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Weber Blackstone sign exclusivity deal with Ace Hardware


 
S

SalP

TVWBB Member
I searched and didn’t find anything here on this.

On May 8th,
“In a significant realignment of its distribution strategy, Weber-Stephen Products LLC has announced it will end its partnerships with convenience hardware distributors outside of Ace Hardware, designating Emery Jensen Distribution and Ace Hardware as its exclusive distribution partners beginning with the 2026 season.”
This was from:
Weber to End Distribution to Do it Best, Orgill, Other Channels in Move Toward Ace Exclusivity
And also
Ace Hardware and Weber Blackstone Pen Exclusive Deal

This deal also include Blackstone.
From reading this article and other ones, Orgill and Do it Best are thumbing there noses up and not doing business with Weber Blackstone.
I also saw there will be a 10% fee tacked on if you want to sell outside of the Ace, Emery Jensen channel.

I don’t know how this affects Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc.
 
SalP said:
I searched and didn’t find anything here on this.

On May 8th,
“In a significant realignment of its distribution strategy, Weber-Stephen Products LLC has announced it will end its partnerships with convenience hardware distributors outside of Ace Hardware, designating Emery Jensen Distribution and Ace Hardware as its exclusive distribution partners beginning with the 2026 season.”
This was from:
Weber to End Distribution to Do it Best, Orgill, Other Channels in Move Toward Ace Exclusivity
And also
Ace Hardware and Weber Blackstone Pen Exclusive Deal

This deal also include Blackstone.
From reading this article and other ones, Orgill and Do it Best are thumbing there noses up and not doing business with Weber Blackstone.
I also saw there will be a 10% fee tacked on if you want to sell outside of the Ace, Emery Jensen channel.

I don’t know how this affects Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc.
Click to expand...
That'll come back to bit them in the butt. Big company here tried an exclusive thing with Home Depot and it was not a good thing. Better to distribute your products as wide as you can
 
LMichaels said:
That'll come back to bit them in the butt. Big company here tried an exclusive thing with Home Depot and it was not a good thing. Better to distribute your products as wide as you can
Click to expand...
every Weber i've ever purchased, sans my Smokey Joe Tuck N Carry was bought at Ace Hardware (Emigh Hardware in Sacramento, CA). they're the only ones that have delivered high service in all my sales transactions. Big Orange and Big Blue stores never have the inventory or resources i've needed. often, better is better than bigger is better. JMHO. spend your money where you want. i still value people and service. probably because that's how i make my own living.
 
Brett-EDH said:
every Weber i've ever purchased, sans my Smokey Joe Tuck N Carry was bought at Ace Hardware (Emigh Hardware in Sacramento, CA). they're the only ones that have delivered high service in all my sales transactions. Big Orange and Big Blue stores never have the inventory or resources i've needed. often, better is better than bigger is better. JMHO. spend your money where you want. i still value people and service. probably because that's how i make my own living.
Click to expand...
That's you. And perhaps you have one of the ACE or whatever nearby. Here? They're basically all but gone. So knowing that where do you think someone who wants a grill is gonna go if there are no ACE or such stores? I don't doubt they delivered you good service but Weber's goals are to move units. As many as they can in as short a time as they can given how short the season is in so much of the country
 
We might find some decent closeout pricing this fall. Weber had a reputation for trying to clamp down on discount pricing by threatening to sever ties with "rogue" dealers.
 
LMichaels said:
That'll come back to bit them in the butt. Big company here tried an exclusive thing with Home Depot and it was not a good thing. Better to distribute your products as wide as you can
Click to expand...
from the article:

hardwareretailing.com

Ace Hardware and Weber Blackstone Pen Exclusive Deal - Hardware Retailing

According to industry sources and corporate communications being circulated, Weber has signed an agr
hardwareretailing.com hardwareretailing.com

Executives from both the True Value and Do it Best merchandising teams also sent a joint letter to members alerting them that they will likely be approached by the Emery Jensen and Weber sales teams encouraging them to open an account with Emery Jensen in order to continue to have access to Weber products moving forward.

