Research and Guides

Over the past nine years, homeowners have seen extensive changes to home values as the market worked its way through the Great Recession. Recent research, however, suggests that consumers are once again investing in their homes. Market research firm Consumer …

Do you ever wonder what makes your store a customer favorite? Well, according to research from The Farnsworth Group, an Indianapolis-based market research company, consumers who list independent home improvement outlets as their favorite stores say customer service endears them to …

Many independent home improvement retailers are in their 50s and 60s, and if they haven’t already, they will soon be thinking about who will take over their businesses. The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) 2016 Young Retailer of the …

Americans are forking out more and more cash to care for and entertain their dogs, cats and other pets. In 2015, 65 percent of U.S. households—or 79.7 million homes—owned a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association. These households …

More homeowners are taking an interest in adding water elements, like ponds, both inside and outside their homes. In the August issue of Hardware Retailing, we cover unique products and services you can add to the lawn and garden department. To read …

This year, nearly 85 precent of all independent home improvement retailers say they plan on adding new products to their stores and a full 66 percent say they plan to add or expand entire categories as ways to grow topline sales and …

All smart decisions are based on research, be it product development, marketing strategies or financial decisions. It’s important to look for trends, industry best practices and any other data that supports those decisions. At the North American Retail Hardware Association …

Many independent home improvement retailers are looking to expand their businesses by adding store locations, which bring new customers, new product mixes and new opportunities. Recent data gathered by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) shows that more than a quarter of independent retailers plan …