The Newest Home Improvement Brand We Can't Wait For (Watch Out, Home Depot & Lowe's)

Every home improvement DIYer has a favorite spot to shop. Sure, maybe they've cheated on the Home Depot once or twice during a sale at Ace Hardware, or occasionally bop over to Lowe's for the fall plants worth buying there. In general, however, customers tend to stick to their tried-and-true shops.

But that could be about to change. A hot new home improvement store has entered the U.S. marketplace with its first brick-and-mortar location, and it's possible that your favorite DIYer might find it's their new favorite store. VEVOR is a home improvement brand that sells similar home and garden merchandise to competitors like The Home Depot or Lowe's, often at budget-friendly prices. The company launched in Shanghai back in 2007. Since then, it's grown to become available to online customers across the globe. And as of February 2026, it's now available to in-person customers in Houston. The company said it chose the Texas city in part because of its bounty of homeowners, contractors, and DIYers, and noted that it hoped it was its first of many forays into major American cities.

VEVOR's entrance on the scene is shaking things up because while the store offers the same types of products as its American competitors, it operates with a bit of a different model. VEVOR customers typically buy the product online first. Then, they can come pick it up in the store, where they have access to what the company calls a "Hands-On Pro Zone." There, customers can check out tools in demonstration areas.

The model helps cut some of the costs of maintaining large stores, since VEVOR prides itself on maintaining accessible price points. But some reviewers and DIY enthusiasts who have bought the lower-priced products online have complained that the cost-cutting methods are leading to an inconsistent product base. Some have noted that trying to return or replace items is a huge headache. Others have compared to the retailer to scoring deals at Harbor Freight — it's a place where you can get tools at great prices, especially if you're not going to be using them often. You might end up with a solid workhorse that lasts years, or you might end up with something less reliable.

Despite some of the less-than-stellar reviews, though, the timing is right for a VEVOR takeover. There are fewer homeowners shopping at Home Depot in 2025, and the big stores are always battling each other for supremacy and facing competition from online competitors like Amazon. Only time will tell whether VEVOR is the next big name in U.S. home improvement, or if customers in 2026 and beyond will stick to their current favorite.