The National Association of Home Builders‘ (NAHB) chairman Chuck Fowke called on Congress to increase domestic lumber production from federal lands to address the resilience of national forests, resolve lumber supply shortages, rein in elevated prices and improve housing affordability. …
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NRF Revises Forecast as Great Uncertainty Transforms Into Recovery
As retailers head into the second half of 2021, National Retail Federation (NRF) chief economist Jack Kleinhenz says the great uncertainty clouding the nation’s economic outlook earlier in the year has transformed into evidence of a recovery from the COVID-19 …
Read More »Home Depot and Lowes Set Sights on Pros
A new report from CNBC highlights how big-box home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s are increasingly focusing on capturing sales from pro customers. During the pandemic, both companies saw sales rise sharply as more customers invested in home improvement …
Read More »Pending Home Sales Rise 8% in May
New data from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) shows pending home sales jumped 8 percent in May, up more than 13 percent from the same period in 2020. The association monitors home sales trends in four U.S. regions, all …
Read More »Product Shortages Causing Builders to Raise Prices, Preorder
It’s no secret that building materials are in short supply and the price of lumber and other supplies has increased significantly. In May 2021, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) surveyed builders in its annual Housing Market Index. Builders …
Read More »Add Your Voice to the Small Business Rising Movement
Small Business Rising, a new coalition of independent businesses, launched in April urging policymakers to reign in monopolies and level the playing field for independent businesses to compete and serve the needs of their communities. Hardware Retailing recently spoke to …
Read More »How COVID-19 Affected June Home Improvement
Market research firms The Farnsworth Group and the Home Improvement Research Institute have released their final COVID-19 tracker report, highlighting the many ways in which the pandemic has affected home improvement DIYers and pros. Take a look at the latest …
Read More »U.S. Adds 850,000 Employees to Workforce in June
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employed Situation for June 2021, which reported 850,000 jobs were added in June. The number of new jobs added exceeded the expectations of 720,000 and is well above May’s gains of 583,000. …
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