Between constant price changes from tariffs, rising labor costs, a soft housing market and dropping consumer confidence, to say last year was challenging for retailers would be an understatement. While they can’t control outside factors, there are ways retailers can …

Exploring the future of retail with an eye on the current state of the industry, over 40,000 attendees converged on New York City for the National Retail Federation’s NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show. Over three days, retailers, vendors, service providers, …

True Value is returning to national advertising with the launch of its new brand awareness campaign, “Your Project, Your Way,” designed to reintroduce one of America’s most iconic hardware retailers to a younger generation of DIYers. Anchored in individuality and …

Store Brands Month returns Jan. 1 with a nationwide, consumer-focused awareness campaign designed to spotlight the quality, innovation and value of store brand products. Created by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), Store Brands Month is an industrywide initiative that …

As it continually strives to make independent home improvement retailers better and more profitable, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) is leaning into technology to bring efficient and time-saving training offerings to the channel.  The new RetailWise program …

By Steve Payne, Editor-in-Chief, Hardlines Inc. The health of the retail hardware and home improvement industry in Canada had its ups and downs both during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, industry sales declined by 3.7%, and in 2024 …

In life, comparison is the thief of joy, but when it comes to business, comparison is a key component to evaluate progress and gauge success. In the independent home improvement industry, running a gap analysis is one of those tasks …

Market Measure Evolution As you dive into this year’s Market Measure report, things might look a bit different than they have in the past, particularly when you browse the size of market numbers and the market breakdown.  The numbers themselves …