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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Ace Hardware vs Smallman Tools

    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 FDDSmallman Tools2025 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Ace Hardware

    $134,600 – $2,001,550

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Smallman Tools

    Not available

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Ace Hardware

    Not available

    Smallman Tools

    $10,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 3

    Royalty · Item 6

    Ace Hardware

    Not available

    Smallman Tools

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2025 FDDs.
    • Ace Hardware discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Ace Hardware has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Ace Hardware

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

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    No reviewed Item 7 total
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Smallman Tools

    $10,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 3
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    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

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

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

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

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

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Smallman Tools

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

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Ace Hardware

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Smallman Tools

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    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
    Smallman Tools

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    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 Smallman Tools: common questions

    Do Ace Hardware and Smallman Tools disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Ace Hardware has reviewed Item 19 figures for 8 location groups; Smallman Tools makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. 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 Smallman Tools report

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

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    FDD glossary

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