With the start of 2016, paint manufacturers and trend watchers are announcing what they believe will be the most popular colors for the year. These are colors that designers predict will be showing up in fashion and design, and they may …
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5 Tips for Continuously Improving Your Customer Service
A key to excellent customer service is continuous improvement, and watching the businesses that excel at meeting shoppers’ needs is a way to assess how your staff is doing and potentially polish their skills. Department store chain Nordstrom offers lessons that …
Read More »46 Inches of Floodwater Later, Pacific Lumber Still Recovering
The recovery process hasn’t been quick for businesses damaged by heavy flooding in December. Pacific Lumber Co. in Pacific, Missouri, is still working to get back to business as usual after floodwaters rose to 46 inches within the company’s retail showroom …
Read More »Volunteers Help Retailer Recover From Winter Flooding
Winter storms in December produced flooding that waterlogged homes and businesses, washed out roads and overflowed rivers across the U.S. Home improvement retailers haven’t been exempt from the damage, and have been rebuilding or cleaning up businesses in states including …
Read More »Amazon Planning Hundreds of Brick-and-Mortar Stores?
Amazon may be opening as many as 400 brick-and-mortar stores, following a trend of online retailers adding physical locations and the debut of its Seattle bookstore in 2015. A recent earnings call spurred the talk of the online retailer planning to open traditional stores. …
Read More »Housing Trends to Reflect Millennial Preferences
Millennials are expected to start strongly impacting housing trends, with their preferences showing up in emphases on energy efficiency, smart home technology, workable kitchens and more casual spaces, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Better Homes and Gardens. …
Read More »Lowe’s Buying Canada’s RONA Inc.
Lowe’s today announced an agreement to buy Canadian home improvement retailer and distributor RONA Inc. in a $2.3 billion deal, dramatically enlarging the U.S. company’s presence in Canada. “The transaction is expected to accelerate Lowe’s growth strategy by significantly expanding …
Read More »The Big Impact of Small Businesses
National data shows that small businesses account for most of the U.S. retail industry. Large chains, such as Walmart, Home Depot and Macy’s, compose only a small percentage of the retail sector. The numbers reveal that nearly 99 percent of all …
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