Ace Hardware is continuing to scale its retail media ecosystem, introducing a wave of advanced advertising capabilities just about a year after launching its retail media network with a blank slate. The century-old hardware cooperative debuted RedVest Media to provide brands with a highly targeted approach to advertising across both its digital channels and its expansive brick-and-mortar footprint.
The program has now accelerated significantly. At its inaugural Upfront event held at Wrigley Field at the end of August, the company unveiled a series of new capabilities, including an expanded partnership with DoorDash, new influencer marketing integration, and sophisticated weather-triggered advertising mechanisms.
Founded in 1924 by a group of Chicago hardware store owners, Ace Hardware is looking to leverage its massive physical and digital infrastructure to carve out a unique space in the crowded retail media market. The company’s overarching goal is to build a modern media network that capitalizes on its network of more than 5,300 stores, its robust digital presence, and its loyal base of 80 million members.
Molly Hjelm, the head of RedVest Media, explained the core philosophy guiding the network during an interview with Retail Dive. Rather than viewing the media network merely as a mechanism to shift inventory, Hjelm emphasized a broader, brand-centric vision.
"I don’t think about myself as in the business of selling a particular product," Hjelm said. "We’re in the business of building national brands."
Building Brands
To achieve this vision, RedVest Media offers a comprehensive full-funnel advertising framework. The service suite includes onsite advertisements, targeted email and push messaging, in-store signage, and offsite programmatic reach spanning display, video, and mobile channels.
With these offerings, Ace Hardware joins a growing roster of home-improvement and hardware-focused retailers aggressively pursuing brand advertising dollars. The competitive landscape in this retail sector has intensified over recent years as retailers recognize the immense value of their first-party customer data. Lowe’s, for instance, updated its own media network two years ago, introducing fresh branding, expanded app ad placements, and additional marketing channels such as in-store audio, email, paid search, and direct mail. Meanwhile, Home Depot introduced its retail media offering in 2018 before rebranding it as Orange Apron Media in 2024.
Despite competing against retail giants with significantly larger budgets, Ace Hardware executives believe their unique operational model and brand positioning offer a distinct competitive advantage.
"We are not going to beat Home Depot and Lowe’s on level of spend, but we will beat Home Depot and Lowe’s on consistency being our superpower," Ace Hardware Chief Marketing Officer Kim Lefko told attendees at the Chicago event.
Lefko highlighted the immense reach of the company’s brick-and-mortar network, noting that approximately 80% of U.S. households are located within a 10-minute drive of an Ace Hardware store. This proximity allows customers to complete quick shopping trips and return to their home improvement projects faster than they might at other large-format retail destinations.
Beyond its physical stores, Ace is also experiencing strong momentum online. The retailer’s website traffic increased by 26% year over year, while shoppers utilizing the Ace mobile app visit the retailer twice as often and spend twice as much as average customers.
However, Lefko stressed that one of the most significant ways Ace is differentiating itself from competing retail media networks is its strict commitment to supporting national brands rather than leveraging partner insights to develop and promote competing private-label products.
"We die a little inside when we watch you guys go to retail partners — invest and grow in a retailer partner — that takes the insight on your product to knock off and drive private labels and wholesale products that look and feel so much like yours to benefit them and not you," Lefko said. "It kills us."
New Offerings
The newly announced advertising capabilities build heavily upon an existing on-demand delivery partnership with DoorDash that was initially launched last year. Under the newly expanded collaboration, shoppers can now engage with Ace Hardware through DoorDash sponsored ads and sponsored brands. These digital placements are strategically designed to increase product visibility and influence purchase decisions right at the moment customers are actively building an on-demand delivery order.
In addition to expanding its delivery ecosystem, Ace Hardware has introduced a formalized program to work with vetted creators, enabling brands to reach consumers through targeted social media channels.
According to Hjelm, consumer trust and shopping behaviors are increasingly shifting toward influencer content, particularly within the home improvement sector where project-based urgency is common.
"We know our customers are coming into the store with an immediate project need. They need help," Hjelm noted during her interview. "Watching somebody interact with a product is an amazing way to increase the likelihood of conversion."
Another notable addition to RedVest Media is the introduction of weather-triggered programmatic advertising. This tool is designed to utilize Ace’s locally owned store model to help brands deliver timely messages when specific weather patterns dictate household needs.
Ace stores have long played a crucial role in local communities during severe weather events, keeping doors open and stocking emergency supplies ahead of storms. Hjelm pointed out that the new weather-triggered capability formalizes and automates a process that vendors previously handled through manual efforts.
Crucially, this capability extends far beyond major natural disasters or severe inclement weather. It accounts for everyday environmental factors such as regular precipitation and snowfall, even at minor levels. Because Ace’s business is heavily seasonal and weather-dependent, many brands sharing that operational profile stand to benefit significantly from automated, weather-sensitive messaging.
Ace is also actively building a comprehensive audience library designed to connect brands directly with its core demographic of do-it-yourselfers and homeowners focused on property maintenance. Statistics indicate that over 90% of Ace customers own their homes.
"We kind of own this relationship between national brands and customers who manage through the enjoyment, the upkeep and the renovation of their most valuable asset," Hjelm said.
This distinct audience profile holds considerable appeal for external industries, ranging from financial institutions and insurance providers to Home Equity Line of Credit companies. According to Hjelm, the network has already received substantial inbound interest from brands seeking access to this high-value home-centric audience.
Stores and Digital
The localized nature of Ace Hardware’s retail model remains a foundational pillar of its advertising strategy. The vast majority of Ace stores are independently owned and operated, providing massive collective scale combined with deep community roots.
The retailer’s physical footprint continues to grow at a steady pace. Ace recently announced the opening of its 100th new store of the year, keeping the company on track to open 170 new locations by the end of 2026. Over the past six years alone, the cooperative has added more than 1,100 stores to its nationwide network.
A key driver of this expansion has been the company’s experiential store format, known as Elevate Ace, which was introduced in 2024. According to Lefko, these experiential locations are outperforming traditional format stores, generating a 12% increase in same-store sales.
Simultaneously, executives continue to emphasize the vital role of the company’s digital infrastructure. Lefko noted that the website remains the primary focal point for campaign investments within RedVest Media.
"The greatest success are those campaigns that are running on AceHardware.com," she said.
As RedVest Media continues to mature, Ace Hardware executives are underscoring that where brands choose to allocate their marketing dollars matters. By combining traditional local store proximity with modern digital tools, weather intelligence, and a commitment to brand partnership rather than private-label competition, Ace aims to position itself as a trusted, enduring ally for brands navigating the evolving retail landscape.
"I just want people to feel maybe we have some of the same tools, and we have some unique tools as well," Hjelm concluded, "but you can trust that where you’re building your brand is a place that is in the business of keeping your brand in business for the next 100 years."