Our Tool Stores Industry Analysis sets the stage for understanding how the leading brands are stacking up online.
From traffic dominance to customer trust, we’ve analysed the numbers to help you sharpen your strategy. Want the full breakdown?
You can get your free 69‑page report here for more profound insight.
Which tool stores dominate organic traffic?
When it comes to search visibility, Screwfix sits firmly at the top of the heap, pulling in over 10.47 million in organic traffic last May. Close behind, RS (659 K) and ITS (393 K) secure second and third, while Machine Mart (302 K), Kärcher (241 K) and Ryobi Tools (230 K) round out the top five. The full top 10 includes Gtech, Power Tool World, Powertoolmate and Big Red Power Tools, each demonstrating strong digital presence.
Organic traffic is a leading indicator of visibility. If you’re not growing your share of market here, you’re leaving revenue on the table. A quick win is to audit your top-performing pages and replicate their structure across new categories.
Here’s how the top 30 stack up:
| Overall rank | YoY Change | Brand | Organic Traffic May 8, 24 | Organic Traffic May 8, 23 | YoY Change | Compared to Market |
| 1 | 0 | screwfix.com | 10,475,369 | 10,591,730 | -1% | -1% |
| 2 | 0 | uk.rs-online.com | 659,455 | 681,408 | -3% | -3% |
| 3 | 0 | its.co.uk | 392,974 | 407,824 | -4% | -4% |
| 4 | 0 | machinemart.co.uk | 302,466 | 312,944 | -3% | -3% |
| 5 | 0 | kaercher.com | 240,716 | 235,951 | 2% | 2% |
| 6 | 0 | uk.ryobitools.eu | 229,500 | 234,515 | -2% | -2% |
| 7 | 3 | gtech.co.uk | 193,345 | 100,920 | 92% | 92% |
| 8 | -1 | powertoolworld.co.uk | 165,074 | 181,279 | -9% | -9% |
| 9 | -1 | powertoolmate.co.uk | 109,859 | 129,077 | -15% | -15% |
| 10 | -1 | bigredpowertools.co.uk | 103,117 | 119,272 | -14% | -14% |
| 11 | 2 | shop.stihl.co.uk | 94,343 | 76,696 | 23% | 23% |
| 12 | 13 | ukplanettools.co.uk | 85,991 | 46,084 | 87% | 87% |
| 13 | -2 | axminstertools.com | 85,681 | 84,695 | 1% | 1% |
| 14 | 4 | husqvarna.com | 80,387 | 56,271 | 43% | 43% |
| 15 | -3 | tools4trade.co.uk | 73,603 | 80,628 | -9% | -9% |
| 16 | -2 | bosch-diy.com | 68,953 | 76,504 | -10% | -10% |
| 17 | 0 | festool.co.uk | 66,473 | 59,386 | 12% | 12% |
| 18 | -3 | bosch-professional.com | 63,401 | 66,965 | -5% | -5% |
| 19 | 3 | hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk | 62,937 | 50,867 | 24% | 24% |
| 20 | 35 | mytoolshed.co.uk | 60,409 | 13,330 | 353% | 353% |
| 21 | -5 | hilti.co.uk | 57,640 | 60,979 | -5% | -5% |
| 22 | 7 | toolden.co.uk | 57,640 | 36,668 | 57% | 57% |
| 23 | 0 | drapertools.com | 54,975 | 48,797 | 13% | 13% |
| 24 | 12 | karcheroutlet.co.uk | 54,834 | 29,250 | 87% | 87% |
| 25 | -4 | primetools.co.uk | 52,182 | 51,178 | 2% | 2% |
| 26 | 1 | einhell.co.uk | 45,991 | 43,841 | 5% | 5% |
| 27 | 1 | uk.worx.com | 43,078 | 37,899 | 14% | 14% |
| 28 | -4 | shop.evolutionpowertools.com | 41,484 | 47,694 | -13% | -13% |
| 29 | -10 | boconline.co.uk | 40,269 | 54,923 | -27% | -27% |
| 30 | -4 | tooled-up.com | 37,136 | 44,749 | -17% | -17% |
Who offers the best customer experience?
Customer sentiment often makes or breaks a sale. Based on Trustpilot, here are the UK’s best-rated tool stores:
- Gtech – 4.8★ from 155,356 reviews
- Axminster Tools – 4.8★ from 97,914 reviews
- ITS – 4.8★ from 49,956 reviews
- Howe Tools – 4.9★ from 35,340 reviews
- Toolstop – 4.8★ from 32,017 reviews
Brands that nail service and aftersales earn stronger word‑of‑mouth and higher conversion rates. If you’re not actively collecting and showcasing reviews, start today.
Which tool stores lead in brand awareness?
We merged branded search volumes with social engagement to find the most prominent names:
- Screwfix – 5 million monthly searches / 786 social score
- Stihl – 22,200 searches / 7,687 social score
- Husqvarna – 40,500 searches / 2,832 social score
- ITS – 165,000 searches / 382 social score
- Hilti – 22,200 searches / 2,683 social score
Digital brand awareness describes how familiar consumers are with your brand or products online, whether they are searching for your brand or interacting with it on social media. To calculate this ranking, we blend branded search metrics with the performance and reach of social channels for brands across the sector.
Owned social score considers followers and engaged conversations on all major social platforms. A strong owned audience now influences SEO more than ever—brand queries feed Google’s entity understanding, soften the impact of core updates and now, social content such as TikTok videos and Instagram reels are starting to be pulled into the SERP!
