The Italian hardware wholesalers market is made up of a large number of operators, resulting in a much more fragmented market compared to other countries.

Organized large-scale distribution accounts for about 1,000 stores and just over a third of the market’s total turnover, the remaining 65% is divided among over 10,000 independent stores, often in small towns and city centers, which offer proximity, advice and services.

For manufacturers, interested in the Italian hardware market, having a commercial contact with all these businesses is almost impossible and usually the market of traditional retailers is served through wholesalers, who have the ability to serve the territory in which they operate in a widespread manner.

Normally, a wholesaler operates in a region or a limited area of the Italian territory, but most of them are associated with other operators so they create aggregations that cover the entire Italian territory.

The Italian hardware market as a whole has five wholesale associations and more than one hundred companies specialized in the distribution of DIY and garden products. The largest consortium is Ferritalia, with 10 members and a total turnover of approximately 275 million euros, while the largest wholesaler in the Italian hardware market is A. Capaldo, which alone has a turnover of more than 100 million euros.

In addition to distributing the most important brands, wholesalers often directly import part of the products in the catalog, either under their own brand or by introducing brands that are not present in Italy. So much so that it is quite common for a company’s first step into the Italian market to take place through a distribution agreement with a wholesaler.

In these maps you can find the main wholesalers operating on the Italian territory and the associations they belong to, with the turnover data referring to 2023. Download the maps below.

Among the various wholesalers operating in the Italian Hardware Market there are substantial differences, some are specialized in import, others in brand enhancement, for some a large percentage of their turnover is represented by private label, for others it is a less important aspect. For those interested in understanding how the various wholesalers operate, in the coming months we will present the most important wholesalers and associations.