Thousands of home improvement retailers converged in Orlando today as Orgill kicked off its 2026 Dealer Market with a singular focus: supporting customers’ unique needs and helping them identify practical pathways to growth and long-term success.

The annual event brings together the industry’s leading manufacturers, retail service providers and Orgill team members, all aligned around delivering real-world solutions and hands-on support as retailers explore ways to strengthen profitability, sharpen operations and best position their businesses for the year ahead.

Scheduled to run from today through Feb. 7, the Dealer Market spans nearly 1 million square feet at the Orange County Convention Center. Over the next three days, retailers can browse thousands of promotional buying opportunities, attend timely educational sessions, engage with Orgill’s retail services teams and experience innovation in action through fully merchandised model stores that bring proven concepts to life.

“We have seen a few years of headwinds in the industry, and sales growth has become much harder to achieve,” says Boyden Moore, president and CEO of Orgill. “The Dealer Market gives us a unique opportunity to showcase the tools we have to help customers take control of their own growth. It allows us to work face to face with retailers to build a plan for achieving their goals—and to demonstrate how we can support them every step of the way.”

Orgill’s Dealer Market is the largest live event hosted by the distributor annually and serves as a critical launching pad for retailers looking to build momentum as the new year gets underway.

Beyond its Dealer Market, Orgill also holds quarterly online buying events throughout the year—extending customer access to key assortments, deals and insights in a flexible, digital format. Now, with the opening of its new Innovation Center, Orgill has expanded its ability to add a range of additional seasonal, topic-focused events to its schedule, creating even more opportunities to collaborate with customers across live, online and hybrid formats.

“We are thrilled to welcome all of our customers, prospects, vendor partners and industry friends to Orlando this week and help us get 2026 off to a strong start,” Moore says. “The energy and enthusiasm I’ve heard from our customers is exciting and I think it is a really good sign of the strength and agility of the independent channel.”

A Real-World Playbook

From the moment attendees step onto the show floor, it becomes clear why the Dealer Market serves as a starting point for the year ahead—and why it is unlike any other industry event. The depth and breadth of solutions available to retailers of all types is immediately on display.

From the volume of exhibitors to the wide range of retail services, educational programming, and innovative displays, the Market offers retailers multiple pathways for improving their businesses.

According to Clay Jackson, executive vice president and chief operating officer, the real value of the event lies not just in presenting options, but in helping retailers determine which solutions are right for them.

“There is no single playbook that works for every business,” Jackson says. “We tailor our solutions to each retailer’s specific needs. Whether someone is here primarily for promotional buying opportunities or exploring a remodel, technology, or retail services, they’ll find practical ideas and guidance. Our goal is to help every dealer build a playbook that fits their real-world situation.”

For many retailers, that playbook begins with access to key vendors, strong promotional opportunities and exposure to new products and trends across the home improvement industry.

“Buying opportunities are always central to our events, and retailers looking for deals will not be disappointed,” Jackson says. “Our merchandising teams and our vendor partners understand how hard retailers are working to drive traffic, sales and profitable growth. They take that to heart and attendees will see strong promotions with compelling value throughout the show, delivering a direct return on investment.”

Just some of the buying opportunities retailers will find at the Market include a variety of “Power Buys” on pallets and other high-demand items, departmental showcases, special deals on Orgill private-label products that bring value and differentiation to assortments, and for the first-time ever Orgill will be introducing an “Overstock Market” area to the show floor where guests can shop from deeply discounted, warehouse-backed items.

Innovation With Purpose

In addition to the buying opportunities throughout the show, the Dealer Market will also offer attendees a front-row seat to the retail innovations that are helping drive profitability, overcome challenges and enhance operations in all aspects of home improvement retailing.

Central to that experience are a pair of model stores located at the heart of the show floor. This year’s lineup includes Pinehaven Lumber, a 3,600-square-foot contractor-focused concept showcasing pro-oriented assortments, optimized merchandising and signage designed for modern lumberyards.

“Orgill’s Market is unique because we dedicate significant space to showing how products, assortments, technology and services come together in a real-world environment,” Jackson says. “Our model stores generate ideas, highlight innovation in action and show retailers what’s truly possible.”

