With a few days left in 2016 (give or take), let’s have a look at the current state of the farm-and-home space pulled from Chain Store Guide’s Database of  Home Center Operators & Hardware Chains. In addition to the home centers and hardware retailers conveniently called out in its name, the database also includes farm-and-home retailers and co-ops; flooring, kitchen-and-bath, door-and-window, paint and home décor chains; lumberyards, garden centers and nurseries; and finally suppliers and distributors of building materials.

Here are the Top 16 chains in the industry – by store count – at the end of 2016.

Source: Chain Store Guide’s Home Center Operators & Hardware Chains Database. *Includes 26 Del’s locations.

Notes
• Tractor Supply closed a deal in September to acquire Petsense, a 140+ unit chain of small-format pet stores.

• Rural King added 7 stores.

• The big mover of 2016 in the less-than-100 store group was Family Farm & Home; its store count increased by 9.

• Orscheln Farm & Home, #3 on this list, opened 6 new stores.