What Menards does

Menards is a privately held, family-owned home improvement retailer founded by John Menard Jr. in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and the third-largest operator in the U.S. category behind Home Depot and Lowe's. The company operates approximately 341-350+ physical stores concentrated across 15 Midwestern states, supplemented by an e-commerce platform (Menards.com) with buy-online-pick-up-at-store (BOPIS) and store delivery capabilities. Its assortment spans building materials, lumber, hardware, paint, tools, appliances, plumbing, heating and cooling, and increasingly automotive accessories through partnerships such as Battery Tender by Deltran and EV charging infrastructure via XCharge North America and JOJO Superfast EV Charging.

The company generates revenue through one-time retail product sales across physical and digital channels, complemented by its proprietary Menards BIG Card store credit program and historically an 11% mail-in merchandise credit check rebate program — the latter has been the subject of multi-state regulatory settlements totaling $4.25 million across 10 states plus a separate $632,000 Minnesota settlement for alleged COVID-era price gouging. Its business model emphasizes vertical integration in manufacturing and supply chain, private-label brands, and owned real estate to sustain competitive pricing, particularly on bulk materials. Customer satisfaction signals are strong: Menards ranked highest in JD Power 2026 (672 points) and tied for top spot in ACSI 2026 (81/100) with Home Depot and Lowe's, and achieved a Market Force 2025 customer experience score of 57.7 (second to Ace Hardware).

Menards targets two primary customer segments — DIY homeowners and professional contractors — with a secondary vehicle enthusiast segment reached through battery and EV-charging partnerships. Its go-to-market motion is fundamentally brick-and-mortar retail with omnichannel support, and its competitive moat rests on Midwest distribution density, cost leadership through vertical integration, and strong regional brand recognition. The company remains wholly founder-controlled, with no venture capital or private equity involvement and no public listing, while pursuing modest geographic and product expansion including a $20M Saginaw, Michigan bagging facility and new Canada store development.

Name

Menards

Legal name

Menards Inc.

Website

https://menards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Menards is a privately held, family-owned home improvement retailer operating 341-350+ stores across 15 Midwestern states, serving DIY homeowners, professional contractors, and vehicle enthusiasts with building materials, tools, hardware, and EV-charging-enabled retail locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Menards generates primary revenue through retail sales of home improvement products including building materials, hardware, paint, lumber, tools, and appliances across its physical store locations and online at Menards.com. The company leverages vertical integration and private-label brands to maintain competitive pricing and margins.
2. Store Credit Card Program: Menards offers the Menards BIG Card, a proprietary store credit card that drives customer loyalty and provides financing options for large purchases. The company has faced regulatory scrutiny over its merchandise credit check program and rebate advertising practices.
3. EV Charging Services: Through partnerships with JOJO Superfast EV Charging and XCharge North America, Menards hosts EV charging infrastructure at store locations. While the primary benefit is driving customer foot traffic, the company benefits from utility rebates and environmental program funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Menards operates a chain of physical home improvement retail stores and an accompanying e-commerce platform (Menards.com), selling building materials, hardware, paint, lumber, tools, appliances, and related home improvement supplies. The company also offers a proprietary store credit card (Menards BIG Card), buy-online-pick-up-at-store and store delivery services, and is expanding adjacent services such as EV charging at store locations.

Product overview

Menards is a Midwest-based home improvement retail chain offering a comprehensive range of products and services through both physical stores and online platforms. The company operates over 340 stores across 15 states, providing products across categories including lumber, building materials, hardware, paint, heating and cooling, and plumbing. Core offerings include e-commerce services (Buy Online & Pick Up at Store, Store Delivery), the Menards BIG Card® credit program, and the Weekly Flyer promotional program. Recent additions include EV charging stations at Illinois locations through partnerships with XCharge North America and JOJO Superfast EV Charging, and Battery Tender battery maintenance products through a partnership with Deltran.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Menards BIG Card® Proprietary Menards store credit card offering financing options and special promotional terms for Menards purchases; drives loyalty and repeat purchases.
• Buy Online & Pick Up at Store E-commerce service allowing customers to purchase products online and collect orders at nearby Menards locations.
• Store Delivery Delivery service enabling customers to have bulk and large items (e.g., lumber, appliances) shipped directly to their location from Menards stores.
• Hardware Products Tools, fasteners, and hardware accessories sold to DIY homeowners and professional contractors for home improvement and construction projects.
• Lumber & Boards Dimensional lumber, engineered wood products, and board materials for construction, remodeling, and DIY projects.
• Paint Products Interior and exterior paint, stains, primers, and painting supplies for residential and contractor use.
• Bathroom Fixtures (Toilets) Two-piece toilets and related plumbing fixtures for bathroom remodeling and replacement projects.
• EV Charging Stations Ultra-fast dual-port electric vehicle charging stations installed at Illinois Menards store locations through partnerships with JOJO Superfast EV Charging and XCharge North America, supported by ComEd and Illinois EPA incentive programs.
• Battery Tender Products Battery chargers, jump starters, and portable power products for automotive, marine, powersports, and lawn equipment applications, distributed through the Menards-Battery Tender partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked highest in customer satisfaction (672 points, up 1 point) in JD Power 2026 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, supporting and core.

