5 Best Hardware Stores in Winnipeg
Whether you want to start a small renovation or a major redevelopment project for your house, finding the right hardware store is a crucial part of the process.
What your local hardware store can and cannot do for you often draws the line between the success and failure of your undertaking. So when we say choose wisely, we really mean it.
So which store in Winnipeg offers the best home improvement products and services?
Best Hardware Store in Winnipeg
Well, not one store is perfect in itself. Whether it’s a small neighborhood shop or a multi-million dollar big box store, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
So in order to keep our entry relevant to what you need, we rated the shops on this list based on the following criteria.
1. Lowe’s Home Improvement
Prices | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Services | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Customer feedback | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
When talking about hardware stores, the name “Lowe’s” easily pops into the conversation. After all, it’s one of the big-box hardware stores in Canada with over a century of industry experience.
As one of the largest hardware stores, it prides itself in having a wide selection of items from different brands across the world to cover all your home improvement needs.
Whether you are looking for paints to color your home, construction tools and supplies, outdoor and indoor furniture, appliances, gardening items, and even exercise equipment, Lowe’s has a lot in store for you.
One of the things we like about Lowe’s products is that they are priced very competitively.
In fact, it is so competitive that the store offers a Price Match policy where if you find a similar product at a lower price from other stores, Lowe’s will match the price and beat it by 10% when requested.
We are also fond of Lowe’s plethora of services for its customers. Other than the usual shipping, delivery, and installation services, it also offers to recycle your damaged household items for free.
The store also has credit and financing services for small businesses or large corporations. So if you are looking to remodel or redecorate your office, this might be something to think about.
On the other hand, we think the store could have improved its online shopping services for its customers. Products on the website are occasionally outdated and email confirmations often take days to arrive.
Also, it seems that the store lacks the manpower to spare on its curbside pick-up services. You’ll often find yourself waiting for your item, if not going inside the store to pick it up yourself.
On the plus side, Lowe’s has plenty of friendly and helpful staff ready to help you with your concerns. Though you can’t expect them all to be experts, still, they try.
All in all, Lowe’s Home Improvement is a Fortune 500 company for a reason. With its variety of items and services, it’s a strong store to start this list off!
Pros
- Very competitive prices
- Wide selection of items and services
- Opens early and closes late
Cons
- Online shopping could use a little work
- Less than admirable curbside pick-up services
Customer Reviews
Above and beyond
I’m from 6.5 hours away. There was a sale on paint which was too good to pass up. Trying to coordinate from out of town is always difficult. Especially with so many options. Brianna was a huge help. Was able to make my paint order (16 gallons of paint) have it ready for me. And honour a sale price after the online order didn’t work properly. Makes a customer experience 100x better when workers put in true effort. Thank you muchly! – Devon Day, Google Reviews
Great prices
Lowe’s will always be my go-to store in the city for anything home improvement related! I think the prices are very good compared to their competitors and the store is extremely well organized. Staff are also very helpful and there are many staff members in each section of the store! Richard, Google Reviews
2. Home & Garden RONA
Prices | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Services | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Customer feedback | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
RONA may not have operated as long as Lowe’s but it still has over 8 decades of experience in the bank. It also has a network of more than 375 stores, making it one of the largest hardware stores in Canada.
RONA is also popular for having vast in-store and online products available for its customers. It’s got most, if not all, of what you need for your backyard, your home, and even a few pieces of equipment to stay fit.
We also like that the store promotes environment-friendly products and services. In fact, RONA has a recycling program as well and over 5,000 eco-products, from appliances to building materials.
Other than being environmental, the store also promotes patriotism by featuring “Well Made Here” products. In case you’re unfamiliar, these are quality building materials and other products made by Canadian manufacturers.
RONA also offers tons of services to its customers. It has an online shopping service, appliance delivery, express shipping, and various installation services.
We also love that its websites offer plenty of guides for those who want to DIY their home projects. It shares tips on the latest trends, what to buy, and how to start planning, just to name a few.
On the other hand, we feel like the online shopping experience leaves much to be desired. Turnaround times are slower than promised and you’ll require constant communication for your purchase to go through.
