Ace Hardware vs Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership
Two franchise systems, side by side. For a software vendor, they are not the same opportunity.
More open target
Ace Hardware
wins 3 of 12 vendor rows
Ace Hardware’s sheer scale makes it the obvious choice. With 4,982 franchised locations versus Aaron’s paltry 224, the total addressable market is over 22x larger. That’s not just more doors to sell into—it’s a network effect play. An
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Ace Hardware
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Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership
Total units
5,250
1,162
Franchised units
4,982
224
Unit growth YoY
1.986%
0%
Average unit revenue (AUV)
—
—
Royalty
—
6%
Ad fund
—
5%
Initial franchise fee
$5K
$35K
Investment range (low)
$612K
$307K
Investment range (high)
$2.02M
$838K
Procurement model
Approved supplier
Approved supplier
FDD fiscal year
2026
2026
Filing freshness
CURRENT
CURRENT
Common questions
Ace Hardware vs Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, answered
Ace Hardware has 5,250 total units and Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership has 1,162, so Ace Hardware is the larger system.
Ace Hardware grew units +1.986% year over year vs 0% for Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, so Ace Hardware is growing faster.
Ace Hardware's initial franchise fee is $5K and Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership's is $35K, so Ace Hardware has the lower fee.
Ace Hardware's initial investment runs $612K–$2.02M and Aaron's and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership's runs $307K–$838K, so Ace Hardware requires the larger investment.
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