This Home Improvement Store Is America’s Favorite — Yet Again

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Woman in hardware store
Kleber Cordeiro / Shutterstock.com

Home Depot is not the most popular home improvement store in America. Neither is Lowe’s.

The honor goes to Ace Hardware — as it has year after year.

For the 15th time in 16 years, Ace ranked No. 1 for overall customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study.

The 2022 study was based on a survey of more than 2,100 customers who had purchased home improvement-related products from a home improvement retailer in the prior 12 months.

The overall customer satisfaction scores are based on five factors:

  • In-store experience
  • Merchandise
  • Online experience
  • Price
  • Staff and service

While Ace Hardware continues to dominate the rankings, overall customer satisfaction with home improvement stores has never been better, according to J.D. Power.

In a press release, Christina Cooley, director of the home and retail intelligence practice at J.D. Power, says:

“Despite the countless challenges home improvement retailers have faced during the past two years, we’re seeing all-time high levels of customer satisfaction.”

Key to customer satisfaction seems to be prompt service from staff, and the highest performing retailers assisted customers in fewer than five minutes.

The retailers included in J.D. Power’s 2022 study, and their scores, are:

  1. Ace Hardware: Overall customer satisfaction score of 869 out of 1,000 points
  2. Lowe’s: 849 (tie)
  3. Menards: 849 (tie)
  4. Home Depot: 847

The average overall customer satisfaction score this year was 849, meaning Home Depot scored just below average.

Ace Hardware also has a leg up when it comes to savings. Its loyalty program landed the chain a spot in our story “11 Retailers That Give You Rewards on Every Purchase.” As we report:

“Sign up for Ace Rewards, and you’ll get 10 points for every dollar you spend. Accumulate 2,500 points, and you’ll earn a $5 reward. You also receive member-only offers.”

But if you prefer to shop at one of the titans of the home improvement store industry, we’ve got you covered with “6 Tips for Savvy Shopping at Home Depot and Lowe’s.”

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