To view a PDF of this story, click here. The Industry’s Two Largest Retail Associations Forge Closer Ties In early February, the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association (PDRA) released a joint announcement …

PRO Group recently announced that Village Supply is the latest wholesale distributor member to join the buying group. The Ceres, California-based Village Supply has joined PRO Group to take advantage of the organization’s marketing, purchasing and operational strengths. Village Supply serves hardware …

Sears Holdings Corp. has acknowledged “substantial doubt” in its ability to stay out of bankruptcy, which may kill recent sales of its businesses, such as Craftsman. The struggling retailer released its annual report on Tuesday, and the news was dismal. Based on information from …

Lowe’s recently launched a virtual reality tool in its Framingham, Massachusetts, store that provides customers with a hands-on training experience for DIY projects, reports Fortune. The new tool, which Lowe’s calls the Holoroom How To, trains users how to install tile in a bathroom …

J.C. Penney has started selling products such as bathtubs and power tools online and is expanding its services in some markets with basic bathroom remodels, The Dallas Morning News reports. The department store forayed into home improvement in 2016 by selling kitchen and laundry appliances in …

Kenmore grills will soon be sold in retail stores other than Sears and Kmart as part of a licensing agreement Sears recently entered into with Permasteel, reports The Chicago Tribune. The agreement allows Permasteel to manufacture and sell Kenmore-branded gas grills …

J.C. Penney will close 130 to 140 stores and two distribution centers and will offer early retirement packages to about 6,000 employees, USA Today reports. The store closures would account for 13 to 14 percent of the department store’s total …

See Something, Say Something In mid-September, three men entered Lyell Crest True Value and bought pipe caps, pipe nipples, cable ties, roofing nails, electrical tape, timers, wooden matches and wire. At the checkout counter, the trio asked the cashier if …