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Our Tool Retailers 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 brands 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 in second and third are RS (659K) and ITS (393K), while Machine Mart (302K), Kärcher (241K) and Ryobi Tools (230K) round out the top five.
The full top 10 includes Gtech, Power Tool World, Powertoolmate and Big Red Power Tools, each demonstrating a strong digital presence.
Why it matters: 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 (rank) | 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 websites:
- Gtech – 4.8★, 155,356 reviews
- Axminster Tools – 4.8★, 97,914 reviews
- ITS – 4.8★, 49,956 reviews
- Howe Tools – 4.9★, 35,340 reviews
- Toolstop – 4.8★, 32,017 reviews
Action: Brands that fix their 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 sites 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.
Key insight: A strong owned audience now influences SEO more than ever. Brand queries feed Google’s entity understanding, soften the impact of core updates and social content is increasingly being pulled into the SERP.
Here are the top-ranking tools brands on social and search:
| Brand name | Site | Brand searches per month | Owned social score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screw Fix | screwfix.com | 5,000,000 | 786 | 1 |
| Stihl | shop.stihl.co.uk | 22,200 | 7,687 | 2 |
| Husqvarna | husqvarna.com | 40,500 | 2,832 | 3 |
| Its | its.co.uk | 165,000 | 382 | 4 |
| Hilti | hilti.co.uk | 22,200 | 2,683 | 5 |
| Festool | festool.co.uk | 18,100 | 1,766 | 6 |
| Bosch Professional | bosch-professional.com | 3,600 | 5,625 | 7 |
| Karcher Outlet | karcheroutlet.co.uk | 4,400 | 3,635 | 8 |
| Machine Mart | machinemart.co.uk | 135,000 | 111 | 9 |
| Axminster Tools | axminstertools.com | 40,500 | 198 | 10 |
| Ryobit Tools | uk.ryobitools.eu | 27,100 | 235 | 11 |
| Gtech | gtech.co.uk | 33,100 | 70 | 12 |
| RS Online | uk.rs-online.com | 14,800 | 142 | 13 |
| Rutlands | rutlands.com | 27,100 | 70 | 14 |
| Kaercher | kaercher.com | 480 | 3,653 | 15 |
| Worx | uk.worx.com | 5,400 | 257 | 16 |
| Bosch DIY | bosch-diy.com | 590 | 2,243 | 17 |
| Eco Flow | uk.ecoflow.com | 1,600 | 679 | 18 |
| Draper Tools | drapertools.com | 6,600 | 116 | 19 |
| Tool Den | toolden.co.uk | 18,100 | 34 | 20 |
| UK Planet Tools | ukplanettools.co.uk | 5,400 | 110 | 21 |
| Power Tool Mate | powertoolmate.co.uk | 8,100 | 69 | 22 |
| Power Tool World | powertoolworld.co.uk | 18,100 | 29 | 23 |
| Jackery | uk.jackery.com | 8,100 | 48 | 24 |
| Wurth | eshop.wurth.co.uk | 9,900 | 35 | 25 |
| Big Red Power Tools | bigredpowertools.co.uk | 5,400 | 62 | 26 |
| R Tech Welding | r-techwelding.co.uk | 4,400 | 66 | 27 |
| Elliotts | elliotts.uk | 12,100 | 17 | 28 |
| Evolution Power Tools | shop.evolutionpowertools.com | 1,900 | 84 | 29 |
| Einhell | einhell.co.uk | 8,100 | 20 | 30 |
Which tool stores are slipping?
No brand is immune to decline. The biggest drops in visibility include:
- Toolstop:Â -33% (54,359 to 36,526)
- Powertoolmate:Â -15% (129,077 to 109,859)
- Power Tool World:Â -9% (181,279 to 165,074)
- RS:Â -3% (681,408 to 659,455)
- Screwfix:Â -1% (10,591,730 to 10,475,369)
Slips in visibility rarely happen in isolation. They can signal algorithm shifts punishing shallow content, competitors doubling down on user experience, or technical debt catching up.
Sanity check: Does this page genuinely help the human behind the search query? Build for humans first, let the bots follow.
Want the full list of over 100 brands?
What are the emerging keyword opportunities in the tool industry?
Staying ahead of the curve means spotting high-potential terms before they go mainstream. Here are some long-tail searches gaining traction:
| Keyword | UK monthly searches | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Portable generator | 2,900 | +45% |
| Electric generator for home | 1,900 | +291% |
| Ratchet wrench | 1,300 | +44% |
| Self-centring drill bit | 880 | +122% |
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 and 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.
Read our Fixing Store case study  | Learn more about our profit-first PPC service
Bottom line: Every metric in this overview points to a single truth. Your next breakthrough in the tool sector depends on combining data-driven strategy with compelling user experiences.
What’s next?
For every table, graph and statistic, and to see where you stand in the rankings, download the full report. Or for more hands-on support, learn more about our e-commerce SEO services.
Ready to benchmark your brand against the competition?