Unfortunately, the in-store experience isn’t much improvement either. The layout of the store would confuse first-time goers and there are only a few staff stationed around to help you with inquiries.
Still, with its wide selection of items, competitive prices, and enticing weekly deals, RONA is a great place for all your home improvement needs!
Pros
- Wide range of products and services
- Well Made Here and Eco-products available
- Informative website
Cons
- Lackluster customer service
- Online shopping service could be improved
- Needs more in-store organization
Customer Reviews
Knowledgeable staff
My husband and I spent 2 hours in the appliance department and gained the most useful information and knowledge about all appliances and name brands. With the awesome sales clerk, Sheri, we were able to make the best selection for our needs! No pressure and no heavy sales pitch to push a certain product! We would recommend Rona for any appliance purchase. – Sandy Scott, Google Reviews
Positive experience
It’s a big box tools, etc store. We often pop in on our way up our weekly grocery shopping at Superstore. I’ve had really good experiences with different staff there over the years. From the lumberyard to customer service to on the floor looking for items or advice, I feel like every interaction with staff that I’ve had has been positive. – Tim Cruickshank, Google Reviews
3. Lee Valley
Prices | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Selection | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Services | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Customer feedback | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Lee Valley is a family-owned hardware store with over 20 shops across Canada. Although it started as a small shop for woodworking tools, over 43 years of operation made it one of the award-winning stores in the country.
As a matter of fact, Lee Valley has won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Retail Council of Canada, the WOW Awards from Leger, and Canada’s Best Employers Award from Forbes. And that’s just in 2018 alone!
Lee Valley has a variety of products available in-store. It features tools, project supplies, electronics, kitchen equipment, gardening materials, and other home improvement products.
However, one caveat about Lee Valley is that while the store has a plethora of products in-store, it mainly specializes in woodworking and gardening items.
This means that if you are looking for appliances, furniture, or smart technologies to add at home, you probably won’t see them at Lee Valley.
Also, the store does not offer some of the services that other big box stores on this list do. It is limited to online orders, store pick-ups, shipping, returns, and catalog mailing.
However, what the store lacks in hardware items and home services, it makes up for in how it serves its customers. Firstly, it’s doing a better job with its online shopping services than our first 2 stores on this list.
Secondly, it occasionally conducts free product and skill demonstrations. It also holds various events where a specific service is offered to the customers free of charge.
Lee Valley conducts workshops and in-depth skills training taught by several experts. So if you want to improve your DIY skills, this is the place to go.
If you’re an artisan, a gardener, a woodworker, or just a simple nature lover, Lee Valley would definitely be right up your alley!
Pros
- Excellent customer service
- Award-winning store
- Free skill and product demos
Cons
- Limited home improvement products
- Limited store services
- Opens later and closes earlier than others
Customer Reviews
Great selection
Lee Valley is a gem! So many great products you won’t find anywhere else. Of course, it is largely about woodworking but even if that is not your forte they have great household, garden, and kitchen items. Today I bought a special hardware piece for a key box I am making and a garlic press for my kitchen. – Ken Ross, Google Reviews
Clean environment
A great place for all your needs. Look at them online and then visit the store and see what else they have. All staff have amazing knowledge. Always a clean and comfortable environment.- Leon Be, Google Reviews
4. Peavey Mart
Prices | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Selection | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Services | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer feedback | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Peavey Mart is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated hardware store who goes all the way back to 1967. Over half a century later, the company now has grown to 89 stores spread all across the country.
The store has its origin as a marketplace for farm and agricultural products. And even after expanding its departments, it has still retained its reputation as such.
In fact, people know Peavy Mart as their go-to place for farm, ranch, garden, hardware, and other agricultural and homesteading supplies.
The store also features various work wear, outdoor living equipment, and a few home improvement products.
Peavy Mart is a great place for mechanics or car enthusiasts who are looking for various auto parts and accessories. It also features over 60,000 parts for farm equipment repairs.
That being said, its specialization in homesteading supplies made it lacking in products and services that other big box hardware stores offer.
