Business Services Industry
REINVENTING THE ACE; Seeking Walgreen-style scope and uniformity, hardware chain urges dealers to retool.(News)(Ace Hardware Corp.)
Crain's Chicago Business, March, 2005 by Jones, Sandra
Byline: SANDRA JONES Ace Hardware Corp. is undertaking the largest building spree in its 77-year history. Adding 1,100 new, modern stores to its nationwide network by 2008 will be the relatively easy part. The hard part: Getting its stable of independent dealers to get on board-and invest their own money-in the expansion and modernization plan.
The Oak Brook-based hardware retailer is following the expansion model set by Deerfield-based Walgreen Co., eschewing acquisitions in favor of rapid-fire openings of new stores. The goal: a cleaner, brighter, more customer-friendly look for Ace stores new and old, in neighborhood locations that cater to convenience shoppers-the better to compete with big-box giants such as Home Depot Inc. and Lowe's Cos....
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