
Do it Best
Retail & Consumer Goods · Specialty Retail
- Active units
- 3,919
- Royalty
- 0.0%
Franchised, year-end 2024
of weekly Net Sales
About Do it Best
Do it Best Corporation is a hardware and building materials cooperative based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1945 by Arnold Gerberding and has since grown to become one of the largest hardware cooperatives in the world. The company's headquarters are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where it operates from a 550,000 square foot facility. This central location allows Do it Best to efficiently serve its member-owned retail stores and their customers across the United States and internationally. Do it Best offers a wide range of products and services to its members, including hardware, lumber, building materials, tools, and other home improvement products. The company operates as a cooperative, meaning it is owned by its members who are independent store operators. Through the cooperative, members receive access to a vast selection of high-quality products and benefit from shared resources, such as buying power, merchandising support, and marketing assistance. On a global scale, Do it Best has established partnerships and joint ventures with leading multinational brands, enabling it to extend its reach beyond the United States. Noteworthy subsidiaries and joint ventures include Do it Best Australia, Do it Best China, and Do it Center Mexico. These partnerships allow Do it Best to provide its members with access to international suppliers and products, expanding their offering to customers. In terms of market position, Do it Best is recognized as a prominent player in the hardware industry. With over 4,000 member-owned stores worldwide, the company is able to leverage its collective buying power to negotiate competitive prices and offer a wide variety of products to customers. Do it Best competes with other major hardware cooperatives and home improvement retailers such as Ace Hardware, True Value, and Lowe's. Throughout its history, Do it Best has achieved significant milestones, including being ranked among the top 100 hardware and building materials suppliers in the United States. The company has also been recognized for its commitment to customer service and quality. It continues to adapt and evolve its product lineup and strategies to meet the changing needs of its members and customers. As of the latest available information, Do it Best Corporation remains a thriving cooperative, serving its members and customers with a diverse range of high-quality products and services. The company continues to enhance its position in the global market through strategic partnerships, innovative initiatives, and a customer-centric approach.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$9k
- Brand fund
0.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
0.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
8,000 – 14,000 sq ft
- Veteran discount
Not offered
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2024 filing).
Growth
- Total locations3919
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings124
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate-0.3%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR1.4%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio2.6×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$954k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open135 months
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
↓ Lower is better - Royalty rate0.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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