• XCharge North AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2026XCharge North America partnered with Menards and JOJO Superfast EV Charging to deploy an 800kW ultra-fast EV charging network across nine initial Menards locations in Illinois. The first site at Menards Crestwood is operational, with additional locations rolling out through mid-2026 and Q3 2026. The project was facilitated by ComEd 'Make-Ready' Rebate and the Illinois EPA's Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program.
• JOJO Superfast EV ChargingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2026JOJO Superfast EV Charging partnered with XCharge North America and Menards to deploy high-power EV charging infrastructure at Illinois Menards stores, bringing 800kW of ultra-fast charging capacity. The initiative supports Illinois' goal of 1 million EVs on the road by 2030.
• ComEd (Make-Ready Rebate Program)supportingOthers · 3 April 2026ComEd provided 'Make-Ready' Rebate funding to facilitate the deployment of EV charging infrastructure at Menards locations in Illinois. This utility incentive program helps offset installation costs for EV charging stations.
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program)supportingOthers · 3 April 2026The Illinois EPA's Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program, funded through the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, provided funding to support the deployment of EV charging infrastructure at Menards locations, supporting state environmental goals.
• Battery Tender (Deltran)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 January 2026Battery Tender by Deltran established a retail partnership with Menards, making five battery charging and portable power products available at Menards stores across the Midwest and online at Menards.com. Products include various battery chargers, jump starters, and a jump starter with tire inflator for automotive, marine, powersports, and lawn equipment applications. This is Battery Tender's first presence with Menards, expanding customer access to vehicle power solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Home Depot: The largest U.S. home improvement retailer with ~52% market share. Directly comparable in product mix (building materials, lumber, paint, hardware, appliances), big-box store format, omnichannel strategy (BOPIS, pro loyalty), and DIY/professional customer segments.
• Lowe's Companies: Second-largest U.S. home improvement retailer with national coverage. Operates the same big-box format with overlapping categories (lumber, hardware, paint, appliances) and serves both DIY and pro customers, making it a near-direct comparable to Menards.
• Ace Hardware: Cooperative hardware retailer with thousands of independently owned stores. Comparable in product mix (hardware, tools, paint, small appliances) and DIY/pro customer focus; outperforms Menards on Market Force 2025 customer experience (58.0 vs 57.7), making it a relevant experience benchmark.
• True Value Company: Hardware cooperative serving independent retailers. Comparable in assortment (hardware, paint, tools, building materials) and DIY/pro customer base, though smaller-format stores than Menards. Relevant as a peer in the home improvement/hardware retail category.
• Do it Best: Member-owned hardware and building materials cooperative. Comparable product mix and pro/DIY customer focus, though predominantly smaller-format. Relevant as another co-op-style peer competing in the same home improvement retail market.

Broad incumbents

• Tractor Supply Company: National rural-lifestyle retailer carrying hardware, tools, fencing, and farm/ranch supplies. Overlaps with Menards on hardware, paint, and outdoor/equipment categories but is differentiated by livestock/agricultural focus and suburban-rural store footprint.

Regional players

• RONA: Canadian home improvement retailer owned by Sycamore Partners with a similar big-box format and assortment (lumber, hardware, paint, appliances). Highly relevant as Menards enters Canada, serving as the primary local incumbent in the new market.
• Home Hardware Stores: Canadian dealer-owned hardware and home improvement retailer. Comparable assortment and customer segments to Menards, and a relevant comparable as Menards opens its first Canadian stores.

Emerging players

• Floor & Decor Holdings: Specialty hard-surface flooring retailer with pro and DIY focus. Comparable in pro/DIY customer segments and big-box retail format, though specialized in flooring rather than full-line home improvement; useful as a category adjacencey benchmark.

Others

• Sherwin-Williams: Largest North American paint retailer with strong DIY and pro contractor relationships. Comparable as a paint category supplier/retailer that competes with Menards' paint assortment and serves the same DIY and contractor segments via dedicated stores.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/menards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/menards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Menards