For the past 55 years, the Retailers’ Choice Awards have shared insights from independent retailers on the best products on display at the National Hardware Show.
The awards, presented by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) during the show in Las Vegas, honor manufacturers for their innovation.
The Retailers’ Choice Awards differ from most award programs in that they rely on the opinions of actual retailers who know what their colleagues need in a product to attract customers. The judges were all independent home improvement retailers who walked the show floor and selected products they felt were unique and interesting.
This year’s panel included:
Cody Goeppner, Bleyhl Co-Op, director of Retail Operations
Roman Chavez, Bleyhl Co-Op, retail manager
Robin Smith, Petersburg Hardware
Dennis Bishop, Petersburg Hardware
Sherry Bishop, Petersburg Hardware
Brian Johnson, Sunpro Retail Manager
Ian McNaughton, Owner, Gravenhurst Home Hardware
On the following pages, discover which products retailers felt had the most potential to excite customers and boost sales in their operation.
Paint Markers
Faro Tools | farotools.com
SaberPaint® RT Capless Paint Markers feature a patented retractable system that requires only one hand to operate. They are non-toxic,
chloride-free, Xylene-free and Prop. 65 compliant. The alcohol-based formula is permanent and resists fading. The markers are available in black, blue, green, red, yellow and white.
Collapsible Crate
Us Merchants | usmerchants.com
The Greenmade Instacrate Grande collapsible tote by US Merchants features 16 ½ gallons of storage. They’re stackable and suitable for tailgating, picnicking and storage needs where flexibility is a plus.
Mortar Mixer
Tomorrow’s Tools | mudnmoremixball.com
The MixBall is designed for mixing small batches of construction materials such as fast-setting drywall mud, plaster, mortars and grouts. The kit includes the 56-ounce, nonstick mixing ball, one 6-inch waterproof spatula mixing bit and two cups for easy measuring. After mixing, squeeze the sides of the MixBall to dispense the blended material. The flexible MixBall is easy to clean, both wet and dry. Leftover material that has fully set in the MixBall crumbles out with just a simple squeeze of the ball.
Branded Clapper
Faro Tools | clapon.com
The Clapper from Joseph Enterprises operates an appliance with just two claps. Plug The Clapper into an outlet and connect to an appliance. Clap three times to turn on the night light and hear quotes from Disney Plus’ “The Mandalorian.” The night light features The Child from the show.
Holster Tool
Spider Gear LLC | spidertoolholster.com
Designed for efficiency and durability, the Spider BitGripper features a peel-and-stick 3M adhesive backing that securely attaches to any drill or impact driver and holds three to six driver bits so workers can switch bits on the go.
Roller Cleaner
Monkey Rung Products | rollerready.com
Patented new Roller Ready® enables painters to clean and reuse dirty paint roller covers quickly and easily. Roller Ready attaches directly to existing cordless drills. It cleans and dries dirty paint roller covers in seconds from the inside out thanks to proprietary vent grooves and is compact to transport, storing easily in any toolbox. The plastic version cleans rollers up to 9 inches while the aluminum version (recommended for pros) cleans rollers up to 18 inches.
Grip-Free Paintbrush
Freeform | freeformbrush.com
The patented design of the FreeForm Grip-Free Paintbrush allows the fingers to relax, resulting in improved control, greatly reduced fatigue and a better painting experience. The striking colors and signature design stand out on the shelf and it is available in interior, exterior and all-purpose.
Multifunction Carrier
Boxtown Products | boxtownproducts.com
Boxtown Team XL Carrier is a multi-purpose hand tool for carrying A-frame ladders, paint cans, extension ladders, drywall, sheet metal, plywood and more. It removes extra strain and increases safety when having to hand transport these heavy objects.
Scented Strip Gel
Dumond | dumondglobal.com
The Safe ‘n Easy line of nondrip paint removers provides DIY end users with easy to use water-based, non-toxic gel products in a variety of pleasant scents to strip paint around the home, office or business. It is a unique product that removes up to 15 layers of oil, latex and acrylic-based coatings, stains and varnishes in a single application without using any harsh or dangerous chemicals.
Paint Cup
DZ Innovation | touchupcup.com
The Touch Up Cup stores excess paint for over 10 years. The patented Touch Up Cup has extra threads, silicone seal and blending sphere making it easy to touch up paint. It solves the problem of rust and clumps in leftover paint.
Magnetic Wall Hooks
Gator Magnetics | gatormagnetics.com
Gator Magnetics is a patented magnetic storage solution that holds exponentially more weight than ordinary magnets or glue strips and can easily be removed and relocated to any of the many steel surfaces commonly found in the garage, workshop, laundry room, pantry or office. It will not damage the surface or leave a gummy residue and can be used with the Gator Wall System.
Hand Truck
UpCart | upcart.com
UpCart® Lift NG is a new model with a 200-pound load capacity range and improved handling and load management. UpCart® Lift NG offers visual and tactile latching in folded and unfolded states, a taller handle, a narrower wheel track, operation on two wheels, a more convenient handle mechanism for adjusting telescopic frame, more compact folding and decreased weight.
