TL;DR
Do it Best Group announced its 2026 Vendors of the Year at the company’s Fall Market, naming Scotts Miracle-Gro, Halex, Diablo and Georgia-Pacific Gypsum for four overall awards. The group also recognized suppliers in dozens of merchandise departments; the report does not provide award criteria scores or details about how winners were selected.
Do it Best Group recognized its 2026 Vendors of the Year at its 2026 Fall Market, naming Scotts Miracle-Gro for overall sales growth, Halex Company for supply chain excellence, Diablo for outstanding products, support and services, and Georgia-Pacific Gypsum for lumber and building materials excellence. The annual awards highlight supplier partners serving the group’s independent hardware, lumber and home improvement retailers.
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The four top awards covered separate areas of vendor performance: sales growth, supply chain performance, product and customer support, and building materials. Do it Best’s announcement said the awards recognize suppliers in areas including sales growth, supply chain performance, product innovation and customer support. It did not publish numerical results or explain how the four overall winners were assessed against one another.
The company also announced department awards spanning a broad range of retail categories. Recipients included Simpson Strong-Tie for building materials, PrimeSource for direct building materials, Klein Tools for rough electrical, Energizer for decorative electrical, Broil King for grills and outdoor entertaining, and Channellock for hand tools. Other honorees included Clorox, Newell Brands, West Fraser, Weyerhaeuser and SharkBite.
Some categories named more than one winner. In millwork and interior solutions, Do it Best recognized Surface Shields, Wolf Home Products and Metrie. The announcement also named suppliers in areas such as lumber distribution, global sourcing, rental, sporting goods, paint, plumbing, outdoor power equipment and store supplies.
Awards Span Independent Retail Supply
The awards offer a view of the supplier relationships Do it Best says support its independent retailers. These businesses rely on vendors for merchandise, product availability and services across many departments; supplier performance can affect the products stores can offer and their ability to serve local customers. The announcement identifies the areas the group chose to recognize, but does not quantify the awards’ effect on store sales or operations.
For suppliers, department-level recognition puts their names alongside specific merchandise categories, while the four overall honors call out broader areas such as growth and supply chain performance. The list also reflects the breadth of goods associated with the group’s retail network, from building products and tools to home essentials and outdoor equipment. Do it Best did not say whether the awards involved member voting, performance thresholds or another selection process.
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Recognition at the Fall Market
The recognition was part of Do it Best Group’s 2026 Fall Market, according to the report published by Hardware Retailing on November 10, 2026. The event provided the setting for the company to name both overall honorees and suppliers recognized by merchandise department. The supplied report does not give the market’s dates, location or additional event details.
Do it Best describes the awards as an annual recognition of vendor partners. Its stated areas of focus include sales, supply-chain performance, product innovation and customer support. This year’s announcement lists recipients and award categories, but does not include prior-year winners or comparisons that would show how the 2026 results differ from earlier awards.
“Our vendor partners are essential to the success of our independent retailers.”
— Jason Stofleth, chief merchandising officer at Do it Best Group
Selection Details Not Published
The announcement does not explain how winners were chosen, whether retailers participated in judging, or what measures determined awards such as sales growth and supply chain excellence. It also gives no scorecards, sales figures, service data or performance comparisons for the recipients.
Do it Best did not disclose whether the awards came with financial benefits, changes to supplier arrangements or other formal outcomes. The report confirms the honorees and their categories, but offers no further detail about the award process or individual vendors’ performance during the evaluation period.
No Further Milestones Announced
Do it Best said it looks forward to continuing its work with vendor partners and pursuing opportunities for shared growth. The announcement did not identify specific follow-up plans, changes to retailer programs or a date for the next awards. Further details may come from the company or its vendors, but none were included in the report.
Key Questions
Who received Do it Best’s 2026 overall vendor awards?
Scotts Miracle-Gro received the overall sales growth award, Halex Company was recognized for supply chain excellence, Diablo for outstanding products, support and services, and Georgia-Pacific Gypsum for building materials excellence.
When were the awards announced?
The awards were presented during the 2026 Fall Market. Hardware Retailing published its report on November 10, 2026.
Were suppliers recognized outside the four overall categories?
Yes. Do it Best also named vendors across dozens of merchandise departments, including tools, plumbing, building materials, home essentials, lawn and garden, and outdoor products.
How did Do it Best select the award winners?
The announcement says the awards recognize areas such as sales growth, supply chain performance, product innovation and customer support, but it does not describe the selection process or scoring criteria.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
