Home Hardware’s mission is to offer our members a diverse range of high-quality products and services, along with effective systems to help them run efficient and profitable stores. We are dedicated to supporting our members in delivering outstanding service and competitive pricing to their customers.
Founded in 1983, Home Hardware Scotland Ltd is a dealer-owned hardware, gardening & housewares wholesaler serving Scotland & the North of England. But, we are very different from the competition because... Home Hardware Exists For its Members!
Our sole aim is to improve our members profitability, which we achieve through a strong negotiating position, established buying power and focused marketing. Our philosophy is, and always has been, that the profit centres are the shops.
Unlike conventional distributors focused on maximising profits, our philosophy is to drive customer demand through effective marketing while offering members the best possible prices, empowering independents to reach their full potential.
Our expert buying team quickly adapts to market changes, securing the best prices for members to stay competitive. With extensive retail backgrounds, our buyers are among the most experienced and knowledgeable in the industry. They regularly attend trade shows in the UK, Europe, and the Far East to source competitively priced products. Additionally, they manage supply chain performance and work closely with suppliers to enhance service quality.
All the traditional departments you would expect to find in your local hardware/housewares store such as hand tools, power tools, ironmongery, fasteners, DIY supplies, heating, lighting, electrical, housewares, cleaning, garden and outdoor leisure.
This comprehensive selection ensures we meet the varied needs of our customers, providing high-quality products across all key categories.
We stock a wide range of premium, big-brand names to ensure our customers have access to high-quality, trusted products. By partnering with leading suppliers across various categories, we provide a curated selection products, guaranteeing reliability and performance for every need.
In addition to offering top big-brand names, we also stock our own Home Hardware branded products and sub-brands. These ranges help strengthen public trust and increase brand recognition.
Our direct shipment service complements our core stock business, offering members access to a wider range of products at highly competitive prices, with streamlined invoicing managed by us. We partner with over 150 suppliers through this program.
Our marketing team works hand-in-hand with the buying team and members to create targeted promotions that meet the needs of both members and their customers. Our primary marketing tool is our promotional brochure, distributed five times a year via Royal Mail, with over 1.78 million copies printed last year. We also handle the Royal Mail door-to-door postal bookings, saving members valuable time. Our second marketing tool is the homehardwaredirect.co.uk website which was revamped in 2023, now featuring over 8,500 product lines and a streamlined click & collect service to drive traffic to our members stores.
You’ll have access to our marketing experts, who can organise in-store events, signage, press releases, advertising, posters, point-of-sale materials, social media content, including videos and images, and much more!
Home Hardware provides a variety of computer solutions tailored to meet the needs of its members, offering a range of systems, including:
•Manual Order System: paper based & easy to use
•Web Based Ordering: using the Home Hardware Intranet
•EPOS Interaction: we have the technology to interact with a number of proprietary EPOS systems
An electronic stock file is available to all members, with item descriptions and pricing information which helps with updating files on members computers.
You can opt for our reliable weekly delivery service or receive a discount by collecting your order. Our efficient system helps members minimise stock holding, with collapsible delivery cages rolled directly into stores. Smaller items are packed in reusable green plastic containers, collected with the next delivery to enhance efficiency and prevent damage. This eco-friendly approach, avoiding cardboard boxes, ensures all goods arrive securely, with cages wrapped in protective film for optimal condition.
At our core, we are a team of dedicated individuals who genuinely care about our members’ success. We believe in building strong, personal relationships and go the extra mile to stay connected and support our industry. Whether it’s through regular visits, phone calls, or tailored advice, we make it a priority to understand the unique needs of each member. We also keep up to date with industry trends and feedback, ensuring we can adapt and provide the best possible service and support.
We have a very good relationship with our suppliers and hold various training days at our Distribution Centre. Some of our training days have included Epos training, Dulux colour mixing workshops and Cuprinol seminars. We have also held social media training days to give shop owners the knowledge on how to create, post and manage their shops online presence on social media platforms.
We hold regular members meetings allowing us to inform members of all key developments. The meetings also give Home Hardware valuable feedback - we can gain from the views and ideas of our members, and in turn, they can share ideas, challenges, solutions and current developments.
Members also have access to our Home Hardware Hub, a valuable resource packed with useful information. It includes a live group chat where shops can freely communicate with each other, as well as with our distribution team, directors, buyers, and marketing staff, allowing for open discussion and sharing of ideas.
The corporate concept began due to increased competition from the multiples. After carrying out extensive market research we found that many people associated traditional hardware stores with high prices, old fashioned stock, and clutter. All of these were negative points that put them off shopping with their local independent.
What could be done about this? We completed the original Home Hardware design in 1996 and this was updated in 2012 to our current signage which is now applied to any aspect of shop design and POS material. We are working towards making Home Hardware a brand that is recognised and trusted nationwide, and the benefits of being corporate continues to grow.
We offer a complete in-store design service. A complete shop refit is totally self financing and will normally pay for itself within three years and refitting an existing shop as a Home Hardware concept store can increase your turnover by up to 40%! After a shop refit, customers have commented on how professional the new look is and how easy it is to find what they are looking for.
Not all Home Hardware members operate as fully corporate stores. Some feature the Home Hardware fascia, while others use only window graphics, uniforms, bags, and POS tickets. However, for members distributing the branded promotional brochures, having window graphics or fascia can be advantageous, as it helps direct potential customers to their shop.
There is so much time saved by tasks being done at the Distribution Centre that only need to be done once, like price changes etc, but which are instantly activated for everybody’s benefit. My shop is much more professional and better organised, and I have time to tackle long-term projects that will really establish the business for the future.
There are many reasons why I joined Home Hardware: Excellent stock availability; Good value promotions; Great prices and last but certainly not least – their credit and returns policies work extremely well.
My main reasons for joining Home Hardware are good marketing, better buying, distinctive signage. Working profit, advance stock deposit philosophy is good. I like the fact that it’s run by shopkeepers for the shopkeepers. Epos integration with RBA is great and makes ordering easy. Was fed up with poor service etc from traditional wholesalers.
