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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 says the event drew more than 14,500 attendees, up 5.5% from the previous Fall Convention held in Orlando in 2023.
The attendance figure represented a 5.5% increase over the Fall 2023 convention, the last time the event was held in Orlando, Hardware Retailing reported. Thompson surveyed the show floor and selected items from five vendors, offering a snapshot of products that retailers might consider for their stores. The article presents these as her picks, not as sales results or an official Ace Hardware ranking.
Among the selections were Spirit Stakes, decorative plant stakes with designs representing more than 100 colleges and 15 sororities and fraternities. The report says the company makes them in the United States from PureBond wood products and offers acrylic and wooden stakes for plants, gardens, patios and food displays. It also says a portion of each purchase supports the school or organization represented.
Thompson also chose Montana Gold hemp mulch mats, which the source describes as an alternative to imported coconut fiber and synthetic weed barriers, and a 22-quart FOAM cooler made from EVA foam. The remaining picks were Midland’s compact ER10 emergency alert radio, which receives AM/FM and NOAA weather channels, and Anagram’s assortment of helium balloons. Thompson highlighted the radio’s portability and the potential for balloon sales to meet a community retail need.
Five Picks Across Store Categories
The selection spans garden, outdoor recreation, preparedness and celebration, suggesting the convention floor offered ideas beyond traditional hardware and tools. For independent retailers, that range may help inform merchandising discussions about seasonal products and complementary purchases. The source, however, does not report whether any of the products have been adopted by Ace stores or provide sales forecasts.
The attendance comparison also gives readers a measure of the event’s scale: the Orlando gathering attracted more people than the previous Fall Convention held there in 2023. The reported increase is specific to those two Orlando events; it does not establish a trend across every Ace convention or indicate why attendance changed.
Orlando Attendance Comparison
The 2026 event brought together over 14,500 attendees in Orlando, according to Hardware Retailing. The publication compared that figure with Fall 2023, when the convention was last held in the city, and reported a 5.5% increase. No other year-to-year attendance figures are included in the source material.
The product list is a reported editorial selection. Thompson described what caught her attention on the show floor, including the reusable food and cupcake stakes, the hemp mats’ material composition, and the cooler’s floating lid. Her comments explain her choices; they do not independently verify performance claims made by the vendors.
““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, editor and director of content development at NHPA
Sales Potential Remains Untested
The report does not provide retailer orders, consumer sales, pricing or distribution details for the five picks. Thompson’s view that they could be best-sellers is an editorial assessment, not evidence that they have achieved strong sales. The source also does not say whether Ace Hardware stores will stock the products.
Several product attributes, including the cooler’s durability and buoyancy and the mulch mats’ environmental characteristics, are described by the companies or in the publication’s product summaries. The article does not include independent testing or comparative data. It also gives no explanation for the convention’s attendance increase beyond comparing the two Orlando events.
Retailers Weigh Product Decisions
The next steps for retailers are not specified in the report. Individual stores may assess the products against their customers, available shelf space and seasonal plans; the source does not announce purchase commitments or rollout dates. More information about availability and pricing would be needed to evaluate the picks for a particular store.
Hardware Retailing’s report provides a look at products that stood out to Thompson at the convention. Further sales or distribution updates would be needed to show whether any of them gain wider adoption.
Key Questions
What were the five products highlighted from the convention?
Hardware Retailing featured Spirit Stakes decorative plant stakes, Montana Gold hemp mulch mats, the FOAM EVA foam cooler, Midland’s ER10 emergency alert radio and Anagram helium balloons.
How many people attended Ace Hardware’s 2026 Fall Convention?
The report says more than 14,500 people attended the Orlando event. It describes this as 5.5% higher than attendance at the Fall Convention held in Orlando in 2023.
Are these products confirmed best-sellers at Ace stores?
No. Lindsey Thompson selected them as products she thought could be best-sellers at independent home improvement retailers. The report does not provide sales figures or confirm that Ace stores will carry them.
What makes the FOAM cooler different, according to the report?
The product is described as a 22-quart cooler made entirely from EVA foam, with a floating serving lid and a webbing handle. The article does not include independent performance testing.
Why did Thompson include helium balloons?
Thompson said she saw potential for hardware stores to sell balloons in communities where some discount stores no longer carry them. The report does not include market data to measure that demand.
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