In the letter, signed by both Justin Hanford, True Value’s VP of merchandising and Jason Stofleth Do it Best’s VP of merchandising, they told retailers, “Beginning today, you should expect to be approached by Weber’s sales reps, who will be aggressively pushing you to sign a new agreement to source Weber grills and accessories through EJD. We encourage you to be prepared to say ‘no thanks.’”


---- so indy's can buy through the new disti channel. this appears to be a channel consolidation. indy's are not locked out of buying, but only if they choose to not buy through the new channel disti partner.
 
The two Ace hardware stores near me that I frequent have always devoted more of their floor space to Weber grills and accessories than the much larger Home Depot store nearby has. The special edition grills that Ace offers exclusively would be my first choice as well were I in the market for a new grill.
 
I bought all my “new” grills from Hoekstra hardware on Portage Street here in Kalamazoo. Sadly they are no longer in business after over 100 years, Tom (last family member involved) could not find a buyer and said to me that he was getting old enough to be tired of getting up at the crack of dawn and working until dark. But, “”Back in the day” they were the biggest Weber dealer in the area. You’ve all heard my rants about Home Depot so, I’ll not repeat that again. I have no beef with Ace but, I’m not running down to buy anything these days either.
 
My Ace is small but they put a good assortment of BBQ's on the floor.
American Sales was one I used to shop at. They had the floorspace for the higher end Weber grills.
 
Chris Allingham said:
There's an Ace Hardware at 1605 N Alpine Rd, Rockford, IL. That's like 7 miles/16 minutes from the center of Cherry Valley. I used to drive 4x that just to go grocery shopping!
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Sadly for that ACE it's not 7 miles of traffic I like to be bothered with. 99+% of what I require a hardware type store for is only about a mile away at Menards. And for the record that ACE is not thriving. We did have a thriving ACE nearby over on 20th St and Harrison. I rarely went anywhere but that ACE as I think much of this area did. The Menards was not thriving as well (as now) and there was another huge home center place nearby that also went away. For the life of me IDK why ACE bigwigs didn't bother keeping that store on 20th open. It was always crowded, parking lot always full, they sold A LOT of Weber grills (one of mine as well). But sadly ACE is now out of sight and out of mind for me and many others. Because within 135 miles of each other we have 3 large hardware/home center type stores. Menards then a mile north Home Depot and across the street is Lowes. Then about 3 miles or so further north from there, I have Farm & Fleet.
 
Aren't ACE hardware outlets individually owned? Don't think it's quite a franchise operation, but a co-op (based in La Crosse, WI, I think.)

The local ACE here in town is pretty reasonably stocked, and this summer, the owner has made a decision to carry a larger selection of charcoal. I haven't looked at what he's got on display in the grills, though. As far as the rest.... pretty well stocked for my purposes.
 
Oh believe me! I REALLY wish there was an ACE or True Value conveniently located. But there isn't. Sadly while as Chris pointed out the Ace is about 7 miles away, it's not an "easy" 7 miles. On a typical day here (in actual driving) it's 30-35 minutes each way. When I am doing a project or need something hardware store type in nature, I'm not gonna spend over an hour just driving. I'll do without or run a mile up the road. And if it's not a mile up the road I'll go another mile north. As much as I dislike both Lowes and HD I'm an "any port in a storm" kinda guy :D
But for the life of me when the owner of the ACE that used to be nearby retired that store was truly busy every working hour of every day. It had good people, it was thriving like nothing else. For the life of me I don't understand why ACE corporate did not do anything to keep it going while a new owner may have been found? Now it's a Rescue Mission store. And boy oh boy that type of store we've got them coming out our ears.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Yes, Ace describes themselves as “the world's largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative.”
Click to expand...
So does this mean that if an owner decided to retire from a VERY profitable and lucrative store that ACE could not step in, acquire it while a new owner is found? I don't get the cooperative title. I sure would have liked to see Bob's continue as an ACE rather than a Rescue Mission store
 
