Industry News

Sears recently introduced  Connected Solutions, experiential shops that bring together assortments of smart, connected home and personal automation products. For example, a customer could program his garage door opener to be notified by text when the door is open and closed. Could …

American shoppers dialed it back in April after spending at the fastest pace in almost five years. Household purchases unexpectedly fell 0.1 percent, the first decrease in a year, after a 1 percent gain the prior month that was the …

The importance of small business to job creation and to the U.S. economy has been the focus of economists and policy makers alike for several decades. But defining or measuring what constitutes or defines a small business is quite challenging, …

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May for the 12th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 60th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. To find out …

The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) has extended the application deadline for the Summer 2014 Session of the Retail Management Certification Program until next Monday, June 9th. For companies interested in sending a student to the school, click here …

Federal disaster policy should shift focus toward mitigation in order to reduce future disaster costs, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies says. The industry group recommends that the federal government create incentives for states to adopt and enforce strong …

The average characteristics of conventional mortgages used to buy newly built homes were little changed in April, according to data released earlier today by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).  The average contract interest rate declined a scant 2 basis points to 4.19 percent, while …

Going green is good for the environment, but it can also be good for a homeowner’s wallet – and that’s the aspect of eco-friendly improvements that seems most appealing to homebuyers. More than 80 percent of buyers said they would …