For years, private label has been viewed primarily as a margin play. Across the independent home improvement channel, retailers consistently point to higher margins and price competitiveness as the primary reasons for carrying private label products. In many stores, private …

While many retailers jumped on offering buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the service continues to provide an extra layer of customer service and a way for retailers to differentiate. BOPIS also brings customers through your …

Serving as a key driver of customer counts and transaction size, promotions bring customers into your store and encourage them to make more or larger purchases. As the busy summer selling season wraps up and retailers begin to promote upcoming …

Any retailer worth their salt will tell you that “because we’ve always done it that way” isn’t a good reason to avoid change. The problem isn’t that operators don’t believe that statement. It’s that far too many don’t live it. …

Representing all wholesalers and distributors and coming from all across North America, attendees of the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI Conference) left with new ideas, renewed connections and a reinvigorated spirit to strengthen their operations. Hosted by the North …

After demonstrating measurable improvements in inventory accuracy and store execution during a pilot, HomeBase USA has expanded Simbe’s Store Intelligence™ platform across every location in less than three months. The rollout brings Tally and Simbe’s suite of solutions to stores …

Another full day of education and networking sent attendees of the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI Conference) with practical takeaways to improve their operations, promote growth and continue to serve the independent channel.  Daniel Bernat runs a hardware store …

With a focus on addressing the topics that matter most to retailers, Day 1 of the Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI Conference) provided timely insights and helpful best practices.  When Craig Morrison boarded a flight from Hawaii to Orlando, he …