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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Ace Hardware vs Clothes Bin

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Ace Hardware2025 FDDClothes Bin2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Ace Hardware

    $134,600 – $2,001,550

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Clothes Bin

    $168,940 – $227,380

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Ace Hardware

    Not available

    Clothes Bin

    $49,500

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13

    Royalty · Item 6

    Ace Hardware

    Not available

    Clothes Bin

    $120 weekly

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    Before you compare

    • Ace Hardware figures come from its 2025 FDD and Clothes Bin figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Ace Hardware discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Ace Hardware: 8, Clothes Bin: 3). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Ace Hardware

    $134,600 – $2,001,550
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Clothes Bin

    $168,940 – $227,380
    TOTAL ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Clothes Bin

    $49,500
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Clothes Bin

    $120 weekly
    Continuing Royalty Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Ace Hardware

    $65
    Digital Circular: $65/month; advertising placement $425/month per store
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Clothes Bin

    $0.00
    National Marketing Fund Fee — per Bin per week
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    5,144
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74

    Clothes Bin

    99
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    +277
    Calculated: 4,867 at end of 2022 → 5,144 at end of 2024

    Clothes Bin

    +56
    Calculated: 43 at end of 2023 → 99 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Clothes Bin

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Clothes Bin

    January 2015
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Clothes Bin

    Formed in December 2014
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 9

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Ace Hardware
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2023 RFR participating Ace branded single-store Reporting Stores in the Super H…
    $5,308,506
    other Super Hardware Format average annual sales volume
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Participating Ace branded single-store Reporting Stores in the 2023 RFR
    689 stores
    other Number of participating Ace branded Reporting Stores in 2023 RFR
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2023 RFR Reporting Stores in the Super Hardware Format
    $1,301,349
    other Super Hardware Format low annual sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73
    +5 more groups in the full report
    Clothes Bin
    Franchised (38 franchisees) — other measures — 38 reporting franchisees
    467,012 pounds
    mean Pounds Collected in 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Franchised (38 franchisees) — other measures — 38 reporting Franchisees’ Bin Locations in operation during 2025
    44 Bin Locations
    mean Annual Number of Total Bin Locations
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62
    Franchised (48 locations) — other measures
    $0.43 per pound
    mean Price per Pound Sold through Franchisor’s National Buyer Program
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Ace Hardware vs Clothes Bin: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Ace Hardware or Clothes Bin?
    Ace Hardware: $134,600 – $2,001,550 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Clothes Bin: $168,940 – $227,380 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Ace Hardware. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Ace Hardware or Clothes Bin?
    Ace Hardware: 5,144 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 74); Clothes Bin: 99 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Ace Hardware and Clothes Bin disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Ace Hardware has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Clothes Bin has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Ace Hardware report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Clothes Bin report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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