Debuting alongside Pinehaven is Orgill’s newest concept, Homestead Hardware & Tools—a model designed to reflect the real-life operating conditions many independents face.

Unlike idealized showroom concepts, Homestead is built within a second-use strip-mall footprint, complete with irregular walls, challenging sightlines and limited space.

“Most independents aren’t building new stores from scratch,” Jackson says. “They’re adapting existing spaces. Homestead reflects that reality and shows how a well-assorted, well-merchandised store can succeed without forcing a rigid template.”

Homestead also demonstrates how retailers can respond to evolving consumer behavior in an omnichannel environment. Categories increasingly shifting online are intentionally scaled back, while space is reallocated to project-critical products where local retailers maintain a clear advantage.

“Homestead reinforces the dealer’s role as the first stop for urgent and essential needs—while also showing how assortments can be extended digitally.” Jackson says.

The concept also highlights the strategic use of outdoor space, illustrating how parking lots and exterior areas can function as extensions of the salesfloor for seasonal categories.

“Many retailers already do this well,” Jackson says. “Homestead shows how to maximize those opportunities to drive impulse purchases and larger-ticket sales.”

Like all Orgill model stores, Homestead features digitized planograms, POS integration, a working sample of Orgill’s FanBuilder loyalty program and electronic shelf labels—but its defining trait is realism.

“This isn’t a concept car,” Jackson says. “It’s a reality-based look at what any retailer can do with help and support. It’s practical.”

Customized Growth Strategies

Beyond the model stores, which clearly illustrate the flexibility Orgill and its partners can use to bring solutions together for retailers of all types, customization remains a defining theme throughout the entire 2026 Dealer Market.

According to David Mobley, executive vice president of sales and services, Orgill’s goal is straightforward: help every retailer leave Orlando better positioned to grow sales and improve profitability on their own terms.

“How retailers get there is never the same,” Mobley says. “That’s why customization is central to everything we do—from assortments and services to merchandising and planning and I think that is clear from what you will see throughout this event.”

To ensure that each attendee gets the most out of their time at this week’s Market, Mobley says Orgill’s team of sales consultants works closely with attendees ahead of the event to custom build a plan for them once they arrive at the show.

“We want retailers focused on the categories, promotions and assortments that will have the greatest impact when seasonal demand hits,” Mobley says. “That level of pre-Market preparation translates directly into better inventory decisions and stronger results and it’s one of the reasons we place so much emphasis on our consultants working with retailers one on one.”

This kind of attention to detail is even more critical today as continued price fluctuations, market conditions and competition continue to put stress on margins.

“Having the right inventory at the right time controls expenses, improves turns and builds profitability, all while meeting the expectations of the consumer” he says. “We’re helping retailers identify high-growth, high-margin opportunities that they can use to improve their business.”

Practical Innovation Across Products, Programs and Technology

Innovation on display at the Dealer Market extends well beyond store concepts. When it comes to attendees identifying the programs and services they need to help propel their operations, Orgill’s Services will once again take center stage at the show.

The Orgill Services area provides a hub where retailers can connect with experts across six core disciplines, including: e-commerce and technology, branding and marketing, products and pricing, store operations, leadership and strategy and retail services.

The area features interactive stages, private meeting rooms and hands-on demonstrations focused on actionable strategies retailers can implement immediately.

“This is where retailers can spend time working on their businesses and not just in them,” says Mobley. “Whether it is learning more about our FanBuilder loyalty program, our Impact eCommerce offering or gaining a better understanding about how our pricing strategy works or how we handle conversions, this is the area where that all takes place. It’s where we provide thoughtful, customizable solutions to retailers’ everyday challenges.”

In addition to the learning stations within the Orgill Services Area, this will also be home to the ongoing educational programming taking place throughout the event.

Live presentations on topical retail issues ranging from the best pricing strategies for volatile economic environments to building a more productive team will be hosted throughout the show and delivered by top industry professionals.

“Again, this is a full-service event where you can learn about what’s going on in the market, and then turn around and find ways to respond to those trends through actionable program offerings and support from Orgill and our vendors,” Mobley says.

