Menards ranked highest in customer satisfaction among home improvement retailers in the 2026 J.D. Power study.
Rising prices are making shoppers more sensitive to value, even as retailers improve services and digital tools.
Consumers spent an average of $1,617 on home improvement purchases this year, up $278 from 2025.
Consumers say Menards is their favorite home improvement retailer, according to the newly released J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study, which found the chain earned the highest overall customer satisfaction score among major retailers.
Menards received a score of 690 on J.D. Power’s 1,000-point satisfaction scale, ahead of The Home Depot at 679 and Ace Hardware at 673. The industry average was 672.
Menards primarily serves the Midwest and parts of the northern Great Plains. The chain has stores in about 15 states, with its strongest presence in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, and the Dakotas. It has also expanded into Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Wyoming, and recently, Pennsylvania.
The study found that consumers appreciate improvements in product availability, digital shopping tools and expanded services such as rentals, delivery, installation assistance and rewards programs. However, those gains were offset by growing frustration over higher prices.
“Although there have been meaningful gains in most operational areas, shoppers cannot ignore the rising prices,” Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service at J.D. Power, said in the report.
The average amount consumers spent at home improvement retailers climbed to $1,617 in 2026, an increase of $278 from the previous year, according to the study.
Where stores lost ground
J.D. Power said concerns about “value for price paid” and declining trust in retailers were the biggest drags on overall satisfaction this year. Even as companies invest more heavily in technology and delivery options, shoppers still value knowledgeable employees and in-store advice, the study found.
The research was based on responses from 2,231 customers who purchased home improvement products within the previous 12 months. The study measured satisfaction across eight categories, including customer service, product selection, digital tools, store experience and return policies.