For starters, it’s not really the best place to look for appliances, indoor furniture, smart home techs, and decors. And another, its services are limited to what it sells.
Still, its specialization has an upside. Other than the usual online ordering, curbside pickups, and shipping services, Peavy Mart also offers an after-purchase equipment repair service, which is unlike any other hardware store in the area.
We also like Peavy Mart’s offer to add fuel to any qualified outdoor power equipment that you purchased. So once you exit the shop, you don’t have to worry about gassing up anymore.
All told, Peavy Mart is an award-winning store with a wide variety of products and highly-rated customer service that are definitely worth checking out.
Pros
- Wide selection of homesteading supplies
- After-purchase repair and service
- Unique in-store products
Cons
- Comparatively pricey items
- Slow turnaround times for online orders
- Limited home improvement products
Customer Reviews
Convenient location
My experience first time entering the store was great. One of the staff was very helpful, quick to assist, and valued my business. I was purchasing several items, he explained their policies well and answered all questions, extended some old sale prices to me, and allowed me to open and have a thorough look at some of the items I bought. The store is fairly new and you can tell. Seems fresh, lots of stock, and plenty of items. It’s like Home Depot married Princess Auto in there and moved to the farm. This location is now my preferred store vs the other one. Quick access if you’re coming off the South perimeter. I’ll be back often. – C.A.N., Google Reviews
Helpful staff
Must-have store in Winnipeg for buying backyard farming and raising chickens in the backyards. Usually buy my chicken feeds from here. In the spring, the chicks could be ordered through the store. There are a lot of stuffs for pets and other animals as well. The staffs are very helpful and nice. – Sung Joon Kim, Google Reviews
5. The Home Depot
Prices | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Services | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Customer feedback | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
It’s not a surprise to anyone that The Home Depot would be on this list. As one of the top Fortune 500 companies, it would be much more surprising if it wasn’t.
After more than 4 decades of being in the industry, The Home Depot has over 2,300 stores in several countries. Calling it a big box store seems like an understatement now.
The Home Depot prides itself in having a huge selection of in-store products. Ranging from your handheld tools to a variety of building materials, it has got you covered.
We also like its plethora of store and home services. One of the most appealing services to us is its tool and vehicle rental services for both big and small projects.
This is great if you are planning to DIY a one-off project without buying expensive pieces of equipment. And if you need large materials to be hauled to your home, its cargo van rental service is also to the rescue.
The Home Depot helps its customers in installing their store-bought items. In fact, the store and its partners offer installation for most appliances and structures in and out of the house.
On the downside, it suffers from one of the problems big stores often face, which is lacking the manpower to cater to very customers’ needs. Often, staffs give unfocused attention or are simply too busy with other work to be bothered.
Being short-staffed, the store also struggles to keep up with online orders. This often results in slower turnaround times, failed curbside pick-ups, and constant follow-up calls.
Nonetheless, The Home Depot’s great selection and competitive prices have earned it more than a thousand positive reviews and even more happy customers.
Pros
- Large selection of in-store items
- Complete store and home services
- Competitive prices
Cons
- Online shopping service could be improved
- Often short-handed
- Delivery services could be better
Customer Reviews
Kind and professional staff
The staff was very friendly and helpful. Special shout-out to Jagjeet from the kitchen and bath department. She works patiently to provide me with any items I need. She is very helpful, kind, and polite. Her customer service is amazing! – Taran Azad, Google Reviews
Awesome customer service
Yesterday we came in to purchase a dryer. We were immediately greeted by your sales associate, Guy. He was absolutely fantastic in both customer service and knowledge!
The only reason we didn’t purchase from you was due to the fact there was none available immediately and due to many factors, it would be a couple of weeks delivery time.
I would like to say thank you and to let you know what excellent staff members you have!
Will definitely be back for future purchases! – Kristy D, Google Reviews
FAQs about Hardware Stores
Not one store is perfect, yes. So remember, the goal is not finding perfection, but the store with the right balance of product, price, and service.
Did our list help you find what you’re looking for? Let us know what you think!