LMichaels said:
Sadly for that ACE it's not 7 miles of traffic I like to be bothered with.
Click to expand...
I get not wanting to drive a hellish 7 miles/30 minutes to buy a spare nut or bolt. But if I'm in the market for a special purchase like a grill and I'm seriously interested in Weber, I'll drive 30 minutes to check one out. I have personally driven way more than that to look at and buy a Weber. But as you like to say, maybe"That's you."

LMichaels said:
And for the record that ACE is not thriving.
Click to expand...
Well, that is a problem. Each store is independently owned/operated, and not all owners are up to the task. In some cases, stores need to be upgraded and refreshed.

Ace is making a huge investment in “Elevate3 Ace" which is mentioned in the press release. "Elevate 3 Ace and its experiential, immersive brand shops represent, in our opinion, the future of retailing, and that includes exclusive brands,” said John Venhuizen, president and CEO of Ace Hardware, during the general session at the Ace Hardware 2025 Spring Convention."

Maybe your nearest Ace would benefit from such an upgrade.

LMichaels said:
Better to distribute your products as wide as you can
Click to expand...
That's certainly my perspective as a consumer, I'd like to see Weber grills sold on every street corner. But I get that for Weber, it might make sense to continue to sell through big box stores and Amazon, but to tighten up the independent channel. It might create a sense of exclusivity that helps both Ace and Weber. I think I've already noticed a change in Ace television ads where I live, they used to feature Weber, Traeger, and BGE. Now I'm seeing more Weber-only ads. Maybe the reasoning is that Weber will give up some sales from the second-tier independent retailers but turbocharge sales from Ace and end up better off overall. But who knows, I'm not invited to their strategy meetings. :p
 
LMichaels said:
So does this mean that if an owner decided to retire from a VERY profitable and lucrative store that ACE could not step in, acquire it while a new owner is found? I don't get the cooperative title. I sure would have liked to see Bob's continue as an ACE rather than a Rescue Mission store
Click to expand...
I don't think Ace steps in like that to rescue a store.

Here's a long and interesting page from an Ace store/owner in South Carolina that explains the Ace coop model:

www.lowcountryace.com

The Definitive Guide to Who Owns Ace Hardware - Lowcountry Ace Hardware Store

Discover the unique cooperative model revealing who owns Ace Hardware, and explore its global success story in our definitive guide.
www.lowcountryace.com www.lowcountryace.com
 
Just I saw this very same thing blow up in the face of a very high quality local manufacturer. A large "orange" store wanted to have exclusive rights. Well it blew up in the manufacturer's face. Business went into the crapper, layoffs followed, it was not pretty. I just think Weber is shooting themselves in the foot.
For the record also, of course if I wanted to make a big expensive purchase I'd take the half hour run. The major issue is this. Since I don't bother to drive an hour round trip to buy fittings or hardware, what are the odds I will even know what this store carries? I only knew ACE sold Weber grills because of my past relationship with the old Bob's for all my other hardware needs. I literally bought almost everything at that ACE from nuts and bolts, window screens, plumbing fittings, new faucets, you name it.
And BECAUSE (not in spite) of that relationship they sold me many Weber parts, a Summit along with propane to run them on, and many other things that are STILL in this house today some 25-30 years later.
But having intimate knowledge of what can happen when a company cuts off it's nose to spite it's face I don't see it as a good move. Especially with such a small player. Like Sears mom and pop hardware stores are going away. Heck, even Apple did not take off with the I Phone until they killed the exclusivity deal with AT&T. Sears was Amazon before Bezos was born. A 100+ yo company fell on REALLY hard times because of that kind of decision. It's all I am trying to get across.
 
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