More stores and more sales

Ace Hardware, the internationally active US dealers’ cooperative, has achieved a sales increase of 1.2 per cent in the first six months of the current year compared with the same period last year. Central office puts a figure of $ 1.554 bn (€ 1.415 bn) on sales for the first half of the year 2003. Existing retailers opened 26 outlets during this period, and 41 more stores were added through new members joining the group. What is more, the cooperative has also launched an online shopping feature at its website, www.acehardware.com, which carries a range of 45 000 products. Customers can save up to 70 per cent of shipping charges if they collect their orders from the nearest Ace store.