North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) staffers are regularly visiting independent home improvement stores, getting to know owners and employees and learning lessons on retail everywhere they go. In late June, NRHA’s Hilary Welter and Renee Changnon spent two days in Ann Arbor, …
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Home Depot Using Hydrogen Energy at Stores
The Home Depot is continuing to expand its use of hydrogen energy and plans to use the power to generate electricity at 200 stores by the end of this year. The company’s goal is to use hydrogen fuel cells, which generate energy through a chemical …
Read More »Are Regulations Impeding Your Growth?
New and complex government regulations — especially rules connected to taxes, health care and employee safety—can discourage small business growth and entrepreneurship, according to new data from the National Retail Federation. The reasons? Owners of small businesses often work long …
Read More »What Does Brexit Mean for U.S. Home Improvement?
The British exit from the European Union, commonly referred to as Brexit, has global ramifications, but its impact on U.S. businesses is still to be seen. The U.K. is feeling the strongest and most immediate economic impacts of the Brexit vote in June, but the decision will affect the …
Read More »Walmart Competing With Amazon’s Free Two-Day Shipping
Walmart is now offering an online membership to customers that is similar to Amazon Prime and provides free and fast shipping. Starting June 29, the retail giant began offering 30-day free trials of ShippingPass, which is a program that provides shoppers with unlimited two-day shipping. USA …
Read More »Do You Check How Happy Your Employees Are?
You might do annual employee reviews, but how often do you check how happy and motivated your employees are? High employee engagement at work is linked to a business’ overall success, and companies such as John Deere are taking that …
Read More »5 Ways Ace Hardware ‘Takes on the Big Guy and Wins’
In an article written for Forbes, customer service and experience expert Shep Hyken discusses how Ace Hardware stores stay competitive in an industry glutted with big boxes. The reasons he credits for Ace’s success are true of many independent home improvement …
Read More »NRHA and Payment Alliance International Form Partnership
The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and Payment Alliance International (PAI) have created a partnership to provide independent home improvement retailers with new credit card processing and payment services opportunities. A leader in electronic payment processing solutions, PAI currently serves …
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