INDUSTRY REPORT
Q3 2025 Tools & Home Improvement category performance report
Tools & Home Improvement brands are caught in a challenging bind. Despite record-high fulfillment rates and strong inventory management, the category saw Ordered Product Sales decline 6.7% year over year in Q3 2025. At the same time, ad spend surged 47.6% while ROAS declined 16.2%—a combination that's putting serious pressure on profit margins.
The data reveals a fundamental shift: operational excellence alone can't compensate for deteriorating demand and marketing efficiency.
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Key takeaways
- Sales declined despite operational strength: OPS fell 6.7% YoY even as fill rates hit record highs, showing demand softness outweighed supply gains.
- Traffic dropped sharply: Glance views declined 17.6% YoY, reflecting reduced consumer interest in home improvement purchases.
- Prices fell without heavy discounting: ASPs dropped 8.8% YoY while discounts decreased 3.5%, indicating product mix shifts or value-seeking behavior.
- Ad spend surged but returns fell: Marketing investment jumped 47.6% YoY while ROAS declined 16.2%, signaling inefficient spend allocation.
- Margins compressed: Unit margins declined 0.9% despite lower discounting, reflecting cost pressures and price competition.
- Strategic stockouts cost revenue: OOS revenue loss rose 1.9% YoY despite fewer total stockouts, showing high-value items went unavailable.
