Industry News

Job growth in August slowed as the unemployment rate rose to the highest level in four years, signaling a continued cooling in the U.S. labor market, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Eye on Housing report. The …

The first partnership of its kind in the independent channel, Ace Hardware and DoorDash, a leading local commerce platform, are partnering to offer on-demand delivery of home improvement essentials from over 4,000 Ace locations across the U.S.   “Ace is …

In August, Rural King celebrated its 65th anniversary, marking more than six decades of steady growth from a single store in Mattoon, Illinois, to more than 140 locations across 14 states. The company prides itself on supporting its loyal and …

Ten states and the District of Columbia had significant year-over-year increases in total retail sales excluding nonstore retailers in May 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Monthly State Retail Sales report. On average, total retail sales were up 1.8% …

spoga+gafa, the leading trade fair for garden lifestyle and barbecue, recently announced a new hall concept for the 2026 show.  Object.Europe, designed by the editor of H.O.M.E. magazine and renowned voice in international design and architecture, Angelika Müller, will feature …

It’s been less than a year since the biggest news the channel has seen in decades broke, when True Value filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October and Do it Best successfully closed on the purchase of True Value in …

At the Do it Best and True Value 2025 Fall Market, a record-breaking number of retailers, vendors and partners came together for the kickoff event on Friday afternoon, which highlighted the various branding and marketing strategies the companies will be …

Mortgage rates continued to decline in August and are now reporting at the lowest rate since November 2024, according to Freddie Mac.  The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.59%, 13 basis points (bps) lower than July, while the 15-year rate declined …