Residence Depot and Lowe’s have dominated the house enchancment and {hardware} retail sectors for many years, persevering with to rise above {hardware} cooperatives True Worth {Hardware} and Ace {Hardware}, and making life even tougher for unbiased {hardware} retailers.
Lately, Amazon has additionally surpassed True Worth and Ace because the No. 3 vacation spot for dwelling enchancment merchandise.
Residence Depot dominates gross sales
Residence Depot captured a median of 28% of the house enchancment market gross sales in 2025, whereas Lowe’s adopted with 17% of the market, and Amazon had about 11% of gross sales, in response to the Numerator Residence Enchancment Tracker, which was up to date on Feb. 4.
With Residence Depot, Lowe’s, and Amazon holding a mixed 56% of the market’s gross sales final yr, the {hardware} cooperatives and unbiased retailers have had a tough time competing and remaining in enterprise.
Ace, True Worth, and unbiased {hardware} shops are a handy supply for instruments and different dwelling enchancment merchandise for me, as I can shortly navigate a smaller retailer for my wants versus a lot bigger big-box shops.
And I discover that the workers on the smaller shops close to me have typically labored on the shops for years and have a fast reply for my wants.
Nevertheless, even long-time neighborhood {hardware} shops which have operated for over 50 years are struggling to remain open.
On-line purchasing kills ironmongery store
Unbiased ironmongery store C&H {Hardware} of Yakima, Wash., which operated for 65 years, had sufficient issues competing in opposition to the {hardware} and residential enchancment chain giants, however the retailer couldn’t compete in opposition to decrease on-line costs and shut down completely in November 2025.
“This yr has been powerful as a result of everyone’s shopping for on-line now,” C&H retailer proprietor Jay Fleck mentioned earlier than shutting his doorways completely. “You can get stuff online cheaper than you can come in and pay us.”
Fleck mentioned enterprise was good at C&H earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic hit, however enterprise deteriorated afterward.
“It was smooth until Covid hit,” Fleck mentioned. “Of course, we were fortunate to have stayed open. A lot of other places had to shut down. So, we’ve done pretty good through Covid. And after that, it was kind of over. It’s been a downhill slide ever since.”
Blossom True Worth {Hardware} will shut down after its lease expires in summer season 2026.
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Blossom True Worth closes down
And now, 53-year-old Residence Depot rival Blossom True Worth {Hardware} will shut its doorways for the ultimate time in summer season 2026 when its lease expires.
The Mountain View, Calif.,-based ironmongery store will completely shut, after struggling a lack of about half of its enterprise for the reason that Covid-19 pandemic subsided, longtime retailer proprietor Paul Zeitman informed Mountain View Voice.
“Every year is worse than before. People are buying less and less,” Zeitman mentioned.
Retailer lease not inexpensive
Zeitman defined that the shop’s month-to-month lease is cheap however is now not inexpensive.
The shop proprietor mentioned that Blossom True Worth was allowed to stay open in the course of the pandemic as a vital enterprise and benefited from folks shopping for {hardware} and residential enchancment items to repair up their houses till the pandemic subsided.
Extra closings:
- Bankrupt restaurant chains completely shut widespread places
- Main retail chain closes 35 shops nationwide, no chapter
- One other main retail chain closes warehouse operations
The retailer misplaced half its enterprise as common clients moved away, and e-commerce expanded additional for the reason that finish of the pandemic, in response to Mountain View Voice.
The shop proprietor mentioned Ace {Hardware}’s enlargement and opening of latest shops within the area additionally lower into the retailer’s enterprise.
Excessive tariffs unsustainable
Zeitman mentioned the ultimate issue within the resolution to shut down was rising tariffs.
A lot of Blossom True Worth’s merchandise is imported from China, and has been affected by the Trump administration’s larger tariffs which have elevated costs and lower into earnings, whereas gross sales have additionally dropped, he mentioned.
Retailer misery has been blamed on excessive rents and labor prices, on-line purchasing, and competitors from big-box retailers, in response to Mountain View Metropolis Councilman John McAlister, who can be Blossom’s retail neighbor.
Residence Depot and Lowe’s closest shops to Mountain View are in neighboring Sunnyvale, Calif.
Prime dwelling enchancment retailers
- Residence Depot, 28% of gross sales in 2025
- Lowe’s, 17% of gross sales in 2025
- Amazon, 11% of gross sales in 2025
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