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The North American Hardware and Paint Association’s 2026 Cost of Doing Business Study is now available for purchase, with financial data for independent hardware, home center, lumber and building materials, and paint retailers. The report includes typical and high-profit gross-margin figures by store type, though the source does not provide the study’s full methodology or sample details.
The North American Hardware and Paint Association has released its 2026 Cost of Doing Business Study for purchase, giving independent U.S. hardware, home center, lumber and building materials, and paint retailers financial benchmarks to compare with their own operations. The study reports gross margin after rebates and dividends across four retail categories, but the available announcement does not specify its sample size or data-collection period.
The association says the study has provided detailed financial information for more than 100 years. It is intended to help independent retailers benchmark business performance and review financial measures against peers. The report covers hardware stores, home centers, LBM outlets, and paint and decorating outlets in the United States.
Among the figures highlighted in the announcement is gross margin after rebate and dividends. Hardware stores are listed at 42.7% for typical businesses and 42.9% for high-profit businesses. Home centers are listed at 33.0% and 32.7%, respectively; LBM outlets at 30.2% and 33.0%; and paint outlets at 38.2% for both groups.
Those are the figures published in the article promoting the study, not a full presentation of its financial data. Retailers can purchase the report through the association’s website, at yournhpa.org/2026-cost-of-doing-business-study. The source does not state the purchase price or describe what additional tables, measures, or supporting materials are included.
Benchmarks for Retail Decisions
For independent retailers, comparable financial measures can help identify where a store’s results differ from businesses in the same category. The reported gross-margin figures provide one point of comparison, while the full study is presented as a resource for examining business performance more broadly. A benchmark is not, by itself, a prescription: results can vary with a store’s market, product mix, scale, and operating choices.
John Samore Jr., co-owner of Vermont Outlet True Value Hardware, said he uses the study in quarterly gap analyses. He said he compares his operation with high-performing retailers and reviews sales, cost of goods sold, gross profit, sales per square foot, customer count, and sales per customer. Samore said a recent analysis led him to take steps to address declining sales. His experience is a retailer’s account of how the study has been used, not evidence that the same results will follow for other businesses.
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How Retailers Use the Study
The announcement describes the study as part of a long-running benchmarking effort by the North American Hardware and Paint Association, which serves independent businesses in the home improvement sector. Its listed categories reflect different kinds of retail operations, so the published figures are separated by store type rather than presented as a single industry-wide margin.
The article’s sample figures show that the relationship between typical and high-profit margins differs by category: the high-profit figure is slightly higher for hardware stores and higher for LBM outlets, while the typical home center figure is slightly higher. Paint outlets are listed at the same percentage in both groups. These comparisons should be read as figures reported by the source; the announcement provides no explanation of how the groups are defined or how the values were calculated.
“Taking part in gap analyses using the Cost of Doing Business Study has improved our operation’s bottom line by focusing on the matrices and indices that enhance pre-income tax profits.”
— John Samore Jr., co-owner of Vermont Outlet True Value Hardware
Study Methods and Costs Not Detailed
The announcement does not provide the study’s sample size, survey period, methodology, or category definitions. It also does not explain how typical and high-profit retailers are selected, or whether the reported figures are averages, medians, or another measure. Those details would help readers interpret how directly the benchmarks apply to a particular business.
The source also omits the report’s price and full contents. While it describes the study as offering detailed financial information, the announcement’s featured figures are limited to gross margin after rebates and dividends. The broader results and any limitations are not available in the material provided.
Retailers Can Purchase the Report
The association is directing retailers to its website to purchase the 2026 study. Businesses considering it can consult the full report for its definitions, methodology, and additional measures before comparing their results. No further release date, briefing, or follow-up announcement is specified in the source.
Key Questions
Who published the 2026 Cost of Doing Business Study?
The North American Hardware and Paint Association published the study, according to the Hardware Retailing announcement.
Which types of businesses does the study cover?
It covers U.S. hardware stores, home centers, lumber and building materials outlets, and paint and decorating outlets.
What gross-margin figures did the announcement report?
It lists typical and high-profit margins after rebates and dividends as follows: hardware stores, 42.7% and 42.9%; home centers, 33.0% and 32.7%; LBM outlets, 30.2% and 33.0%; and paint outlets, 38.2% for both.
How can retailers get the study?
The announcement says it is available for purchase at yournhpa.org/2026-cost-of-doing-business-study. The source does not give the price.
Does the announcement explain how the benchmarks were calculated?
No. It does not specify the sample size, survey period, methodology, or definition of high-profit retailers. Readers would need to consult the report for those details.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
