoppers in New Mexico and Montana named the chain their favorite place, as well as more than one in seven shoppers in Oregon.
home improvement brand loyalty
Only 7% of those surveyed said they don’t like a particular home improvement store. That said, most respondents said they have strong brand loyalty to their favorite stores.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 represents low brand loyalty and 10 is high), approximately 45% of respondents rank their hardware brand loyalty as an 8 or higher. In addition, 15% of respondents rank their loyalty as a 10 out of 10. More than one in five respondents say they are willing to travel more than 30 minutes to shop at their favorite hardware store.
The strong brand loyalty for home improvement stores notably bucks the trend of declining brand loyalty across consumer products over the past several years. In a 2022 study conducted by TechCity , researchers found that consumer loyalty to brands has declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that while nearly one in three consumers lack brand loyalty in general, only one in 10 consumers lack brand loyalty when it comes to home improvement stores.
The Most Important Qualities in a Home Improvement Store
When asked what qualities shoppers look for in a home improvement store, the majority ranked product availability (43.7%) and competitive pricing (34.4%) as most important.
The layout of the store, discounts offered, and distance from shoppers’ homes were the least important considerations.
How important is customer service?
Most respondents agree that a sales associate at a hardware store offering help is important. About 86% of Americans say it was somewhat, moderately or very important.
In-Person vs. Online Home Improvement Shopping
Home improvement stores also challenge the trend of online shopping. Despite the recent surge in online shopping – especially during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – the majority of Americans (69.2%) report that they shop for home improvement products more often at a brick-and-mortar location than online.
Not surprisingly, younger generations are more likely to order products online, even when it comes to home improvement products. Relative to the average for all generations, nearly twice as many 18- to 24-year-olds say they are more likely to order a product online than visit a home improvement store.
In contrast, three out of four respondents age 55 or older say they are more likely to visit a brick-and-mortar hardware store. The chart below shows shopping habits by age.
The common interest in in-person home improvement shopping – even among the younger generation – may be a result of seeking personal help. About 45% of survey respondents expect to be offered assistance when shopping at a home improvement store, while less than 10% have no such expectation. About 46% of individuals say it depends on the situation.
Home Improvement Shopping Habits
There are many ranges in how often people visit a hardware store. According to our data, one in five Americans visits a hardware store at least once a week. Meanwhile, one in 10 respondents say they visit a hardware store less than once a year.
final thoughts
Our research reveals interesting patterns in home improvement shopping patterns. Despite popular trends in online shopping and declining brand loyalty, Americans continue to prefer the in-person home improvement shopping experience and remain dedicated to supporting their favorite stores. Home Depot and Lowe’s come out on top as the most popular home improvement stores, with consumers appreciating their available products and competitive prices.
Methodology
Today’s Homeowner surveyed nearly 3,200 Americans using a third-party platform to better understand individuals’ preferences and their shopping habits for different home improvement stores. Survey respondents were spread across all 50 states and were over the age of 18. Survey data for this report was collected from March 28, 2023 to April 2, 2023.
fair usage policy
We encourage journalists and reporters to share our research on home improvement stores. If you wish to do so, please link back to our original story to give us proper credit for our research.