Retail sales in May continued to grow despite a slowdown on stocking up ahead of tariffs, according to the CNBC/National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Retail Monitor. “The data for May indicates that the pull-forward in consumer demand ahead of tariffs is …
Read More »Annie Palmer
Labor Shortages Stunt New Housing Production
A study released by the Home Builders Institute (HBI) in collaboration with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) revealed that the impact of labor shortages on the residential construction industry is significantly responsible for the lost production of many …
Read More »Home Improvement Market Forecast Revised Downward for Remainder of 2025
The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) announced findings from its latest U.S. Size of the Home Improvement Products Market Report, including a revised downward forecast in 2025 due to sustained macroeconomic challenges. The home improvement market as a whole reached …
Read More »Walmart Launches AI Shopping Assistant for Customers
Walmart recently announced the launch of a new GenAI-powered shopping assistant, Sparky. Using the smiling, “Ask Sparky” button in the Walmart app, Walmart customers can use Sparky to search for items, synthesize reviews and answer product questions. Walmart also announced …
Read More »Home Hardware to Launch Farm Assortment Catalogue
Home Hardware Stores Limited announced it is launching a farm assortment catalogue this month in response to a current gap in farm product availability in Canada. The catalogue will highlight agricultural products and other new items being added to Home …
Read More »Import Cargo Projected to Rise During Tariff Pause
Import cargo at major U.S. container ports is expected to see a surge throughout the summer as retailers take advantage of a 90-day reduction in tariffs that were recently imposed on China, according to the National Retail Federation and Hackett …
Read More »U.S. Economy Adds 139,000 Jobs in May
Job growth in the U.S. moderated in May despite ongoing economic and policy uncertainty, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.2%, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builder’s (NAHB) Eye on Housing. Over the past 12 …
Read More »Pediatric Cancer Survivor Hosts Bake Sale at Pennsylvania Hardware Store
Brooke Ross, a three-year brain cancer survivor, recently hosted her very own bake sale raising funds for pediatric cancer research at J.B. Hostetter & Sons, a family-owned hardware store in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. J.B. Hostetter & Sons hosts many community …
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