The rest of the market:
| Brand Name | Site | Brand Searches Per Month | Owned Social Score | Rank |
| Screw Fix | screwfix.com | 5000000 | 786 | 1 |
| Stihl | shop.stihl.co.uk | 22200 | 7687 | 2 |
| Husqvarna | husqvarna.com | 40500 | 2832 | 3 |
| Its | its.co.uk | 165000 | 382 | 4 |
| Hilti | hilti.co.uk | 22200 | 2683 | 5 |
| Festool | festool.co.uk | 18100 | 1766 | 6 |
| Bosch Professional | bosch-professional.com | 3600 | 5625 | 7 |
| Karcher Outlet | karcheroutlet.co.uk | 4400 | 3635 | 8 |
| Machine Mart | machinemart.co.uk | 135000 | 111 | 9 |
| Axminster Tools | axminstertools.com | 40500 | 198 | 10 |
| Ryobit Tools | uk.ryobitools.eu | 27100 | 235 | 11 |
| Gtech | gtech.co.uk | 33100 | 70 | 12 |
| RS Online | uk.rs-online.com | 14800 | 142 | 13 |
| Rutlands | rutlands.com | 27100 | 70 | 14 |
| Kaercher | kaercher.com | 480 | 3653 | 15 |
| Worx | uk.worx.com | 5400 | 257 | 16 |
| Bosch DIY | bosch-diy.com | 590 | 2243 | 17 |
| Eco Flow | uk.ecoflow.com | 1600 | 679 | 18 |
| Draper Tools | drapertools.com | 6600 | 116 | 19 |
| Tool Den | toolden.co.uk | 18100 | 34 | 20 |
| UK Planet Tools | ukplanettools.co.uk | 5400 | 110 | 21 |
| Power Tool Mate | powertoolmate.co.uk | 8100 | 69 | 22 |
| Power Tool World | powertoolworld.co.uk | 18100 | 29 | 23 |
| Jackery | uk.jackery.com | 8100 | 48 | 24 |
| Wurth | eshop.wurth.co.uk | 9900 | 35 | 25 |
| Big Red Power Tools | bigredpowertools.co.uk | 5400 | 62 | 26 |
| R Tech Welding | r-techwelding.co.uk | 4400 | 66 | 27 |
| Elliots | elliotts.uk | 12100 | 17 | 28 |
| Evolution Power Tools | shop.evolutionpowertools.com | 1900 | 84 | 29 |
| Einhell | einhell.co.uk | 8100 | 20 | 30 |
Which tool stores are slipping?
No brand is immune to decline. The biggest drops in visibility include:
- Toolstop – –33% (54,359 to 36,526)
- Powertoolmate – –15% (129,077 to 109,859)
- Power Tool World – –9% (181,279 to 165,074)
- RS – –3% (681,408 to 659,455)
- Screwfix – –1% (10,591,730 to 10,475,369)
Get the full list of over 100 brands here.
Slips in visibility rarely happen in isolation. They’re canaries in the coal mine, signaling either algorithm shifts punishing shallow content, competitors doubling down on user experience, or technical debt finally catching up with you.
The brands weathering Google’s increasingly unpredictable updates aren’t the ones gaming systems or chasing ranking hacks. They’re the ones who built their strategy around actual human needs from day one. When core updates roll through, sites focused on the humans using them remain steady while keyword-stuffed competitors get swept away.
If you’re seeing downward trends, ask the fundamental question:
Does this page genuinely help the human behind the search query?
Because Google’s algorithms are increasingly sophisticated at detecting the difference between content created for users versus content created for crawlers.
Build for humans first, let the bots follow.
What are the emerging keyword opportunities?
Staying ahead of the curve means spotting high-potential terms before they go mainstream. Here are some long-tail searches gaining traction:
- Portable generator (2,900 searches; +45% search volume)
- Electric generator for home (1,900 searches; +291% search volume)
- Ratchet wrench (1,300 searches; +44% search volume)
- Self-centring drill bit (880 searches; +122% search volume)
These niche phrases have lower competition but growing demand, perfect for mid-tier and challenger brands looking to own a corner of the market. Optimise dedicated landing pages, publish how‑to content and align your strategy to capitalise on this surge.
How can paid media accelerate profitable growth?
When Fixing Store launched with a blank slate—no legacy data, no paid‑media history—we built a full‑funnel approach from scratch.
The outcome? Month‑on‑month revenue targets hit within 12 months. Q1 2025 saw a 147.6% increase in revenue and a 36.9% lift in ROAS. What started as a blank canvas is now a well‑oiled, scaling paid‑media engine.
Read our Fixing Store case study
Ready to follow their playbook? Learn more about our profit‑first PPC service.
Every metric in this overview points to a single truth.
Your next breakthrough in the Tool Stores sector depends on combining data‑driven strategy with compelling user experiences. Whether you’re just starting or sharpening your edge, you’ve got the blueprint here.
What’s next?
- Want every table, graph and statistic? Download the full 69‑page tool stores market report for more insight.
- Need hands‑on support? Learn more about our eCommerce SEO service and see how we’re building “search for humans, not algorithms.”
- Want more content like this delivered daily? Connect with Michael or myself on LinkedIn, where we share regular insights, practical tips, and industry analysis to help you stay ahead of the curve.