I cannot speak for Ace as a chain, but the local Highland Park Ace store has been my go-to for many years. Although smaller than the local Home Depot or Lowe’s, it still carries an amazing variety of merchandise. The customer service is outstanding, whether it is a simple question of where I can find X or what I need to fix Y and how to do it.

I do believe local ownership is a large factor in Ace’s ability to compete with the larger home supply/hardware locations. They seem to really care about their customers.

What a great testament to their drive to live their brand image, starting back when Connie Stevens crooned that “Ace is the place with the helpful hardware [man].” Without a relentless commitment to that at the top, it would never be possible for their affiliates to effectively represent that brand in countless markets. Would that translate to a Geek Squad of their own? Doubtful — too many brands believe everything translates equally.

This is the classic example of David vs. Goliath, even though “David” in this case is rather large as well. It’s the high-touch factor that resonates with customers in this category. Not too many consumers are true experts on home repairs and the like, so they count on stores like Ace to help them with great staff and advice.

Up in in the Great White North (Canada … where it’s a lovely 80 degrees today by the way), Home Hardware with it’s 1,000-plus stores operates on the same model as Ace. When their stores are staffed by knowledgeable, skilled and engaged staff they win the game every time. As a consumer, if you’re not up to the equivalent of a scavenger hunt through a big box store, then your neighborhood home improvement retailer is what you look for.

Ace, just like Home Hardware, is ideally positioned to grow their market share as Boomers age and Millennials grow their spending power.

In any sector of retail, service, knowledge and an easy experience are important keys to success. Why does Ace do well? They don’t just offer friendly service. They offer “helpful” service. They have well-trained associates who know the answers to their customer’s questions. Their training in customer service isn’t to wait for a customer to approach them, but for them to approach the customer. That’s why they call themselves “The Helpful Hardware Place.” And the smaller footprint of the Ace stores, compared to their big box competitors, makes it an easier in-store experience, not to mention a smaller parking lot, which makes shopping at Ace easier.

Most Ace stores are truly locally owned and operated. Many of the owners have just one or two stores. That allows for a bond with their community compared to the national big box stores. The big boxes offer good service, low prices and selection. For Ace to compete with that they have to find a place to win, and they found that place with amazing customer service.

The main reasons I go to Ace Hardware are the huge selection of items in a small store format and the knowledge of the store associates. Home projects tend to be things done once by homeowners who have little background and knowledge about the project to be done, the tools required and the procedures to best get the job done. Ace Hardware seems to always have someone in the store who can make recommendations on the right items to buy and how to install them.

Operating as a retailer-owned cooperative results in each store responding to their local customers better. The large chains tend to buy and support items purchased for volume and tend to be the same across the chain instead of focused on the local store market.

Ace Hardware could expand its services into several areas. Providing recommendations on local contractors and providing in-home repair services are two of those areas.

It’s all about the service — Ace IS the place with the helpful hardware man. I disagree that their small footprint is an advantage, though. They have an attitude that has to be corporate-driven that makes DIY incompetents like me comfortable. And I can buy that one screw and those two washers that I need, not a whole box. So the type of assortment (not the size), for many of us, is a big plus.

Service, service and more service is the key differentiator for any home improvement store. This particularly stands out at Ace Hardware. In today’s DIY world, navigating around a hardware or home improvement store could prove to be a very challenging experience and an empowered, educated, passionate and motivated staff is what makes a particular brand stand out.

Along with that, curating your assortments, transforming the home improvement/hardware store to align with a “lifestyle” rather than the current model, will encourage consumers to come back to the store and remain loyal to a particular brand. Showing empathy and doing whatever it takes to please your customers will drive the loyalty that these brands are competing for.

It’s all been said above — I just want to add my kudos to Ace.

Finding the right adapter for a pipe is about 3.8 miles closer than at the big box stores. And that’s measuring it from the front door.

Add me to the list of the other panelists for whom Ace is the place. It’s my go-to store when I need to find something to fix at home because the item is almost always in stock and easy to find. But it’s the culture of helpfulness (at least at my neighborhood store) that really makes Ace stand out from the giant DIY competition.

Despite all the hype about tech, customer satisfaction is dominated by product and staff. Ace delivers both.

Hardware is a category for which store expertise is important. Because of their store sizes and local ownership, Ace are able to deliver the expertise customers need. In fact, I’ve had Home Depot store staff recommend I go to Ace to solve a problem.

But also, Ace corporate has excellent programs for stocking stores (new and existing) with the products people need. And they offer freedom for local stocking and an excellent marketplace from which to choose. The local tailoring of stores has given them a way to thrive side by side with big box stores.

Ace has figured it out that customers coming through its doors are only seeking two things: good feelings and solutions to problems. The retailer-owned cooperative helps in the process by welcoming neighbors into the Ace stores. It is nice to walk in and be recognized (good feelings) and even better when you tell them you have a “thingamajig” that needs to be addressed (solutions to problems). Instead of being told to go down to aisle 18, turn left and look around, as is normally the case in the big DIY stores, the Ace staff member walks you to an area of the store (most considerably smaller than the big box DIY stores) and helps you solve your problem.

I’m not certain if this terrific positioning in the market will improve its overall share given the number of big ticket and large bulk items sold by the big guys. However, Ace certainly has demonstrated that there are “riches in niches.”

Simple answer: one-on-one customer service. At least at the Ace near me I walk in, someone greets me, I tell them what I need, they take me to the area where my products would be, ask me if I need anything else and say thank you. Can you imagine that? Compare that to the experience in a big box DIY store, where you walk in, wander around (at least I do) for 20 minutes lost, stumble on what you need then walk a mile back out to your car.

Ace’s big box competitors are set up for pros. Ace is for the little guy, especially dolts like me who don’t know what they’re doing. It’s good that they’re being rewarded for creating what was once commonplace: the neighborhood hardware store.

The selection criteria for home improvement shoppers varies by consumer and by product type.  Commodity and easy to select items require no customer service assistance and are typically price and convenience driven.  Consumers will typically buy these items at the closest store.   On the flip side, products that are more complex or expensive often require assistance from a store associate to find or select the right product. Consumers will give more thought into store selection for these items, as they want to make the process easy and have confidence that they select the best product for their needs.  This is where Ace, “The Helpful Place,” excels.  Many of us have had frustrating and unsatisfactory experiences at big box home improvement stores when the staff is less than helpful or are nowhere to be found. When I go to Ace with a project that has a unique problem, like the product is discontinued, they solve my problem with a creative solution.   Ace stands out as having the most helpful staff in the home improvement… Read more »