Ace Retail Holdings announced today the launch of a multi-year initiative to remodel its stores with a new brand-centric design aimed at creating an enhanced hardware shopping experience. The company, which owns Westlake Ace Hardware and Great Lakes Ace Hardware, among other retail hardware brands, plans to make a significant investment in the initiative over the next five years.
Ace Retail Holdings’ goal is to install the new store concept in approximately 20 locations annually. The Great Lakes Ace at 52891 Shelby Rd. in Shelby Township, Michigan, was remodeled in 2024 as part of the successful pilot of the ELEVATE3 concept. The first Westlake Ace store to be remodeled is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, at 6196 Falls of Neuse Road.
“The new ELEVATE3 Ace store concept delivers a game-changing, transformative, and memorable retail experience,” said Joe Jeffries, president and CEO of Ace Retail Holdings. “In addition to providing a fresh showcase for the Ace Helpful Promise, the design allows us to better serve our customers and neighbors by creating distinctive spaces that elevate and showcase best-in-class brands across the store with feature presentations in BBQ and Power.”
BBQ Department
In the new layout, fuels and accessories will be merchandised alongside branded grill offerings to ensure customers leave with everything they need for an unforgettable outdoor cooking experience. BBQ brands such as Blackstone, Weber, Traeger, and Big Green Egg will be prominently featured in an inspiring “showroom” environment that is fresh, inviting, and uniquely Ace. Store associates will be equipped with a specialized Mobile Grilling Digital Assistant, a smart tool that helps them confidently match customers to the perfect grill for their needs.
Power Tools and Outdoor Power
Brand name is the leading decision driver for consumers when it comes to purchasing power tools and outdoor power equipment. They also increasingly prefer rechargeable (and in some cases, interchangeable) battery power across a wide swath of products such as power tools, outdoor power equipment, and lifestyle accessories. Those insights were instrumental in the new design of the Power Tools and Outdoor Power department.
In the new ELEVATE3 store concept, Ace is first to market in the retail hardware category by combining and displaying leading power tool brands such as Craftsman, DeWalt, and Milwaukee alongside popular outdoor power equipment brands EGO and STIHL. Initial customer response to this integrated approach and seamless shopping experience has been very positive.
Home Preservation and Paint
Fasteners, hand tools, and paint are the lifeblood of any hardware store and must-haves for customers to complete their projects. The new store design takes that into account but optimizes and streamlines the product assortment, creating an easier and more productive shopping experience. The Paint Studio will be centrally located, featuring top brands like Benjamin Moore and Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, and will continue to offer expert color matching and paint mixing services.
Select Westlake Ace and Great Lakes Ace locations will feature The Kitchen Connection and Apparel Shops as store-within-a-store concepts. The Kitchen Connection will showcase gourmet foods (with frequent samplings and seasonal tastings), and cookware, kitchen utensils, and linens from such leading brands as Joseph Joseph, Lodge, Now Designs, OXO, USA bakeware, and Soda Stream. The Apparel Shops will offer popular workwear and lifestyle clothing brands, including Carhartt and Ariat.
About Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is the largest hardware cooperative in the world, serving more than 8,700 locally owned and operated stores around the globe, while providing the best products, services, and operating methods to almost 5,200 Ace retail stores in the United States. Ace Hardware’s family of brands includes Ace Hardware, Emery Jensen Distribution, and independent retailers worldwide. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace operates an expansive network of U.S. distribution centers, along with international capabilities in Ningbo, China, and Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico. Since 1924, Ace has been a part of local communities, known as the place with the helpful hardware folks.