New Vendors, New Categories and Emerging Trends

Outside of the education and training going on in the Orgill Services Area, attendees will also be able to learn even more about product trends from the thousands of industry-leading vendors throughout the show floor.

To dial into some of the specific changes impacting retail right now, Orgill has added extra emphasis on product and category trends in several specific areas. One of these being showcased on the floor is Private Brands.

Orgill’s private brands offering will be highlighted in a 36,000-square-foot experience featuring more than 7,000 products. From complete planogram assortments to new items and power buys, the space demonstrates how private label products can help retailers build margin, consistency and differentiation.

“In today’s environment, smart growth is profitable growth,” Mobley says. “Private brands play a key role in that strategy and we can show you how you can differentiate your offering while protecting your margins through a thoughtful private-label strategy.”

The Market will also highlight Orgill’s Promotional Minimum Advertised Pricing Program (PMAPP), designed to help independent retailers hold their own in highly competitive categories such as power tools, hand tools and accessories.

“PMAPP is a great example of innovation driven by real retailer concerns. This program focuses on retailers’ needs to be price competitive with national chains in high-visibility categories,” Mobley says. “By working closely with vendors, we’re creating disciplined promotional opportunities that help retailers price competitively without sacrificing margin and I think this is an area and a program that could appeal to everyone here at the show”

The 2026 Dealer Market will also feature hundreds of new vendors, all selected to address specific retailer needs. New additions span categories from building products and drywall solutions to cordage, housewares and outdoor living.

Mobley says that visitors can expect to find products and vendors throughout the show that can help them build what he refers to as “assortment credibility.”

“These are the vendors whose brands and reputation resonate with consumers and help independent retailers show that they offer a strong selection of choices that carry weight within their markets.”

This includes the addition of assortments from bellwether brands like Napoleon, Broil King, and HTH that give retailers instant credibility among shoppers.

“Throughout the Dealer Market, retailers will get a firsthand look at top vendors across the spectrum of product areas and a deeper understanding of what’s driving growth in some of the industry’s most in-demand categories — from grilling and outdoor power equipment to consumables and beyond,” says Alan Shore, vice president of Seasonal Merchandise. “It’s about helping retailers understand where customers are spending, what’s trending, and how to build assortments that win in their local markets.”

“Our Market brings together leaders from top vendors, service providers and industry organizations, giving retailers direct access to insights they can actually put to work,” says Heath Kennedy, vice president of Hardlines Merchandise. “Through meaningful conversations on the floor, attendees can explore emerging trends, discover new products and walk away with ideas that help strengthen their business long after the Market ends.

More Opportunities to Learn

As has been tradition, the unofficial start to Orgill’s Dealer Market occurred on Wednesday before the show floor even opened as the distributor hosted its annual Technology Symposium.

The Technology Symposium serves as a rallying point for retailers to gather with industry leaders to discuss the latest trends in technology that are shaping the retail world.

This year, the Technology Symposium featured several keynote presentations ranging from a panel discussion on how independent retailers find, vet and implement high-impact tech solutions to updates on technology implementations from Orgill’s living retail laboratory – Central Network Retail Group.

“Innovation only matters if retailers can actually use it,” says Sharmeelee (Sharms) Bala, Orgill’s Chief Digital and Information Officer. “Our goal is to show how digital tools can support day-to-day operations, strengthen customer loyalty and drive profitable growth—without adding complexity. The Technology Symposium also offers a great place where retailers can get together and share their questions and experiences with tech implementation with the goal of everyone elevating their operations.”

Clear Outcomes for 2026

From the best-in-class promotional buying opportunities, to the one-of-a-kind model stores and educational opportunities on hand, by the time retailers leave Orlando, Orgill expects attendees to depart with clearer seasonal plans, stronger merchandising ideas, improved strategies for serving pro customers, more efficient inventory approaches and practical digital tools they can apply immediately.

“In a challenging market, independents don’t need hype,” Moore says. “They need clarity, confidence and a partner who understands their business. That’s what our Dealer Market is all about.”