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Hardware Retailing editor Lindsey Thompson selected five products she believes could sell well at independent home improvement stores after visiting Ace Hardware’s 2026 Fall Convention in Orlando. The report highlights plant stakes, hemp mulch mats, an EVA foam cooler, a compact emergency radio and helium balloons; it does not report sales results or retailer commitments.
Hardware Retailing editor Lindsey Thompson selected five products she believes may appeal to independent home improvement retailers after browsing the floor at the Ace Hardware 2026 Fall Convention in Orlando. The report covers decorative plant stakes, hemp mulch mats, a foam cooler, an emergency alert radio and helium balloons, offering a snapshot of products presented to retailers at the industry event.
The convention drew more than 14,500 attendees, according to Hardware Retailing, which described attendance as record-breaking. The publication reported that this was a 5.5% increase over Fall 2023, the previous time the Fall Convention was held in Orlando. Those figures provide the event’s scale; the report does not state how many attendees were retailers or how many businesses may carry the featured products.
Thompson’s selection spans garden, outdoor recreation, preparedness and party supplies. Spirit Stakes makes decorative stakes from PureBond wood products, with designs representing more than 100 colleges and 15 sororities and fraternities, alongside other garden and food-related stakes. The report says a portion of each purchase supports the school or organization selected. Montana Gold’s hemp mulch mats are presented as a plant-growing and weed-barrier option made without microplastics or adhesives.
The other picks address different shopping needs. FOAM’s 22-quart cooler is made entirely from EVA foam and has a floating serving lid and a webbing handle; Midland’s compact ER10 receives AM/FM and NOAA weather channels. Anagram’s offering is a range of helium balloon products, including characters, letters, numbers, phrases and shapes. Thompson described the balloons as a potential fit for hardware stores in communities where other nearby retailers no longer carry them.
Five Categories for Store Shelves
The selections show how an independent hardware store might broaden its offer beyond tools and building supplies. The products touch gardening, outdoor outings, weather preparedness and celebrations, categories that can bring in customers with varied needs. That is the retail opportunity suggested by Thompson’s picks, rather than a demonstrated sales outcome: the report provides her impressions, not purchasing data or evidence of consumer demand.
The products also offer distinct ways to stand out. Spirit Stakes combines decorative use with school and organization affiliations, while Montana Gold’s mats are pitched as an alternative to imported coconut fiber and synthetic weed barriers. The cooler and alert radio emphasize portability and outdoor use. Helium balloons could add a local convenience for shoppers seeking party supplies, though the report does not quantify the size of that unmet need.
For retailers, the variety may be useful when considering what to evaluate at a convention: product function, intended customer and fit with existing departments. The editor’s comments describe what caught her attention on the show floor. They are not endorsements based on independent testing, and the article does not establish pricing, wholesale terms, availability or expected margins for the five picks.
Orlando Convention Draws Retailers
Ace Hardware’s Fall Convention brings together people from across the hardware retail sector and gives vendors an opportunity to present products. In this report, Hardware Retailing’s Lindsey Thompson visited the show floor and chose five items she thought could be best-sellers in an independent home improvement retail operation. Her list includes products from vendors in different categories, including Montana Gold, which the article says was attending an Ace Convention for the first time in the new vendors section.
The report compares this convention’s attendance with the Fall 2023 Orlando event, not with every Ace convention or industry gathering. It provides the attendance count and percentage change but does not detail the calculation, attendance mix or changes in the event’s format. The product descriptions and editor comments are the article’s account of what was presented; they do not include third-party product testing or sales figures.
““The stakes are a fun way to show your team pride, are really well made and come in a variety of sizes and both indoor and indoor/outdoor versions.””
— Lindsey Thompson, NHPA editor and director of content development, as quoted by Hardware Retailing
Retail Demand Remains Unreported
The report does not say whether Ace retailers have ordered any of the five products, when they might reach stores or what they would cost. It also provides no sales projections, retailer survey results or customer research to support the editor’s view that the items could be best-sellers. Demand and commercial performance remain unconfirmed.
Some product descriptions are supplied by the companies or presented as product features in the report. The article does not independently verify claims such as the cooler being the world’s first made entirely from EVA foam, or assess the environmental impact of the materials used in the stakes and mulch mats. Readers also do not get technical specifications such as radio power requirements, cooler performance tests or the full product ranges and prices.
Retailers Weigh Product Fit
The report does not announce a next milestone for the featured products or say whether any will be stocked by Ace stores. Retailers interested in carrying them would need to follow up with the vendors about availability, wholesale pricing, specifications and ordering. Further reporting or vendor announcements could clarify whether the show-floor selections move into stores and how customers respond.
For now, the confirmed development is the publication of Thompson’s five picks and the reported convention attendance figures. No sales results or retail commitments are included in the source material.
Key Questions
What products did Hardware Retailing highlight?
The five picks were Spirit Stakes decorative plant stakes, Montana Gold hemp mulch mats, FOAM’s EVA foam cooler, Midland’s ER10 emergency alert radio and Anagram helium balloons.
How many people attended the convention?
Hardware Retailing reported more than 14,500 attendees and a 5.5% increase compared with the Fall 2023 convention in Orlando.
Did Ace announce that stores will carry these products?
No. The report lists products selected by an editor and does not say that Ace or individual retailers have committed to stocking them.
What makes the hemp mulch mats different, according to the report?
Montana Gold’s mats are described as a sustainable alternative to imported coconut fiber and synthetic fabric weed barriers. The report says they contain no microplastics or adhesives; it does not include independent testing of those claims.
Are prices or expected sales available?
The report provides no prices, margins, sales projections or sales results for the selected products.
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