Ace Hardware’s president and CEO, John Venhuizen, recently sat down with Hardware Retailing for an interview. He discussed weather events that have impacted Ace retailers, strategies for competing with “an incredibly good enemy” in Amazon and the co-op’s opportunities and plans for growth. …
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Deals, Demonstrations Take Center Stage at Blish-Mize Fall Buying Market
More deals, more options and more interaction were all in the spotlight at the Blish-Mize Fall Buying Market, held Sept. 15-16 at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Retailers attended the two-day event to prepare for the upcoming …
Read More »Lowe’s New Supply Chain Exec Comes From Omnichannel Retailer
Lowe’s announced the addition of Michael West as its senior vice president of supply chain field operations, the Charlotte Business Journal reports. West joined the home improvement retailer from his previous post at Neiman Marcus, a high-end omnichannel department store. …
Read More »Lumber Prices Rise After Hurricanes, Political Deadlock
Recent hurricanes in the southern U.S. and an ongoing political deadlock between the U.S. and Canadian governments threaten to raise the prices of softwood lumber, reports Canadian newspaper The National Post. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce claimed …
Read More »Branneky True Value Hardware Journey Continues After 160 Years
In the mid-19th century, many Americans took off on the Oregon Trail in search of new lands and opportunities. Its main departure points were in Missouri, and the route stretched 2,000 miles to California. More than 400,000 pioneers traveled the …
Read More »Google and Home Depot Team Up for Voice-Activated Ordering
Google and Home Depot recently partnered to allow the big-box retailer’s customers to order home improvement products through the tech company’s voice-activated smart home products, reports Fortune. According to Fortune, the big-box home improvement retailer will sell its products online …
Read More »Pricing Is Key in Amazon’s Whole Foods Takeover
In June, Amazon announced it would purchase high-end grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, and The Wall Street Journal reports that pricing is a key factor in the online retailer’s strategy for the chain. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Federal …
Read More »Diverse San Francisco Retailers Collaborate on Training
Across the country, home improvement retailers make a point to carve out their own brands and embrace the needs and desires of their customers. This fact rings true in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area communities. Last week, North American …
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