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Ace Hardware ranked sixth in the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400, which compares U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales. The company reported $24 billion in retail sales in 2025 and more than 1,100 store openings worldwide over five years; it is organized as a retailer-owned cooperative rather than a conventional franchise.
Ace Hardware ranked sixth on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400, an annual list of large U.S.-based franchise systems ranked by global systemwide sales, the company announced. Ace said it was the highest-ranked hardware brand on the list, a placement that puts the retailer among the leading systems in a ranking dominated by restaurant and convenience-store companies.
Ace reported $24 billion in retail sales in 2025. The company also said it opened more than 1,100 stores worldwide over the five years leading up to the ranking. The source report does not provide a year-by-year breakdown of those openings or a sales comparison with the prior list.
Ace placed behind McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, KFC, Burger King and Chick-fil-A. Its sixth-place position makes it the only hardware brand in the top 10, according to Ace and the report by Hardware Retailing. The list’s stated measure is global systemwide sales, rather than a ranking of customer satisfaction, profitability or store-level performance.
Ace operates as a retailer-owned cooperative. Its store owners are shareholders and may receive annual profits through patronage dividends. Ace said it distributed $392 million in patronage dividends in 2025; unlike a traditional franchise system, its store owners pay no royalty or ongoing franchise fees, according to the report.
Ace’s Scale and Cooperative Model
The ranking signals the scale of Ace’s network and sales relative to franchise systems across multiple retail sectors. For store owners, suppliers and customers, the company’s reported sales and store expansion provide a measure of its reach, although the Top 400 ranking alone does not establish how individual locations are performing or whether sales growth is profitable.
Ace’s structure also distinguishes its position from conventional franchisors. The company says its local stores are owned by members who hold shares in the cooperative, rather than franchisees paying continuing royalties. The reported $392 million patronage dividend shows one way profits were returned to owners in 2025, but the source does not describe how those payments were allocated among members or how they compare with earlier years.
For shoppers, the company’s continued expansion may mean a broader store presence, but the report gives no location-level opening details. The ranking is a system-level measure and should not be read as evidence that every store offers the same performance, services or product availability.
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How Ace Fits the Top 400
The Franchise Times Top 400 is described in the source report as an annual ranking of the largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales. Its scope includes brands in different industries, which is why Ace is compared with restaurant chains and 7-Eleven rather than only with hardware retailers.
Ace’s ranking reflects its cooperative arrangement as well as its retail footprint. Hardware Retailing reports that store owners are shareholders who can benefit from profits distributed as patronage dividends, and that they do not pay the ongoing franchise royalties and fees typical of traditional franchise models. The source does not explain how Franchise Times classifies cooperative structures for inclusion in the ranking.
“Ace is proud to once again be recognized by Franchise Times as one of the largest franchise systems in the world and the only hardware brand in the top 10 on this respected list.”
— Andy Schmitt, Ace Hardware vice president of retail operations and new business
Sales Comparisons Still Missing
The report gives Ace’s 2025 retail sales figure and its sixth-place ranking, but it does not supply comparable figures for the other listed companies, Ace’s prior-year sales, or its position on earlier Top 400 editions. It is therefore not possible from the supplied information to calculate Ace’s year-over-year growth or determine how much its ranking changed.
The reported total of more than 1,100 store openings covers five years, but the report does not state how many stores closed during that period, the net change in the network, or how openings were distributed by country. It also does not give details about how the $392 million in patronage dividends was divided among owners. The source report does not include a direct statement from Franchise Times explaining the methodology or Ace’s classification as a cooperative in the ranking.
Further Ranking Details to Watch
The immediate next reference point is the full 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 and any supporting methodology or company figures that clarify how the list treats Ace’s cooperative structure. Ace may also provide additional detail on store growth, sales trends and member distributions in future company updates or financial disclosures.
No specific follow-up announcement or reporting date is given in the source material. Until further figures are available, the confirmed development is Ace’s sixth-place listing, its reported 2025 retail sales and the store openings and dividend total it reported.
Key Questions
What was Ace Hardware’s rank on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400?
Ace Hardware said it ranked sixth on the 2026 list. It was the highest-ranked hardware brand, according to the company and Hardware Retailing’s report.
What does the Franchise Times Top 400 measure?
The source describes the annual list as a ranking of large U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales. It is not presented as a ranking of customer satisfaction or store-level profitability.
How much did Ace Hardware report in 2025 retail sales?
Ace reported $24 billion in retail sales in 2025. The source does not provide the comparable figures needed to calculate year-over-year growth.
Is Ace Hardware a traditional franchise?
The report describes Ace as a retailer-owned cooperative. Store owners are shareholders and, according to the report, pay no royalty or ongoing franchise fees; Ace distributed $392 million in patronage dividends in 2025.
How many stores did Ace open?
Ace said it opened more than 1,100 stores worldwide over five years. The source does not give a yearly breakdown, store closures or the net change in its store count.
Source: rss
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