On the final day of the 2025 National Hardware Show (NHS), attendees left with new product discoveries and new and revitalized partnerships with retailers and vendors.
NHS Awards
Kathryn Emery, lifestyle expert and NHS correspondent, and Kevin O’Connor, host of “This Old House,” announced the winners of the National Hardware Show’s awards:
- Most Loved (booth with most scans): Tack Strap
- Made in the USA: Rescue Ant Bait
- NEW Product: The Bolster
- NEXT Inventor: Like-Nu Concrete
Retailers’ Choice Awards
Celebrating its 59th year, the Retailers’ Choice Awards honored the best, most creative and most innovative products on the show floor at NHS that independent retailers thought would perform well in their operations. Sponsored by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA), the Retailers’ Choice Awards program has been an attendee favorite since the program started in 1966.
A panel of independent retailers browsed the show floor looking for products they thought would perform well in their operations. The judges met together to share their nominations, and from these nominations, the top 36 products were chosen as Retailers’ Choice Awards winners.
On Wednesday evening, the Retailers’ Choice Awards winners were recognized and the products were highlighted in a fun and engaging ceremony.
“The Retailers’ Choice Awards are really meaningful to the vendors here at the National Hardware Show, they really appreciate the recognition,” says NHPA’s COO Dan Tratensek. “For some of these smaller vendors, winning something like the Retailers’ Choice Awards can really make or break them.”
See the full list of winners here.
Independent Retail Center
Throughout the show, independent home improvement retailers had their own space to learn, network and relax in the Independent Retail Center (IRC), hosted by NHPA.
In the “Navigating the Path to Retail Leadership” session, young retailers gained best practices to increase their impact and grow their leadership in the industry, connected with peers to discuss shared challenges and explored opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The “Innovation in Retail Technology” roundtable explored how tech innovations can streamline operations, improve customer experiences and future-proof the business.
“Building a Culture of Selling” looked at practical strategies for boosting employee morale, improving retention and fostering a team that’s confident and focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
In “Merchandising for Gen Z: Adapting to the Future of Retail,” attendees stepped into the future of retail merchandising with this hands-on experience. Designed specifically for independent retailers, the session immersed participants in real-world merchandising strategies to attract and engage Gen Z shoppers, with insights provided by three students from the University of Wisconsin Kohl’s Retail Center. These students were tasked with visiting a local independent hardware store where they took notes on what they liked and what they thought could be improved on.
This session was an extension of NHPA’s Foundations of Merchandising Live! Program, which took place during NHS.
Scott Wright, class instructor and NHPA vice president of content development, says the current retail environment is challenging and retailers are striving to do more with less. 
“Your merchandising has to work overtime to present those products to your customers and showcase other items they may not have intended to buy when they came here,” Wright says. “You need to work to increase your average transaction size and closure rate, requiring your merchandising work harder than it probably ever has.”
NHPA also officially kicked off its new Helmets to Home Improvement, which honors the contributions military veterans in the independent home improvement channel have made to our country and to the hardware industry. NHPA recognized two of these veterans, Alex Porter from Porter’s Ace Hardware and Taylor Cox of Cox Lumber and Hardware in the January and February magazines, as well as at the kickoff event.
“When you survey the landscape of the home improvement industry, you will find there are many individuals who made a successful transition from serving their country to serving the independent channel,” Tratensek says. “NHPA is excited to honor the sacrifices these individuals made with their service, as well as their contributions to our industry.”
