Brandwave

How popular isMenards?

In September 2026, people searched for Menards by name about 6.1 million times in the United States, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 11.4% of all United States hardware store brand searches, placing Menards third out of four brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about hardware store brands, Menards appeared in all answers and was the fourth most recommended of the four.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Menards is the third most searched of 4 competitors and the fourth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Home DepotShare of searches 56.9%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. Lowe'sShare of searches 25.4%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. MenardsShare of searches 11.4%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. Ace HardwareShare of searches 6.3%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top hardware store brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Menards appeared in all three answers. Menards is the fourth most recommended of the four.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Home Depot1st
  2. Lowe's2nd
  3. Ace Hardware3rd
  4. Menards4th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Home Depot3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Lowe's3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Menards3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Ace Hardware3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about hardware store brands

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which hardware store brand should I shop at in the US?”

    1. 1Home Depot
    2. 2Lowe's
    3. 3Ace Hardware
    4. 4Menards

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best hardware store brands in the US?”

    1. 1Home Depot
    2. 2Lowe's
    3. 3Ace Hardware
    4. 4Menards

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best hardware store brand in the US for home repairs?”

    1. 1Home Depot
    2. 2Lowe's
    3. 3Ace Hardware
    4. 4Menards

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “home improvement store”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “cheap hardware store”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 19, 2026.

Which hardware store brands compete with Menards?

Menards against hardware store brands in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Ace Hardware. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthHome DepotLowe'sMenardsAce Hardware
Oct 202556.1%25.1%11.3%7.5%
Nov 202557.3%25.6%9.4%7.7%
Dec 202560.1%22%9.9%8.1%
Jan 202657.3%25.6%9.4%7.7%
Feb 202657.3%25.6%9.4%7.7%
Mar 202658.1%25.9%9.6%6.4%
Apr 202656.9%25.4%11.4%6.3%
May 202656.1%25%11.3%7.5%
Jun 202653.8%24.1%13.2%8.9%
Jul 202656.1%25.1%11.3%7.5%
Aug 202656.1%25.1%11.3%7.5%
Sep 202656.9%25.4%11.4%6.3%

  1. 1.Home Depot

    56.9%

    Held 1st. 30.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.8 points.

  2. 2.Lowe's

    25.4%

    Held 2nd. 13.6M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  3. 3.Menards

    11.4%

    Held 3rd. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  4. 4.Ace Hardware

    6.3%

    Held 4th. 3.4M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

Compare popularity between Menards and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Menards

3 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Menards changed in the United States over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Menards in the United States held steady at 6.1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Menards’ share of searches among hardware store brands in the United States peaked at 13.2% in June 2026 and was lowest at 9.4% in February 2026.

How did search popularity change for United States hardware store brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Home Depot gained share of searches among hardware store brands in the United States, from 56.1% to 56.9%.

  2. In September 2026, Ace Hardware lost share of searches among hardware store brands in the United States, from 7.5% to 6.3%.

How are Menards’ branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Menards’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • menards

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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