Ace Hardware expands global footprint

Ace Hardware has expanded south of the border under a new franchising model.

Ace Hardware International Holdings, a subsidiary of Ace Hardware Corp., has opened its first store in Mexico, in Monterrey. The hardware retailer plans to open 13 additional stores in the country by the end of 2022. It’s on track to open more than 170 stores in total this year.

The 14,000-sq.-ft. store is the first under Ace's new turnkey franchise model for Mexico, which the company announced in 2020. The program offers a variety of flexible store formats ranging from approximately 3,229 sq. ft. to 32,000 sq. ft., with an assortment that includes both Mexican and global brands. The new Monterrey location includes a 2,000 sq. ft. showroom featuring decorative tile, plumbing fixtures and bath accessories.

Ace now operates in approximately 70 countries and has opened more than 900 stores globally in the past five years.

"Mexico is a growing market, particularly for home improvement," said Macedonio Garza, Ace Mexico country manager. "With the demand for home repair, maintenance and improvement products on the rise, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce Ace Hardware, a convenient and helpful hardware store model, to serve our neighbors in Mexico."

Ace Hardware is the largest hardware franchise in the world with more than 5,600 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 70 countries. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries operate an expansive network of distribution centers in the U.S. and have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; Colon, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.