Ace Hardware once again named ‘America’s Favorite Home Improvement Store’ in consumer research study
A new study conducted by Market Force Information® (Market Force), a worldwide leader in customer experience management, once again named Ace Hardware “America’s favorite home improvement store.” Ace Hardware received the same prestigious ranking in 2015 – the last time this survey was conducted for the home improvement retail sector.
For the 2017 report, Market Force polled more than 7,800 consumers who were asked to rate their satisfaction with their last experience at a given home improvement store and their likelihood to recommend it to others. The Market Force study also looked at the attributes that drive these preferences, analyzing factors such as merchandise and brand selection, cleanliness and value.
From the study, Ace Hardware received the top composite loyalty score of 63 percent, followed by competitors Menards, Lowe’s and Home Depot. According to the study issued by Market Force, “Ace Hardware ranked first in most categories, with particularly strong marks for ease of finding merchandise, staff service and knowledge, and speedy checkouts.”
“We are thrilled to be named ‘America’s Favorite Home Improvement Retailer’ in this second consecutive study,” said Brian Wiborg, Vice President, Marketing, Retail Training and Store Operations, Ace Hardware Corporation. “The dedicated teams in our Ace stores have made operationalizing ‘helpful,’ their mission. Our award-winning customer service, paired with a convenient shopping experience and the best brands in the industry, is what keeps our customers coming back, time and time again,” Wiborg said.
The study conducted additional research on store loyalty programs and found that, “One-fifth reported that they participate in the loyalty program offered by the retailer they most recently visited. Ace Hardware’s program is overwhelmingly the most popular with 67 percent participation.” As of June 2017, Ace Hardware has over 41 million members in the company’s beloved loyalty program, Ace Rewards.
Survey Demographics: The survey was conducted online in May 2017 across the United States. The pool of 7,815 consumers represented a cross-section of the four U.S. Census regions and reflected a broad spectrum of income levels, with 51% reporting household incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Respondents’ ages ranged from 18 to over 65. Approximately 74% were female, 25% were male and 1% preferred not to answer.
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For more than 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. In 2017, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Eleven Years in a Row," according to J.D. Power. With more than 5,000 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries operate an expansive network of distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; Colon, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 55 countries. For more information on Ace, visit acehardware.com or the company newsroom at newsroom.acehardware.com.
