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Canada’s tool and hardware wholesaling industry has managed volatility in recent years, shaped by shifting construction cycles, supply chain shocks and regional divergence in demand. Housing starts surged to nearly 271,000 units in 2021 during the pandemic, lifting fast-moving SKUs and renovation tools, before momentum rotated toward purpose-built rentals and non-residential investment that reached $66.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025. Wholesalers absorbed elevated material costs, input shortages and persistent freight and wage inflation, with steady demand in Calgary and Edmonton and slower conditions in Toronto and Vancouver because of high costs and weak condo presales. Revenue has risen at a 1.9% CAGR over the period and is expected to reach $21.8 billion in 2025, when revenue will rise an estimated 0.7%.
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IBISWorld's research coverage on the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released October 2025.
The Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada operates under the NAICS industry code 41633CA. This industry wholesales a range of hardware products including fasteners, hand tools, power tools, locks and keys, metal knives and saw blades. Wholesalers purchase products in bulk and distribute them at competitive prices to users in the manufacturing, construction and commercial sectors. However, this industry does not distribute motor vehicle hand tools or machinists’ precision hand tools. Related terms covered in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada include fasteners, power tools, wholesale bypass and do-it-yourself (diy).
Products and services covered in Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada include Fasteners wholesaling, Hand and power tools wholesaling and Panellings, roofing, wallboards, mouldings and sidings.
The Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada is highly fragmented with no companies holding a market share greater than 5%.
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada.
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The market size of the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada is $21.8bn in 2026.
There are 1,081 businesses in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.4 % between 2020 and 2025.
The Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
The Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
The market size of the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 1.9 % between 2020 and 2025.
Over the next five years, the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada is expected to grow.
Fasteners wholesaling and Hand and power tools wholesaling are part of the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada.
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Tool & Hardware Wholesaling industry in Canada.